An American National Standard

Designation: D 516 02

Standard Test Method for

Sulfate Ion in Water1

This standard is issued under the fixed designation D 516; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (e) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.

1. Scope
1.1 This turbidimetric test method covers the determination
of sulfate in water in the range from 1 to 40 mg/L of sulfate ion
(SO4).
1.2 This test method was used successfully with drinking,
ground, and surface waters. It is the users responsibility to
ensure the validity of this test method for waters of untested
matrices.
1.3 Former gravimetric and volumetric test methods have
been discontinued. Refer to Appendix X1 for historical information.
1.4 This standard does not purport to address the safety
concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility
of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and
health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory
limitations prior to use.

3. Terminology
3.1 DefinitionsFor definitions of terms used in this test
method, refer to Terminology D 1129.
4. Summary of Test Method
4.1 Sulfate ion is converted to a barium sulfate suspension
under controlled conditions. A solution containing glycerin and
sodium chloride is added to stabilize the suspension and
minimize interferences. The resulting turbidity is determined
by a nephelometer, spectrophotometer, or photoelectric colorimeter and compared to a curve prepared from standard sulfate
solutions.
5. Significance and Use
5.1 The determination of sulfate is important because it has
been reported that when this ion is present in excess of about
250 mg/L in drinking water, it causes a cathartic action
(especially in children) in the presence of sodium and magnesium, and gives a bad taste to the water.

2. Referenced Documents
2.1 ASTM Standards:
D 1066 Practice for Sampling Steam2
D 1129 Terminology Relating to Water2
D 1192 Specification for Equipment for Sampling Water
and Steam in Closed Conduits2
D 1193 Specification for Reagent Water2
D 2777 Practice for Determination of Precision and Bias of
Applicable Methods of Committee D-19 on Water2
D 3370 Practices for Sampling Water from Closed Conduits2
D 5847 Practice for Writing Quality Control Specifications
for Standard Test Methods of Water Analysis3
E 60 Practice for Photometric and Spectrophotometric
Methods for the Chemical Analysis of Metals4
E 275 Practice for Describing and Measuring Performance
of Ultraviolet, Visible, and Near Infrared Spectrophotometers5

6. Interferences
6.1 Insoluble suspended matter in the sample must be
removed. Dark colors that can not be compensated for in the
procedure interfere with the measurement of suspended barium
sulfate (BaSO4).
6.2 Polyphosphates as low as 1 mg/L will inhibit barium
sulfate precipitation causing a negative interference. Phosphonates present in low concentrations, depending on the type of
phosphonate, will also cause a negative interference. Silica in
excess of 500 mg/L may precipitate along with the barium
sulfate causing a positive interference. Chloride in excess of
5000 mg/L will cause a negative interference. Aluminum,
polymers, and large quantities of organic material present in
the test sample may cause the barium sulfate to precipitate
nonuniformly. In the presence of organic matter certain bacteria may reduce sulfate to sulfide. To minimize the action of
sulfate reducing bacteria, samples should be refrigerated at 4C
when the presence of such bacteria is suspected.
6.3 Although other ions normally found in water do not
appear to interfere, the formation of the barium sulfate suspension is very critical. Determinations that are in doubt may be
checked by a gravimetric method in some cases, or by the
procedure suggested in Note 2.

1
This test method is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee D19 on Water
and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee D19.05 on Inorganic Constituents
in Water.
Current edition approved Jan. 10, 2002. Published April 2002. Originally
published as D 516 38 T. Last previous edition D 516 90 (95)e1.
2
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 11.01.
3
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 11.02.
4
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 03.05.
5
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 03.06.

Copyright ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959, United States.

D 516 02
sulfate ion content in milligrams per litre plotted against the
corresponding photometer readings (Note 1). Prepare standards
by diluting with water 0.0, 2.0, 5.0, 10.0, 15.0, 20.0, 30.0, and
40.0 mL of standard sulfate solution to 100-mL volumes in
volumetric flasks. These solutions will have sulfate ion concentrations of 0.0, 2.0, 5.0, 10.0, 15.0, 20.0, 30.0, and 40.0
mg/L (ppm), respectively.

7. Apparatus
7.1 PhotometerOne of the following which are given in
order of preference.
7.1.1 Nephelometer or turbidimeter;
7.1.2 Spectrophotometer for use at 420 nm with light path of
4 to 5 cm;
7.1.3 Filter photometer with a violet filter having a maximum near 420 nm and a light path of 4 to 5 cm.
7.2 Stopwatch, if the magnetic stirrer is not equipped with
an accurate timer.
7.3 Measuring Spoon, capacity 0.2 to 0.3 mL.
7.4 Filter photometers and photometric practices prescribed
in this test method shall conform to Practice E 60; spectrophotometer practices shall conform to Practice E 275.

NOTE 1A separate calibration curve must be prepared for each

photometer and a new curve must be prepared if it is necessary to change
the cell, lamp, or filter, or if any other alterations of instrument or reagents
are made. Check the curve with each series of tests by running two or
more solutions of known sulfate concentrations.

