Optimization of conditions for the determination of the organic matter content of waters by reagentless oxithermography and its application to the analysis of natural waters

Abstract

To determine the chemical oxygen demand (COD) of water by oxithermography, we studied a high-temperature reactor with two inputs of the gas flow. Such a design allowed the creation of an internal circuit of the oxygen–inert gas (argon) binary flow in the reactor for the oxidation of organic substances and the determination of COD by the decrease in the concentration of oxygen in the binary mixture. The optimum operation parameters of the instrument, affecting the analytical characteristics of the method, were determined. The detection limit for a water sample of the volume 10 µL was 3.4 mg O/L. It was shown that the oxithermograph and the proposed procedure can be used for the determination of COD in drinking and natural waters of Bryansk oblast. The approach developed has an advantage, consisting in the reagentless rapid determination of the COD of waters without preliminary sample preparation.