We offer you two articles on water analysis using two analytical methods:

• Ion chromatography
• Elemental analysis (determination of total organic carbon)

Water analysis by ion chromatography. The possibilities of the method and technical solutions of the company Dionex Corporation, USA.

Article, author Rybakova E.V.

on chromatography – allows you to define inorganic and organic anions, cations of alkali and alkaline earth metals, transition metal cations, amines and other organic compounds in ionic form. Although many different methods are used for water analysis – ion chromatography (IH) is a priority method worldwide and provides multi-component detection in any waters. Water of each type has its own characteristics and components can vary significantly in the level of concentrations – from fractions of µg / l to units of g / l. Especially important is the determination of water-polluting components, the presence of which in the water is undesirable or unacceptable. Before the advent of EM, there was no effective method for determining ions with such sensitivity, selectivity, reproducibility and speed of analysis. In this case, the analysis by the method of EM in most cases does not require sample preparation: if necessary, the sample is filtered and diluted. The analysis of such inorganic anions as fluoride, chloride, nitrite, nitrate, sulfate and phosphate by the CI method has been the most common and routine analysis throughout the world for many years. High-performance columns have been developed and successfully used to determine chlorite, chlorate, prechlorate, etc. Dionex high-performance columns allow simultaneous determination of alkali and alkaline earth metal cations and aliphatic and aromatic amines on a single column THEIR – a well-designed, highly efficient and fast method of analysis for a very wide range most commonly identified analytes in any type of water. The absence of complex sample preparation, high detection sensitivity, rapid analysis and a wide variety of detectable components in water make this method ideal for analytical laboratories conducting routine water analysis of any composition – from high-purity and drinking water to effluent and emissions from enterprises and utilities.

Inorganic anions

The analysis of such inorganic anions as fluoride, chloride, nitrite, nitrate, sulfate, and phosphate by ion chromatography has been the most common and routine analysis throughout the world for many years.

In addition to ionochromatographic columns, high-performance columns have been developed and successfully used to determine the basic inorganic anions, along with standard anions, to determine oxyanions such as oxyhalides: chlorite, chlorate, prechlorate, etc.

Organic acids

Along with inorganic anions, organic acid anions can be present in various types of water, for example: acetate, formate, propionate, oxalate, citrate, etc. For such tasks high-performance analytical columns of large capacity are used.

Inorganic cations

Highly sensitive and highly efficient ionochromatographic determination of alkali and alkaline earth metal cations is also a routine method of analysis in global analytical practice. The figure shows the chromatogram of the rapid isocratic separation of the cations of groups I and II.