Abstract:
Heavy metals can be very harmful to human health if drinking water is contaminated with toxic metals. Severe effects include reduced growth and development, cancer, organ damage, nervous system damage, and in extreme cases, death. In the present study a direct determination of Cd and Pb metal was carried out from ground water collected in some selected areas of N/Gondar administrative zone Ethiopia, using a square wave anodic stripping Voltammeter (SWASV) at carbon past electrode. Determination of Cd and Pb was done after optimizing of working parameters. The optimized parameters for this are pH value 2 with a sweep rate (scan rate) of 100 mV/s and amplitude 30 mV. The solution was pre-concentrated at -0.8 V (vs. Ag/ AgCl) for 20 seconds and the potential was scanned from -1.4 V to +0.6 V (vs. Ag/AgCl). The concentration of Cd was not detected in this work that may be the amount of Cd is below the detection limit of the instrument. On the other hand, the amount of Pb in the ground water collected from azezo kebele, N/Gondar was determined and found to be 1.8 mg/l in shinta and 2.499 mg/l in boyit ground water. Based on the results obtained, both sampling areas ground water are polluted with Pb and are not safe for peoples living around. This is because the concentration of Pb in both sampling area ground water was above the safe limit of WHO.
Key words: Anodic stripping Voltammetry, carbon past electrode, Heavy Metals, Cadmium, Lead, ground water