11. Procedure
11.1 Filter the sample if it is turbid, and adjust the temperature to between 15 and 30C.
11.2 Pipet into a 250-mL beaker 100 mL or less of the clear
sample containing between 0.5 and 4 mg of sulfate ion (Note
2). Dilute to 100 mL with water if required, and add 5.0 mL of
conditioning reagent (Note 1).

8. Reagents
8.1 Purity of ReagentsReagent grade chemicals shall be
used in all tests. Unless otherwise indicated, it is intended that
all reagents shall conform to the specifications of the Committee on Analytical Reagents of the American Chemical Society.6
Other grades may be used, provided it is first ascertained that
the reagent is of sufficiently high purity to permit its use
without lessening the accuracy of the determination.
8.2 Purity of WaterUnless otherwise indicated, reference
to water shall be understood to mean reagent water conforming
to Specification D 1193, Type I. Other reagent water types may
be used provided it is first ascertained that the water is of
sufficiently high purity to permit its use without adversely
affecting the precision and bias of the test method. Type II
water was specified at the time of round robin testing of this
test method.
8.3 Barium ChlorideCrystals of barium chloride
(BaCl22H2O) screened to 20 to 30 mesh. To prepare in the
laboratory, spread crystals over a large watch glass, desiccate
for 24 h, screen to remove any crystals that are not 20 to 30
mesh, and store in a clean, dry jar.
8.4 Conditioning ReagentPlace 30 mL of concentrated
hydrochloric acid (HCl, sp gr 1.19), 300 mL reagent water, 100
mL 95 % ethanol or isopropanol and 75 g sodium chloride
(NaCl) in a container. Add 50 mL glycerol and mix.
8.5 Sulfate Solution, Standard (1 mL = 0.100 mg SO4)
Dissolve 0.1479 g of anhydrous sodium sulfate (Na2SO4) in
water, and dilute with water to 1 L in a volumetric flask.

NOTE 2The solubility of BaSO4 is such that difficulty may be

experienced in the determination of sulfate concentrations below about 5
mg/L (ppm). This can be overcome by concentrating the sample or by
adding 5 mL of standard sulfate solution (1 mL = 0.100 mg SO4) to the
sample before diluting to 100 mL. This will add 0.5 mg SO4 to the sample,
which must be subtracted from the final result.

11.3 Mix in the stirring apparatus.

11.4 While the solution is being stirred, add a measured
spoonful of BaCl2 crystals (0.3 g) and begin timing immediately.
11.5 Stir exactly 1.0 min at constant speed.
NOTE 3The stirring should be at a constant rate in all determinations.
The use of a magnetic stirrer has been found satisfactory for this purpose.

11.6 Immediately after the stirring period has ended, pour

solution into the cell and measure the turbidity at 30-s intervals
for 4 min. Record the maximum reading obtained in the 4-min
period.
11.7 If the sample contains color or turbidity, run a sample
blank using the procedure 11.2 through 11.6 without the
addition of the barium chloride.
11.8 If interferences are suspected, dilute the sample with an
equal volume of water, and determine the sulfate concentration
again. If the value so determined is one half that in the
undiluted sample, interferences may be assumed to be absent.

9. Sampling
9.1 Collect the sample in accordance with Practice D 1066,
Specification D 1192, and Practices D 3370, as applicable.

12. Calculation
12.1 Convert the photometer readings obtained with the
sample to milligrams per litre sulfate ion (SO4) by use of the
calibration curve described in Section 10.

10. Calibration
10.1 Follow the procedure given in Section 11, using
appropriate amounts of the standard sulfate solution prepared
in accordance with 8.5 and prepare a calibration curve showing

13. Precision and Bias 7

13.1 The precision and bias data presented in this test
method meet the requirements of Practice D 2777 86.
13.2 The overall and single-operator precision of the test
method, within its designated range, varies with the quantity

6
Reagent Chemicals, American Chemical Society Specifications, American
Chemical Society, Washington, DC. For suggestions on the testing of reagents not
listed by the American Chemical Society, see Analar Standards for Laboratory
Chemicals, BDH Ltd., Poole, Dorset, U.K., and the United States Pharmacopeia
and National Formulary, U.S. Pharmaceutical Convention, Inc. (USPC), Rockville,
MD.

Supporting data are available from ASTM. Request RR:D-19-1145.

D 516 02
TABLE 2 Overall (ST) and Single-Operator (SO) Standard
Deviations Against Mean Concentration for Interlaboratory
Recovery of Sulfate from Drinking, Ground, and Surface WaterA

being tested according to Table 1 for reagent water and Table

2 for drinking, ground, and surface waters.
13.2.1 Seven laboratories participated in the round robin at
three levels in triplicate, making a total of 21 observations at
each level for reagent water and for matrix water (drinking,
ground, and surface water).
13.3 Recoveries of known amounts of sulfate from reagent
water and drinking, ground, and surface waters are as shown in
Table 3.
13.3.1 A table for estimating the bias of the test method
through its applicable concentration range can be found in
Table 4.
13.3.2 These collaborative test data were obtained on reagent grade water and natural waters. For other matrices, these
data may not apply.
13.4 Precision and bias for this test method conforms to
Practice D 277786, which was in place at the time of
collaborative testing. Under the allowances made in 1.4 of D
277798, these precision and bias data do meet existing
requirements for interlaboratory studies of Committee D19 test
methods.

