Application Finder

Heavy metals such as arsenic and mercury find their way into the ground water in many regions of the world, either through natural processes or as the result of human activities. Limit values are exceeded many times over, particularly for arsenic in drinking water, in many areas. This calls for a rigorous monitoring of water quality. The present whitepaper focuses on field determinations of arsenic, mercury, and copper – directly at the sampling site.

The analytical challenges of environmental analysis increase in difficulty from year to year. As well as analysis of particularly toxic types of metals such as chromium(VI), highly diverse and partially persistent organic fluorine compounds (e.g., trifluoroacetic acid) are presently in focus. The analysis of toxic oxohalides such as bromate and perchlorate is also a current subject of investigation.

In modern days, a new breed of energetic (explosive) materials is emerging. Traditional aromatic nitrates are still in use, but there is dire need of analytical techniques for energetic materials in the chemical class of peroxides, azo etc. This presentation will demonstrate the use of a modern HPLC system with traditional detector (DAD) and also coupled with mass spectrometry for the analysis of abovementioned various classes of energetic materials.

This poster describes a simple and sensitive method for the determination of perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) in water samples by suppressed conductivity detection. Separation was achieved by isocratic elution on a reversed-phase column thermostated at 35 °C using an aqueous mobile phase containing boric acid and acetonitrile. The PFOA and PFOS content in the water matrix was quantified by direct injection applying a 1000 μL loop. For the concentration range of 2 to 50 μg/mL and 10 to 250 μg/mL, the linear calibration curve for PFOA and PFOS yielded correlation coefficients (R) of 0.99990 and 0.9991, respectively. The relative standard deviations were smaller than 5.8%.The presence of high concentrations of mono and divalent anions such as chloride and sulfate has no significant influence on the determination of the perfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS). In contrast, the presence of divalent cations, such as calcium and magnesium, which are normally present in water matrices, impairs PFOS recovery. This drawback was overcome by applying Metrohm`s Inline Cation Removal. While the interfering divalent cations are exchanged for non-interfering sodium cations, PFOA and PFOS are directly transferred to the sample loop. After inline cation removal, PFAS recovery in water samples containing 350 mg/mL of Ca2+ and Mg2+ improved from 90…115% to 93…107%.While PFAS determination of low salt-containing water samples is best performed by straightforward direct-injection IC, water rich in alkaline-earth metals are best analyzed using Metrohm`s Inline Cation Removal.

Because of its toxicity, the World Health Organization recommends a maximum arsenic content in drinking water of 10 μg/L. Anodic stripping voltammetry with the scTRACE Gold offers a straightforward, highly affordable alternative to spectroscopic determination.

This poster demonstrates the feasibility of coupling a Metrohm IC system to a PerkinElmer NexION ICP-MS, operated under Empower 3 Software.Using a Metrosep Carb 2 column, the chromatographic separation of both species was achieved with a high resolution. Low background and high sensitivity allow determination in the low ng/L range.Optimal separation and full complexation of Cr(III) is already possible with EDTA concentrations from 40 μmol/L in low matrix solutions and may need to be increased depending on the sample matrix.Handling of the system was easy and user friendly. It was shown that speciation of Cr(III) and Cr(VI) can be carried out on this system utilizing a professional data system for acquisition, processing, and reporting.

The quantitative determination of the alkaloid nicotine, which is an essential constituent of the tobacco plant, can be carried out by polarography. The quantification limit is less than 0.1 mg/L in the polarographic vessel.

This Application Bulletin describes the determination of mercury by anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV) at the rotating gold electrode. With a deposition time of 90 s, the calibration curve is linear from 0.4 to 15 μg/L; the limit of quantification is 0.4 μg/L.The method has primarily been drawn up for investigating water samples. After appropriate digestion, the determination of mercury is possible even in samples with a high load of organic substances (wastewater, food and semi-luxuries, biological fluids, pharmaceuticals).

