Abstract |
An automated system has been designed and operated successfully for the past two years for chemical analysis of nitrogen, phosphorus, and carbon compounds in the study of the fate of pollutants. Nine samples from along a simulated river are pumped into the laboratory, and eight different chemical analyses are done on each sample in a consecutive and automated mode with built-in internal standardization. The samples are directed by a series of solenoid valves, which are activated by either a mechanical or a solid state sequencer. The analyses are done with Technicon autoanalyzers in a continuous flow mode, and data processing is performed by a computer linked to the system. |