⚗️ Iron and manganese in water and wastewater — flame atomic absorption spectrometry, PN-C-04570-01

Physicochemistry PN-92/C-04570/01

Overview

WHAT THE STANDARD COVERS. The scope from the PKN catalogue card, quoted in full: "The method is used for determining in water and wastewater Zn, Cu, Ni, Cd and Mn at concentrations above 0.3 mg/l, and Co, Pb and Fe above 0.5 mg/l-1*. The method allows determination of total and dissolved metals." The notation "mg/l-1*" comes from the card. The previous edition (1981) had "without preliminary concentration" in its title; the card of the 1992 edition does not mention concentration, and the thresholds of 0.3 and 0.5 mg/l look like thresholds of direct measurement — we did not have the text of the standard, so we do not decide this.

STATUS AND SUCCESSOR (state of the cards on 28 September 2026). The card carries the heading "Withdrawn and superseded by PN-ISO 8288:2002 - Polish version" and the rows "Date of withdrawal: 29-03-2002" and "Superseded by: PN-ISO 8288:2002 - Polish version". Edition: published 09-03-1992, 3 pages, PKN technical committee KT 121 (Water Quality — Chemical Tests — Inorganic Substances), ICS 13.060.50; "Supersedes: PN-C-04570-01:1981". The card of the successor (no withdrawal note, i.e. current): PN-ISO 8288:2002 "Water quality — Determination of cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc, cadmium and lead — Flame atomic absorption spectrometric methods", introduces ISO 8288:1986 [IDT], 19 pages, three methods: direct determination, after chelation with APDC and extraction with MIBK, and after chelation with HMA-HMDC and extraction with DIPK-xylene; it also supersedes PN-C-04570-04:1992. What changed for the result: the successor has NO manganese and NO iron. These two elements appeared in this standard only in the 1992 edition — the 1981 edition covered zinc, copper, lead, cadmium, nickel and cobalt above 0.3 mg/l — and disappeared with it. In this knowledge base the successor is described in the entries on PN-ISO 8288.

REQUIREMENT OF THE REGULATION FOR DRINKING WATER. Regulation of the Minister of Health of 22 May 2026 on the quality of water intended for human consumption (Journal of Laws 2026, item 748), in force since 24 June 2026: parametric values — manganese 50 µg/l (Annex 1, Part C, Table 2, item 5), iron 200 µg/l (item 15). Annex 4, Part B, point 1: the limit of quantification of the method no higher than 30 % of the parametric value — 15 µg/l for manganese and 60 µg/l for iron — with an uncertainty of 30 % (items 29 and 54 of the table). The same point ends with the sentence: "Where there is no analytical method meeting the minimum performance characteristics set out in the table, monitoring shall be carried out using the best available techniques not entailing excessive costs" (our translation). The thresholds on the card (0.3 mg/l manganese, 0.5 mg/l iron) lie 6 and 2.5 times above the parametric values themselves. The regulation names no standard for these elements — it requires method performance characteristics.

HOW MANY LABORATORIES, WHICH ELEMENTS (copy of the accreditation scope database, data up to 17 September 2026, read on 28 September 2026). All records of number 04570 with sheet 01: 23 entries at 14 laboratories, each with the year 1992. Forms: "PN-92/C-04570/01" — 13 laboratories (21 entries), "PN-C-04570-01:1992" — AB 379 (2 entries). The "Laboratories" tab searches for records BEGINNING with "PN-92/C-04570/01" and will show 13 laboratories in 21 entries; AB 379 will remain outside it. ALL 23 entries concern manganese or iron: manganese — 13 laboratories, iron — 10 (both — 9; manganese only — AB 552, AB 616, AB 635, AB 739; iron only — AB 415). No laboratory determines zinc, copper, nickel, cadmium, lead or cobalt by this standard — for them the successor is used. Technique at all of them: FAAS. Test object: drinking water — 10 laboratories for manganese, 6 for iron; besides that water, wastewater and swimming-pool water. Current scopes on the PCA website (read on 29 September 2026): all 23 entries stand in the valid issues with the same range as in the copy, and none is suspended.