Bromide is removed from the sample as BrCN by distillation. The BrCN is absorbed in sodium hydroxide solution and decomposed with concentrated sulfuric acid, then the released bromide ions are determined by potentiometric titration with silver nitrate solution. Iodide does not interfere with the determination.Iodide is oxidized to iodate by hypobromite. After destruction of the excess hypobromite, the potentiometric titration (of the iodine released from iodate) is carried out with sodium thiosulfate solution. Bromide does not interfere, even in great excess.The described methods allow the determination of bromide and iodide in the presence of a large excess of chloride (e.g., in brine, seawater, sodium chloride, etc.).

After acid digestion, the sample solution is neutralized with sodium hydroxide to form sodium dihydrogen phosphate. An excess of lanthanum nitrate is added and the released nitric acid is then titrated with sodium hydroxide solution.NaH2PO4 + La(NO3)3 → LaPO4 + 2 HNO3 + NaNO3This determination method is suitable for higher phosphate concentrations.

This Bulletin describes the voltammetric determination of aluminum in water samples down to a concentration of 1 μg/L. An aluminum complex is formed with alizarin red S (DASA) and enriched at the HMDE. The following determination employs differential pulse adsorptive stripping voltammetry (DP-AdSV). Disturbing Zn ions are eliminated by addition of CaEDTA.

This Application Bulletin describes the stripping analysis of Ag at the rotating disk electrode (RDE) with glassy carbon tip (GC) or Ultra Trace graphite tip. In routine operation, the determination limit lies at approx. 10 μg/L Ag, with careful work 5 μg/L Ag can be obtained. After appropriate digestion, silver determination is also possible with samples containing a relatively high proportion of organic substances (e.g. wine, foodstuffs etc.). The method has been developed primarily for water samples (well, ground and wastewater, desilvering solutions of the photographic industry).

This Bulletin gives a survey of standard methods from the field of water analysis. You will also find the analytical instruments required for the respective determinations and references to the corresponding Metrohm Application Bulletins and Application Notes. The following parameters are dealt with: electrical conductivity, pH value, fluoride, ammonium and Kjeldahl nitrogen, anions and cations by means of ion chromatography, heavy metals by means of voltammetry, chemical oxygen demand (COD), water hardness, free chlorine as well as a few other water constituents.

This Bulletin describes the determination of arsenic by anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV) at the rotating gold electrode. A determination limit of 0.5 μg/L can be achieved with 10 mL sample solution. A differentiation between the As(III) concentration and the total arsenic concentration can be made by appropriate selection of the deposition potential. The analyses are performed with a special gold electrode whose active surface is located laterally; c(HCl) = 5 mol/L is used as supporting electrolyte. For the determination of the total arsenic content, As(III) and As(V) are reduced at -1200 mV by nascent hydrogen to As0, which is preconcentrated on the electrode surface. If the deposition is carried out at -200 mV then only As(III) is reduced; this allows the differentiation between total arsenic and As(III). During the subsequent voltammetric determination the preconcentrated As0 is again oxidized to As(III).

This Application Bulletin describes the determination of inorganic mercury in water samples by anodic stripping voltammetry using the scTRACE Gold sensor. With a deposition time of 90 s, calibration is linear up to a concentration of 30 µg/L; the limit of detection lies at 0.5 µg/L.

Cobalt is an essential element for humans because it is a component of vitamin B12. While small overdoses of cobalt compounds are only slightly toxic to humans, larger doses from 25–30 mg per day may lead to skin, lung, and stomach diseases, as well as liver, heart, and kidney damage, and even cancerous growths. The same is valid for nickel, which can lead to inflammation at higher concentrations. Drinking a large amount of water containing nickel can cause discomfort and nausea. In the EU the legislation specifies 0.02 mg/L as the limit value for the nickel concentration in drinking water. This concentration can be reliably determined with the method described in this Application Bulletin.

