New Total Organic Carbon Analyzer

The development of a high sensitivity, compact monitor for the measurement of total organic carbon (TOC) in water with no gravity-dependent components is discussed. The system is based on a combination of photo-catalzyed oxidation of organic compounds to form carbon dioxide, which is selectively measured using a gas permeable membrane and conductometric detection. This unique combination permits the development of a TOC analyzer with significant advantages over existing methods for TOC analysis including high sensitivity (i.e., detection limits at low parts per billion TOC concentrations), a linear response over a wide range of TOC concentrations (at least four orders of magnitude), long-term stable calibration, compact design, and performance with minimal maintenance for semi-continuous and continuous monitoring capabilities. The results from our preliminary investigations on the development of the TOC monitor are presented.