Determination of thallium and lead in cadmium salts by anodic stripping voltammetry with addition of surfactants to suppress the cadmium peaks.

Conditions have been found which make possible the determination of thallium and/or lead in cadmium and its salts without preliminary separation. The electrochemical activity of the cadmium, which usually interferes in the determination of thallium, is inhibited by the addition of 0.01% of polyethylene glycol of M.W. 4000. Thallium is determined by electrolysis at -0.74 V vs. SCE, in 0.1M EDTA solution: 10(-1)M thallium can be determined in the presence of 0.1M cadmium, while copper and lead at 10(-2)M and 10(-5)M respectively do not interfere. Lead is determined in 0.1M acetic acid containing 0.1% cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB). The addition of CTAB shifts the cadmium peak, as well as the optimum deposition potential for cadmium, to more negative values, making it possible to determine lead in the presence of cadmium as long as the deposition potential lies in the range between -0.50 and -0.56 V vs. SCE. Lead can be determined in the presence of ten times as much thallium.