• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.109-115
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• 1999

Lead and cadmium were analyzed with different pretreatemnt methods. Paddy soil and wastewater sludge samples were used and the result was compared each other. Pretreatment method affected the concentration obtained from samples significantly. Large difference was illustrated between the results. The concentration by 0.1N HCl extraction method, an official analytical method for soil and solid wastes, was far lower than those by the EPA3050B and mixed-acid digestion methods. The reason might be that metals associated with organics and silicates are not easily extracted by 0.1N HCl, while digestion methods using strong acids and high temperature dissolved all the elements in the samples. It implies that pretreatment method should be specified in addition to concentration on the report of metal analysis for environmental samples. Acid digestion methods are not necessarily good because the concentration obtained does not represent the natural condition which is our concern in many cases. The 0.1N HCl extraction method does not fully represent the natural condition either. The metals associated with organics will be extracted eventually as organics decompose with time. Therefore, proper pretreatment and analytical methods should be developed for specific purpose, and their standardization is recommended.