DETERMINATION OF ORGANIC CARBON IN WATER (TOC)

(Total Organic Carbon Analysis)

Chemical analysis and monitoring of water quality, although not providing solutions for all problems related to water ecosystems, represent a significant source of information regarding the status of potable waters, water ecosystems and waste waters. Obtained information serve for the efficiency control of undertaken corrective and preventive measures, as well as the influence of certain production technologies on water quality. Methods being applied in analytics and monitoring of water ecosystems generally provide information on: elementary composition of polluting material, on the basis of which it is specificity of polluting material. In accordance with the definition of IUPAC - International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry, specific analysis represents a process for identification and determination of different physical and chamical forms of certain element in a sample, summary (total) parameters describing the overall contents of a certain element in all polluting metarials ot in some subgroup of polluting materials. Due to the versatility of chemical substances which can contaminate certain part of a water ecosystem, procedures of separation, identification and determination of all polluting materials represent a complex and expensive process. Implementation of adequate summary parameter can significantly decrease the number of necessary determinations, and in the same time obtain the estimate on the pollution level of tested water. Mentioned procedures (determination of of specific and summary parameters) are complementary and do not exclude each other as alternatives, but complete. All organic substances comprise carbon and hydrogen, and with many others also are present oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur and phosphorus. From the aspect of influence on water ecosystems there are two classes of organic substances. Substances that have constant (unique) features and substances at which features change and not strictly defined (non-unique substances, also called refracting).

possible to form a base for identification of this material,

Characterization parameters of water loaded with organic materials are: consumption of potassium-permanganate (KMnO4) biological oxygen demand (BOD5) chemical oxygen demand (COD) total organic carbon (TOC) spectral absorption coefficient (SAC) TOC is a system for determination of total organic, nonorganic and total carbon. Each material which in its composition has carbons can be determined through TOC instrument.

Figure 1. TOC instrument. TOC instrument can determine mentioned types of carbons from water solutions, from gases and from solid materials. There is a possibility, that one of the parameters of water contamination indicators, chemical and biochemical oxygen demand can be determined through TOC instrument. Carbon contents are being directly measured and values for chemical and biochemical oxygen demand are being obtained by calculating. Carbon can be measured in potable waters, waste waters, technical, sea waters, ultra clean waters in all types of existing waters. 2

Occurrence of organic materials in water is a consequence of anthropogenic and/or natural processes. It incurs by dissolution of vegetation, bacteria growth, metabolic activities of living organisms and chemicals reaching the water. Also waters are being polluted by discharging communal and industrial waste waters, households and animal breeding facilities, ground waters runoff from urban areas, traffic roads, illegal landfills, raw material processing of herbal and animal origin. Determination of TOC Total organic carbon (TOC) is a measure of bound carbon contents in potable, ground and waste waters. TOC is being determined by measuring quantities of CO2 incurred by oxidation of organic carbon. Determination of TOC is significant for: TOC is a measure of organic material sample contamination and level of

organic material bio-degradation present in water and on the water surface. TOC level is very useful for determination of clean and waste water treatment efficiency. A law is being prepared which will include as obligatory a parameter for

water testing, TOC, mg/l. Working procedure of all TOC analyzers is being carried out through three phases: 1. Acidification denotes an addition of acid or inert gas which turns carbonates and bicarbonates into CO2. 2. Oxidation denotes turning organic substances into CO2 and other gases. 3. Detection and quantification denotes measurement of electric conductivity and/or detection using infrared detector. There are different types of instruments for determination of TOC, with different measuring and sensitivity range. Generally the following is determined TC/TOC/TIC: 0 g/l to 30 000 mg/l ;

detection limit: 50g/l (50ppb). There are instruments whose detection limit is even under 5 g/l. Instrument uses a thermocatalytic sample oxidation which is being performed in direct contact with catalyzer on high temperatures to 950C on which there is a quartz oxidation chamber. Sample with bearing oxidant current drops directly on to a catalyzer due to vertical construction of the chamber by which it is ensured that the same completely oxides regardless of sample matrix (otherwise quartz chamber can withstand up to something over 1000C). After such treatment gas bearer with combustion products enters into NDIR detector where C detection is being performed. Time duration of analysis is typically 2 4min , with samples with high C concentration can be prolonged for 1 2 min. Sample volume is variable from 0 to 3ml. Instrument is capable of analyzing large number of parameters, largest number directly, precisely, with high certainty and with high sensitivity completely following standard methods of analysis. Many manufacturers also offer against determination of TOC a unit for determination of organic Nitrogen as a replacement for Kjeldalh method.

Figure 2. Unit for determination of Nitrogen According to an actual plan of analysis and sampling number of tested samples on a monthly level would be: 1500

Offers ANALYSIS SHIMADZU Analytikjena AG Price without VAT (EUR) 24 800,00 26 300,00 24 381,00 Price with VAT (EUR) 29 760,00 31 560,00 28 769,58