Abstract |
A hydrochemical instrument and methodology were developed for direct analysis of organic materials in aqueous solutions based on thermal fragmentation followed by gas chromatographic separation and detection of the resulting derivative compositions. The applications of the developed technique to water pollution surveillance, optimization of waste treatment processes, and characterization of natural waters were studied. A recorded pattern of pyrolytically produced fragments for a given water sample reflects the total nature of its organic composition, and can be interpreted and differentiated in a number of ways. Using a priori established calibration patterns for individual components to be found in a mixture, the pattern produced by a mixture can be analyzed mathematically. The system can be calibrated and the data can be interpreted in terms of pure organic compounds, classes of organic materials, or any other arbitrarily defined organic mixtures such as those found in industrial waste effluents. (Modified author abstract) |