ISO 14911-1998 PDF

Full title and description

ISO 14911:1998 — Water quality — Determination of dissolved Li+, Na+, NH4+, K+, Mn2+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Sr2+ and Ba2+ using ion chromatography — Method for water and waste water. This international standard specifies an ion-chromatographic method, using a conductivity detector and appropriate sample pretreatment, for the determination of the listed dissolved cations in drinking, surface and other waters (including wastewater where applicability is verified case by case).

Abstract

Specifies a procedure for separating and quantifying the cations lithium, sodium, ammonium, potassium, manganese(II), calcium, magnesium, strontium and barium in aqueous samples by ion chromatography with conductimetric detection. Typical working ranges (with a 10 μl injection loop) are provided for each cation (for example lithium ~0.01–1 mg/L; sodium, ammonium, potassium ~0.1–10 mg/L; Ca, Mg, Mn, Sr ~0.5–50 mg/L; barium ~1–100 mg/L); samples may be diluted or alternative injection volumes used to fit the working ranges. The method notes that applicability to wastewater samples must be checked for each case.

General information

• Status: Published (International Standard; version confirmed in a periodic review).
• Publication date: October 1998.
• Publisher: International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
• ICS / categories: 13.060.50 — Examination of water for chemical substances.
• Edition / version: Edition 1 (1998).
• Number of pages: 18 pages.

These bibliographic and lifecycle details follow the ISO record for this standard.

Scope

Defines an ion chromatography procedure, using a conductivity detector, for the quantitative determination of dissolved Li+, Na+, NH4+, K+, Mn2+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Sr2+ and Ba2+ in waters (drinking, surface, ground and similar) and indicates how to treat samples (dilution, handling) to obtain the stated working ranges. The document cautions that wastewater matrices can introduce interferences and that the method’s applicability to specific wastewater samples must be demonstrated by the laboratory before routine use.

Key topics and requirements

• Analytes: dissolved cations — Li+, Na+, NH4+, K+, Mn2+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Sr2+, Ba2+.
• Analytical technique: ion chromatography (cation separation) with conductivity detection (CD), optionally using different injection volumes for dynamic range control.
• Sample pretreatment: dilution and other simple pre-treatments to bring concentrations within working ranges; instructions for preventing contamination and preserving samples.
• Working ranges and calibration: recommended working ranges per ion (examples given for a 10 μl loop) and calibration using suitable standards and calibration curves.
• Interferences and method applicability: guidance on matrix effects, potential interferences (especially in wastewaters) and the need for laboratory verification/validation for non-routine matrices.
• Quality assurance: recommendations for blanks, calibration checks, recovery/precision checks and documentation to ensure reliable results.
• Reporting: units, detection/quantification limits dependent on configuration and matrix, and recommendations for expressing results (e.g., mg/L dissolved).

Typical use and users

Analytical and environmental testing laboratories, water utilities, environmental regulators, research institutions and industrial laboratories that monitor water chemistry. Typical applications include routine monitoring of drinking water, surface water and process effluents where the listed cations need to be quantified, method development/validation activities and inter-laboratory comparisons. Laboratories using the method should have trained personnel and suitable ion chromatography instrumentation with conductimetric detection.

Related standards

Standards that are commonly considered together with ISO 14911 include methods for anion chromatography (ISO 10304-1), elemental determinations by ICP-OES (ISO 11885) and ICP-MS applications (ISO 17294 series), and the ISO 5667 sampling series (guidance on sampling, preservation and handling). These related documents provide complementary procedures for anions, other elements, and sampling/QA practices used in water quality programs.

Keywords

Water quality; ion chromatography; cations; lithium; sodium; ammonium; potassium; manganese; calcium; magnesium; strontium; barium; conductivity detector; wastewater; method validation; calibration; sampling.

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: ISO 14911:1998 is an international standard that specifies an ion chromatography method for the determination of nine dissolved cations in water and, where demonstrated, in wastewater.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers sample pretreatment guidance, chromatographic separation and conductimetric detection, working concentration ranges for each cation, calibration and quality-control recommendations, and notes on applicability to complex matrices such as wastewater.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Environmental and commercial analytical laboratories, water utilities and regulators, and researchers who measure dissolved cations in environmental and drinking waters.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: The 1998 edition remains the published international standard and was reviewed/confirmed in ISO’s periodic review process (most recently confirmed in 2019), so this edition is treated as current until revised or withdrawn by ISO. Users should consult their national standards body for the very latest status before critical use.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: It is part of the broader body of ISO water‑quality standards (work overseen by ISO/TC 147 and its subcommittees). Laboratories commonly use it alongside related ISO methods for anions, elemental analysis and sampling (for example ISO 10304‑1, ISO 11885, ISO 17294 series, and parts of ISO 5667).

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: Ion chromatography; conductimetric detection; dissolved cations; water quality; lithium; sodium; ammonium; potassium; manganese; calcium; magnesium; strontium; barium; wastewater applicability; calibration; QA/QC.