PROJECT : Research ECR method and Aluminon method

SUPERVISOR : Wan Khairuddin Bin Wan Omar

MEMBERS :

1) Nabihah Bt Mokhtar
2) Nur Athirah Bt M.Nazeri
3) Nur Farahin Bt Rosli
4) Nurhashimah Bt Mohd Yusoff
5) Rafiqa Liyana Bt Rahimi
METHOD FOR ALUMINIUM TEST USE IN LAB
1) ERIOCHROME CYANINE R METHOD (ECR)
(0.002 to 0.250 mg/L )

Procedure:

a) Fill the 25 mL mixing cylinder to the 20 mL mark with sample. Add one ECR Reagent
Powder Pillow for 20 mL sample size.
b) Insert the stopper. Invert several times to completely dissolve powder.
c) Press the time > ok (a 30 second reaction period will begin).
d) After the timer expires, add one Hexamethylene-tetramine Buffer Reagent powder pillow.
e) Insert the stopper. Invert several times to dissolve powder. A red orange color will develop
if aluminium is present.
f) Blank preparation : Put one drop of ECR Masking Reagent Solution into a clean square
sample cell.
g) Pour 10 mL from the mixing cylinder into the blank cell. Swirl to mix. The solution will
begin to turn yellow.
h) Prepared sample : Fill a second square sample cell to the 10 mL mark with the remaining
solution in the cylinder.
i) Within five minutes after the times expires, wipe the blank then insert it into the cell holder
with the fill line facing right.

2) ALUMINON METHOD (0.008 to 0.800 mg/L)

Procedure:

a) Fill the cylinder to the 50 mL mark with sample. Add one Ascorbic Acid Powder Pillow.
b) Add one AluVer 3 Aluminum Reagent Powder Pillow. An orange-red color will develop if
aluminum is present.
c) Invert repeteadly for one minute to disslove the powder. Undissolved powder will cause
inconsistent results.
d) Blank preparation : Pour 10 mL of the mixture into a square sample cell.
e) Add one Bleaching 3 Reagent Powder Pillow to the blank.
f) Vigorously swirl the cell for 30 seconds. The solution should turn a light to medium
orange.( A 15 minutes reaction period will begin).
g) Prepared sample : Pour 10 mL solution from the cylinder into a second square sample cell.
h) Within five minutes after the timer expires, wipe and dry the blank and place it into the cell
holder with the fill line facing right.
i) Immediately wipe and dry the prepared sample and place it into the cell holder with the fill
line facing right.
 3) METHOD USE BY IKA ( Aluminum Tablet reagent (Alt))

Procedure:

a) Blank sample: Fill the 10 mL sample cell with water sample.

b) Insert the sample cell into the instrument and press zero/test button.
c) Prepared sample: Insert Aluminium No.1 reagent and crunch until it is completely
dissolve.
d) Insert Aluminium No.2 reagent and cruch until itis completely dissolve.
e) After 5 minutes reaction, insert the sample cell into the instrument and press zero/test
button.
f) Record the reading.

RESULT:

1) ECR METHOD
viols of ECR method= 15/197x100 = 7.61%

2) ALUMINON METHOD
viols of Aluminon method=20/197x100= 10.15%
 MODEL OF INSTRUMENT USE BY IKA TO TEST THE ALUMINIUM ON
SITE TEST

NAMA IKA ENCIK AZIZ ENCIK SHAIFUL ENCIK ENCIK

MUSTAPHA MOHAMAD
MODEL -HACH DR 890 (old) -Lovibond, Mini -Lovibond, Mini -Lovibond,
Direct Aluminium Direct Aluminium Mini Direct
-Lovibond, Mini Aluminium
Direct Aluminium
(new)

METHOD -Aluminon [HACH] Tablet reagent (Alt) Tablet reagent (Alt) Tablet reagent
(Alt)
-Tablet reagent (Alt)
[Lovibond]

0.008-0.8 mg/L (old) 0.05-0.3 mg/L 0.05-0.3 mg/L 0.05-0.3 mg/L

LIMITATION
0.05-0.3 mg/L (new)
REACTION -15 minutes (HACH) 5 minutes 5 minutes 5 minutes
TIME
-5 minutes
(Lovibond)