This bulletin contains two parts. The first part gives a short theoretical overview while more details are offered in the Metrohm Monograph Conductometry. The second, practice-oriented part deals with the following subjects:Conductivity measurements in general; Determination of the cell constant; Determination of the temperature coefficient; Conductivity measurement in water samples; TDS – Total Dissolved Solids; Conductometric titrations;

This Bulletin, using practical examples, indicates how the user can achieve optimum pH measurements. As this Bulletin is intended for actual practice, the fundamentals - which can be found in numerous books and publications - are treated only briefly.

This Application Bulletin describes the determination of zinc at a mercury film electrode (MFE). Zinc can also be determined simultaneously with cadmium and lead. The determination of copper at the MFE is not possible. The mercury film is plated ex-situ on a glassy carbon electrode and can be used for half a day up to one day.Zinc can be determined at the mercury film electrode by anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV). The presence of copper, which is naturally present in many samples, affects the determination of zinc due to the formation of an intermetallic compound. As a result the determined concentrations of zinc are too low. The addition of gallium can eliminate the interference to a certain extent since the intermetallic complex of gallium and copper is more stable than the complex of zinc and copper.With a deposition time of 10 s, the limit of detection is β(Zn2+) = 0.15 μg/L. The linear working range goes up to approx. 300 μg/L.With the deposition time of 10 s the method is suitable for samples between 10 μg/L and 150 μg/L Zn content. For samples with lower concentrations the results are more reliable if the deposition time is increased to e.g. 30 s. Samples with higher concentrations have to be diluted.

This Application Bulletin describes the determination of arsenic in water samples by anodic stripping voltammetry using the scTRACE Gold sensor. This method makes it possible to distinguish between As(total) and As(III). With a deposition time of 60 s, the limit of detection for As(total) is 0.9 µg/L, for As(III) it is 0.3 µg/L.

Copper is one of the few metals which is available in nature also in its metallic form. This and the fact that it is rather easy to smelt led to intense use of this metal already in the so-called Copper and Bronze Age. Nowadays, it is more important than ever, because of its good electrical conductivity and its other physical properties. For plants and animals, it is an essential trace element; for bacteria, in contrast, it is highly toxic.This Application Bulletin describes the determination of copper by anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV) using the scTRACE Gold electrode. With a deposition time of 30 s, the limit of detection is about 0.5 μg/L.

It has been known for years that consuming too much nitrates from foodstuffs can result in cyanosis, particularly for small children and susceptible adults. According to the WHO standard, the hazard level lies at a mass concentration c(NO3-) ≥ 50 mg/L. However, more recent studies have shown that when nitrate concentrations in the human body are too high, they can (via nitrite) result in the formation of carcinogenic and even more hazardous nitrosamines.Known photometric methods for the determination of the nitrate anion are time-consuming and prone to a wide range of interferences. With nitrate analysis continually increasing in importance, the demand for a selective, rapid, and relatively accurate method has also increased. Such a method is described in this Application Bulletin. The Appendix contains a cselection of application examples where nitrate concentrations have been determined in water samples, soil extracts, fertilizers, vegetables, and beverages.

Determination of sodium in seawater and similar brines. This procedure is suitable for the analysis of sodium in seawater contaminated with sodium aluminate solutions emanating from alumina refineries, and seawater which has been used for the neutralization of alumina refinery waste («red mud») slurries.

Determination of total halides (Cl- + Br- +I-) in seawater and similar brines. This procedure is suitable for the analysis of total halides in seawater contaminated with sodium aluminate solutions emanating from alumina refineries, and seawater which has been used for the neutralization of alumina refinery waste («red mud») slurries. Given the small concentration of bromine andiodine in seawater, the total halide content approximates the chloride concentration.

This Application Note describes the determination of nitrite using thermometric endpoint titration with sulfamic acid. The nitrite content of a solution can be analyzed down to 0.2 mmol/L.

