Determination of arsenic, copper and lead in the water of villages of Chalkidiki, Greece

Arsenic, copper and lead metals are serious contaminants for human health. These metals are all toxic above a minimum concentration. In the present study twenty two water samples (eleven sites - non and acidified) from villages Nea Silata, Nea Triglia, Eleochoria, Nea Plagia, Tenedos and Sozopolis, municipality of Poligiros, prefecture of Chalkidiki, Greece were collected for quantitatively determination of arsenic, copper-65 and lead-208 by Hydride Generation - Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (HG-AAS) and Inductively Coupled Plasma - Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). The kinds of water were categorized as: drinking water, irrigation water and geothermal water. The results exhibited normal levels for all the three heavy metals under examination apart from geothermal water at Eleochoria village and in some cases for irrigation water at Nea Triglia and Tenedos villages for which the levels of arsenic were a little elevated. Drinking water samples from Nea Plagia and Nea Triglia villages showed lower heavy metal levels than the official Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCL) and therefore the water at these villages is considered to be potable.