Palladium (Pd) is the sixth element in Group VIII of the periodic table. It has an atomic number of 46, an atomic weight of 106.42, and valences of 2 and 4. Palladium occurs with platinum in nature. It is used in alloys to make electrical relays, catalysts, in the making “white gold,” and in protective coatings.
Palladium has no known toxic effects. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization recommended maximum level for irrigation waters is 5 mg/L.
Preferably analyze by flame atomic absorption method (Section 3111 B). The inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometric method (Section 3125) also may be applied successfully in most cases (with lower detection levels), even though palladium is not specifically listed as an analyte in the method.