Combustion ion chromatography (CIC) measures AOX (adsorbable organically bound halogens, i.e., AOCl, AOBr, AOI) and AOF as well as CIC AOX(Cl) according to DIN 38409-59 and ISO/DIS 18127.

Cation content in snow is greatly dependent on sampling site. Samples from remote areas are expected to exhibit lower cation concentrations. This application shows the analysis of a snow sample from an open field in an agricultural zone. Separation is performed on a microbore Metrosep C 6 - 100/2.0 column with direct conductivity detection. The relatively high ammonia content can be explained by animal husbandry in the vicinity of the sampling site.

Determination of ammonia (ammonium) in distilled water by direct potentiometry using the NH3-ISE.

Differentiation between Cr(III) and Cr(VI) is possible following ISO 24384 guidelines by combining ion chromatography with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.

During drinking water disinfection with chlorine, chloramine, or ozone, potentially toxic halogenated byproducts can be formed. The disinfectants can react with naturally occurring bromide and/or organic matter in the source water and form one of the most common and highly toxic disinfection byproducts (DBPs): haloacetic acids (HAAs). To protect human health, maximum tolerable levels of HAA in drinking waters are regulated (EPA 816-F-09-004). The EPA Method 557 specifies the analysis of HAAs beside bromate and dalapon by ion chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectroscopy (IC-MS/MS) with LODs varying from 0.02–0.11 µg/L. However, even with single MS, a high sensitivity is achieved to determine the current MCLs within an adequate accuracy. This Application Note describes the analysis of bromate, chlorite, monochloroacetic acid (MCAA), monobromoacetic acid (MBAA), bromochloroacetic acid (BCAA), bromodichloroacetic acid (BDCAA), dibromoacetic acid (DBAA), dichloroacetic acid (DCAA), tribromoacetic acid (TBAA), chlorodibromoacetic acid (CDBAA), and trichloroacetic acid (TCAA) with IC/MS. The Metrohm Driver 2.1 for EmpowerTM offers the analysis as a single software solution with EmpowerTM.

Determination of silicate and borate and their limits of determination (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) according to the EPA procedure for method detection limit (MDL) using anion chromatography with direct conductivity detection and Metrohm Inline Calibration.

Determination of perchlorate in process water using anion chromatography with direct conductivity detection.

The determination of cyanide and sulfide in the trace range requires an alkali eluent and amperometric detection. This Application Note describes a new column/eluent combination for optimized separation. The combination consists of the Metrosep A Supp 10 - 100/2.0 Microbore Column and a sodium hydroxide eluent that contains traces of EDTA for the complexation of the transition metals. This yields a better peak shape and detection limits below 0.05 µg/L.

Determination of fluoride, chloride, nitrite, bromide, nitrate, phosphate, sulfite, and sulfate in river water using anion chromatography with conductivity detection after chemical suppression.

Determination of acetate, chloride, nitrite, bromide, nitrate, phosphate, sulfate, oxalate, fumarate, and molybdate using anion chromatography with conductivity detection after chemical suppression.

Determination of 1 (3) µg/L of chloride, nitrite, bromide, nitrate, phosphate, and sulfate after direct injection using anion chromatography with conductivity detection after chemical suppression.

Determination of fluoride, chloride, nitrite, nitrate, and sulfate in rainwater using anion chromatography with conductivity detection after chemical suppression.

VoltIC Professional 1 is the perfect combination of voltammetry and ion chromatography for the fully automated, simultaneous analysis of anions, cations, and heavy metals (e.g., Zn, Cd, Pb, Cu). The multiple-parameter analysis uses the same "Liquid Handling" elements and a shared sample changer, thus saving on space and costs.

The anion column Metrosep A Supp 15 - 150/4.0 is a pretty high-capacity column. The direct determination of arsenate in a matrix of 180 mg/L chloride and 320 mg/L sulfate is not possible, as the arsenate is hardly detectable under the sulfate peak tail. Sample reinjection cuts off the majority of the matrix and therefore allows an accurate determination of the arsenate.