COMPARISON BETWEEN THREE MODELUSE TO TEST THE ALUMINUM

ON SITE TEST
MODEL LOVIBOND, LOVIBOND, HACH DR 890
MINIDIRECT MINIDIRECT
ALUMINIUM ALUMINIUM
METHOD Tablet reagent (Alt) ECR, Powder packs Aluminon
reagent (ALP)
LIMITATION 0.05 0.3 mg/L 0.01 0.25 mg/L 0.02 0.8 mg/L
REACTION TIME 5 minutes 5 minutes 15 minutes
 ALUMINON
WTP METHOD ECR METHOD %Difference
Kampung Puteh 0.065 0.052 25.000
Tanjung Mas 0.085 0.067 26.870
Pintu Geng 0.331 0.276 19.930
Chicha 0.044 0.038 15.790
Perol 0.089 0.054 64.810
Kg Chap Old 0.110 0.091 20.880
Wakaf Bharu 0.008 0.010 -20.000
Merb. Chondong 0.049 0.046 6.522
Kelar 0.077 0.050 54.000
Bukit Remah 0.023 0.021 9.524
Felda Kmhang 0.055 0.048 14.583
Bendang Nyior 0.120 0.100 20.000
Batu Gajah 0.061 0.049 24.490
Kuala Tiga 0.047 0.038 23.684
Jeli/PsrDusun 0.040 0.032 25.000
Air Lanas 0.084 0.083 1.205
Gemang 0.034 0.028 21.429
Kuala Balah 0.026 0.021 23.810
Dabong/Stong 0.098 0.088 11.364
Wakaf Bunut 0.063 0.056 12.500
Tualang 0.066 0.059 11.864
Pahi 0.072 0.065 10.769
Manik Urai 0.101 0.089 13.483
Panggung Lalat 0.278 0.264 5.303
Gua Musang 0.197 0.174 13.218
Bertam Baru 0.079 0.072 9.722
Limau Kasturi 0.090 0.085 5.882
Felda Ciku 0.094 0.089 5.618
Felda Aring 0.133 0.120 10.833
 Based on the graph mean versus WTP, the overall mean of aluminon method is higher
compared to ECR method for 29 WTP, but at Wakaf Bharu WTP, mean of ECR method is higher than
aluminon method. This is because some error. For the Pintu Geng WTP, it has the highest mean
compared with other WTP which is 0.32 followed by Panggung Lalat WTP which is 0.28. The limit
value of aluminum presence in the water sample given by Ministry of Health is 0.2 mg/L, however by
using aluminon method there is 20 out of 179 samples are viol is which give 10.15% whereas using
ECR method, the percentage is 7.16% where 15 out of 197 samples are viol.
Discussion

The range of aluminum would be test by IKA with Lovibond, MiniDirect Aluminium by
using tablet reagent which known as Alt is 0.05 mg/L to 0.3 mg/L, which means the lower aluminum
that would be on site test is 0.05 mg/L and the higher would be 0.3 mg/L. If the presence of aluminum
is lower than 0.05 mg/L the instrument will read Lo which means low and if the presence of
aluminum is higher than 0.3 mg/L the instrument will read Hi which means high.

Lovibond, MiniDirect Aluminium also can be used with different reagent which give different
limitation. The reagent use is Powder packs which the method known as ECR method. By using this
reagent the range of aluminum presence in the water sample can be read is 0.01 mg/L to 0.25 mg/L. By
using this reagent the lower value can be read is 0.01 mg/L while the higher value is 0.25 mg/L.

Apart from that, there is also other model use does on site test for aluminum is HACH DR
890 which the methods use is aluminon method. The limitation range of this model is quite large
which 0.02 to 0.8 mg/L which it can be read higher compare to Lovibond model, however this method
takes a 15 minutes to react.

Conclusion

As a conclusion, the better method used to test the presence of aluminum is water sample is
aluminon method, where the model use is HACH DR 890 because it may read as low 0.02 mg/L and as
high 0.8 mg/L where we may know the exact value of the aluminum presence in the water sample.
Apart from that, the value may compare to those value that was read by ministry of health.