ST

SO
0.1
0.4
1.3

0.5
1.8
1.6

Reagent water

Drinking, ground
and surface water

Amount
Added,
mg/L

Amount
Found,
mg/L

6Bias

20.8
63.9A
7.0
20.8
63.9A
7.0

20.4
63.7A
6.6
20.2
63.3A
6.9

0.4
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.6
0.1

Statistically
Significant
6% Bias
at 5 %
Level (at
60.05)
1.9 %
no
0.2 %
no
5.3 %
no
2.7 %
no
0.9 %
no
1.8 %
no

A
The test method is linear to 40 mg/L. Testing at the 63.9 level was accomplished through dilution as described in 11.2.

TABLE 4 Mean Sulfate Recovery Against Concentration Added

with Overall Standard Deviation Shown for Interlaboratory
Experimental Recovery of Sulfate from Reagent Water
and Drinking, Ground, and Surface WaterA
Sulfate Added,
mg/L
7.0
20.8
63.9

Mean Sulfate Recovery (x), mg/L

Reagent Water ( ST)

Matrix Water ( SO)

6.6 (0.5)
20.4 (1.0)
63.7 (2.5)

6.9 (0.7)
20.2 (2.2)
63.3 (4.5)

A
The test method is linear to 40 mg/L. Testing at the 63.9 level was accomplished through dilution as described in 11.2.

blank is used to determine the minimum detectable concentration of each sample and control in the batch.
14.1.4 A Laboratory Control Sample should be analyzed
with each batch of samples at a minimum frequency of 10 %.
14.1.5 If the QC for the sample batch is not within the
established control limits, reanalyze the samples or qualify the
results with the appropriate flags, or both. (See Practice D
5847.)
14.1.6 Blind control samples should be submitted by an
outside agency in order to determine the laboratory performance capabilities.

Standard Deviation, mg/L

0.5
1.0
2.5

SO

0.7
2.2
4.5

TABLE 3 Determination of BiasA

TABLE 1 Overall (ST) and Single-Operator (SO) Standard

Deviations Against Mean Concentration for Interlaboratory
Recovery of Sulfate from Reagent WaterA

6.6
20.4
63.7

ST

6.9
20.2
63.3

A
The test method is linear to 40 mg/L. Testing at the 63.9 level was
accomplished through dilution as described in 11.2.

14. Quality Control (QC)

14.1 The following quality control information is recommended for the determination of sulfate ion in water.
14.1.1 The instrument should be calibrated using a minimum of four calibration standards and a calibration blank. The
calibration correlation coefficient shall be equal to or greater
than 0.990. In addition to the initial calibration blank, a
calibration blank should be analyzed at the end of the batch run
to ensure contamination ws not a problem during the batch
analysis.
14.1.2 An instrument check standard should be analyzed at
a minimum frequency of 10 % throughout the batch analysis.
The value of the instrument check standard should fall between
80 and 120 % of the true value.
14.1.3 Two method blanks should be prepared ensuring that
an adequate method blank volume is present for a minimum of
seven repetitive analysis. The standard deviation of the method

Mean Concentration (x),

mg/L

Standard Deviation, mg/L

Mean Concentration (x),

mg/L

15. Keywords
15.1 drinking water; ground water; sulfate; surface water;
turbidimetric

A
The test method is linear to 40 mg/L. Testing at the 63.9 level was
accomplished through dilution as described in 11.2.

D 516 02
APPENDIX
(Nonmandatory Information)
X1. RATIONALE FOR DISCONTINUATION OF METHODS

X1.1 Gravimetric:
X1.1.1 This test method was discontinued in 1988. The test
method may be found in the 1988 Annual Book of ASTM
Standards, Vol 11.01. The test method was originally issued in
1938.
X1.1.2 This test method covers the determination of sulfate
in water and wastewater. Samples containing from 20 to 100
mg/L of sulfate may be analyzed.
X1.1.3 Sulfate is precipitated and weighted as barium sulfate after removal of silica and other insoluble matter.
X1.1.4 This test method was discontinued because there
were insufficient laboratories interested in participating in
another collaborative study to obtain the necessary precision
and bias as required by Practice D 2777.

X1.2.1 This test method was discontinued in 1988. The test

method may be found in the 1988 Annual Book of ASTM
Standards, Vol 11.01. The test method was originally issued in
1959 as a non-referee method, and made the primary method in
the 1980 issue of Test Method D 516.
X1.2.2 This test method covers the determination of sulfate
in industrial water. Samples containing from 5 to 1000 mg/L of
sulfate may be analyzed.
X1.2.3 Sulfate is titrated in an alcoholic solution under
controlled acid conditions with a standard barium chloride
solution using thorin as the indicator.
X1.2.4 This test method was discontinued because there
were insufficient laboratories interested in participating in
another collaborative study to obtain the necessary precision
and bias as required by Practice D 2777.

X1.2 Volumetric:

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