Objectives of the Demonstration

The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) is responsible for hundreds of sites with potential drinking water contamination. The process of measuring lead contamination at these sites is both costly and time-consuming. The purpose of this ESTCP project was to validate the field performance of the Metalyzer^TM 5000, a new instrument that measures lead concentrations in water. Use of the Metalyzer^TM 5000 could reduce analytical costs, speed DoD compliance with drinking water standards, and permit a more rapid, thorough sampling procedure. The Metalyzer^TM 5000 has been validated for lead and a new project is underway to validate its performance in detecting other metals.

The Metalyzer^TM 5000 measures toxic metal concentrations in water using an electrochemical technique called Potentiometric Stripping Analysis (PSA). PSA is capable of analyzing multiple metals simultaneously and calculating subparts-per-billion concentrations in on-the spot measurements of a building's plumbing system, in reservoirs and harbors, or anywhere contamination is a concern. The device is controlled by a computer and can be left alone to monitor water supplies or waste streams for extended periods of time. Such accuracy and flexibility could allow DoD to quickly characterize sources of water contamination at installations and more rapidly bring them into compliance with Safe Drinking Water Act regulations. Rigorous testing of the system was conducted at the San Diego Naval Submarine Base, and the Metalyzer^TM 5000 is commercially licensed and began commercial production in 1998.