Potentially toxic elements in some fresh water bodies in Ethiopia

A total of thirty three water samples were collected from Tinishu Akaki River, Lake Awassa, and Lake Ziway, Ethiopia. Multi-element determination of trace elements (V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Se, Ag, Cd, Sn, Hg, and Pb) in water samples was carried out by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry after acidification with 1% HNO₃. The concentration (in μg L^-1) of the elements were in the range of 1.0-19, <0.42-83, 1.1-1580, <45-1760, <0.11-2.0, 0.43-13, 0.77-13, 6-300, <0.94-2.0, <0.3-1.5, <0.012-0.63, 0.13-4.8, <0.29, and 0.2-7.2 for V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Se, Ag, Cd, Sn, Hg, and Pb, respectively. The concentrations of all the quantified elements, with the exception of Mn, were in the range of the permissible limits of the Ethiopian, European Community, and World Health Organization for both drinking water quality guidelines and irrigation water guidelines. The accuracy of the method was validated by analyzing trace elements in water standard reference material (SRM 1643e). The measured values of trace elements in the SRM agreed well with the certified values at the 95% confidence level.