THE CARD’S LIMITS AND THE LABORATORIES' RANGES — A PLACE FOR A SEEMINGLY CORRECT RESULT. Manganese: all 13 laboratories start below the card’s 0.3 mg/l — from 5 µg/l (AB 552, AB 811) to 0.10 mg/l (AB 795 for water and wastewater, AB 797). Iron: all 10 start below 0.5 mg/l — from 0.020 mg/l (AB 795, drinking water) to 0.3 mg/l (AB 1183, wastewater). Where the limits below the card come from — WE HAVE NOT ESTABLISHED. Against the regulation’s requirements for drinking water: for manganese seven of the 10 laboratories start their range at 15 µg/l or lower (AB 379, AB 487, AB 552, AB 616, AB 739, AB 795, AB 811), and three higher — AB 635 and AB 842 from 20 µg/l, AB 1655 from 25 µg/l; for iron all six start at 60 µg/l or lower (from 20 µg/l, AB 795, to 60 µg/l, AB 415). The lower limit of the range is not the same as the limit of quantification, but a result described only by the number of this standard invokes a method whose card gives thresholds of 0.3 and 0.5 mg/l — the limit of quantification has to be asked of the laboratory.

WHAT WE DO NOT GIVE. We did not have the text of the standard — PKN sells it (3 pages). We do not give the wavelengths, the type of flame, the sample preparation for total and dissolved metals, the calibration curve, the formula or the precision.

Method principle

According to the card of the standard, metals in water and wastewater are determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry: manganese (and also zinc, copper, nickel and cadmium) at concentrations above 0.3 mg/l, iron (and also cobalt and lead) above 0.5 mg/l; the method allows total and dissolved metals to be determined. For drinking water the result is compared with 50 µg/l of manganese and 200 µg/l of iron, and the method must have a limit of quantification of no more than 15 and 60 µg/l (Journal of Laws 2026, item 748). We DO NOT GIVE the measuring conditions — we did not have the text of the standard.

Applications

• In practice in accreditation scopes: exclusively manganese (13 laboratories) and iron (10) in water, drinking water, wastewater and swimming-pool water — exactly the two elements that the successor PN-ISO 8288:2002 does not have
• Zinc, copper, nickel, cadmium, lead and cobalt — according to the successor PN-ISO 8288:2002 (separate entries in this knowledge base)
• Drinking water: assessment against 50 µg/l of manganese and 200 µg/l of iron (Journal of Laws 2026, item 748); the thresholds on the card (0.3 and 0.5 mg/l) lie above these values

Key parameters

Standard

Standard number

PN-C-04570-01:1992 (wersja polska)

Title (PL)

Woda i ścieki — Badania zawartości metali metodą absorpcyjnej spektrometrii atomowej — Oznaczanie cynku, miedzi, kadmu, niklu, manganu, ołowiu, kobaltu i żelaza

Title (EN)

Water and wastewater — Tests for metal content by atomic absorption spectrometry — Determination of zinc, copper, cadmium, nickel, manganese, lead, cobalt and iron

Step-by-step procedure

1. Status of the document

   PKN card: standard withdrawn on 29-03-2002, superseded by PN-ISO 8288:2002, which has no manganese and no iron (state of the cards on 28 September 2026). In the report the designation is given with the year: PN-C-04570-01:1992.

2. Sample preparation

   It is decided whether the total or the dissolved metal is determined. The card does not mention preconcentration of the sample; details NOT GIVEN.

3. Measurement

   Flame atomic absorption spectrometry; according to the card for manganese above 0.3 mg/l, for iron above 0.5 mg/l.

4. Result

   Concentration in mg/l or µg/l; check whether it lies within the laboratory’s accreditation range.

5. Assessment for drinking water

   Comparison with 50 µg/l of manganese and 200 µg/l of iron. A "below" result requires a limit of quantification of no more than 15 and 60 µg/l — the threshold on the card does not provide it; ask the laboratory.

Required equipment and apparatus

Reagents, media and consumables

Health and safety (OHS)

• The spectrometer flame requires a leak-tight installation for combustible gases and the safeguards provided by the instrument manufacturer; we DO NOT GIVE the type of flame required by the standard
• The acids for preservation and preparation of samples are corrosive — the safety data sheets apply
• TECHNICAL NOTE: the successor PN-ISO 8288:2002 does not cover manganese or iron — switching "to the successor" is not possible for these elements

Frequently asked questions