Swimming pool water needs to be thoroughly disinfected and this is often accomplished with ozonization. This process can generate harmful oxyhalides, the concentration of which must be monitored. Here the separation and determination of oxyhalides as well as standard anions are carried out using a column of the Metrosep A Supp 5 - 250/4.0 type. Quantification takes place using conductivity detection in accordance with sequential suppression.

Kjeldahl nitrogen is a typical titration application that follows digestion and ammonia distillation. The ASTM Standard D8001 now offers an alternative applying persulfate digestion followed by IC determination. No distillation is required. In addition, the method enables the determination of total nitrogen and total phosphorus. We show the results of control samples containing organic substances. As these substances are dissolved in ultrapure water, the nitrogen concentration found corresponds to Total Nitrogen and Kjeldahl Nitrogen.

EN ISO 10304-1 is one of the most important standards for the determination of the seven standard anions in water samples. Many other standards refer to EN ISO 10304-01 if anion determination by IC is required. This standard asks for a membrane filtration for samples to avoid bacteria and solids, if required. This application shows the determination of anions according EN ISO 10304-1 applying Inline Ultrafiltration. This setup avoids tedious manual sample filtration and handles any samples fully automatically.

Determination of nitrite, bromide, nitrate, and iodide in 10 g/L sodium chloride using anion chromatography with UV detection.

Hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) is regarded as being toxic and potentially carcinogenic. Its concentration in drinking water should therefore be kept as low as possible. The determination of Cr(VI) is performed using ion chromatography. The separation takes place on the Metrosep A Supp 10 - 250/2.0 separation column. The presence of Cr(VI) is determined photometrically following post-column reaction (PCR) with diphenylcarbazide.

Ion chromatography trace analysis of anions in seawater is difficult, due to the high chloride concentrations. In contrast to chloride, nitrite, bromide and nitrate absorb UV radiation in the low wavelength range, thus enabling a UV detection of these three anions. This Application Note describes the separation on a column of the Metrosep Carb 2 - 100/4.0 type with a sodium chloride eluent. This minimizes the influence of the surplus chloride and enables low detection limits.

Cr(III) forms an electrochemically active complex with diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA), so does Cr(VI) after in situ reduction on the surface of the HMDE. Depending on the sample preparation procedure and the waiting time after the addition of the complexing agent, the different chromium species can be differentiated:Total active chromium [total concentration of Cr(VI) and free Cr(III)]:The measurement is carried out immediately after the addition of DTPA.; Cr(VI): Between the addition of DTPA and the start of the analysis a minimum waiting time of 30 min is necessary. During this waiting time the Cr(III)-DTPA complex becomes electrochemically inactive.; Cr(III): The difference between the total active Cr and Cr(VI).; Totalchromium: Determination of total active Cr after UV digestion.;

This Application Note presents DPV as a sensitive, selective method for detecting heavy metals in water, detailing setup, parameters, and advantages over other techniques.

This Application Note describes the photometric determination of sulfate using the Optrode (610 nm). Sulfate is titrated with a lead nitrate solution; dithizone is used as indicator.

Water treatment with ozone (O3) is a common procedure for the disinfection of swimming pools. It is important that a sufficient but not excessive amount of O3 is produced to disinfect the water. Otherwise, the remaining ozone could enter the swimming water, which could irritate the respiratory system or the skin of bathers.Ozone is also used in drinking and waste water treatment because it is significantly more effective than chlorine at inactivating or killing viruses and bacteria. This application note describes a method to determine the ozone concentration in water by potentiometric titration according to DIN 38408-3.

Determination of nitrite in aqueous solutions by potentiometric back-titration of the added permanganate excess with ammonium iron(II) sulfate using the Pt-Titrode.