DETERMINATION OF TRACE LEVEL IONS BY ION CHROMATOGRAPHY WITH CONCENTRATOR COLUMNS

Ion Chromatography (IC) is shown to be a reliable method for trace analysis down to 2 parts per billion for some common anions in solution. IC techniques used to perform such analyses are described. These include the use of a 3 x 50 mm concentrator column that can be loaded with various sample volumes by syringe or automatically by pump, either off or on-line. After concentration, chloride, phosphate, nitrate, and sulfate were analyzed from ppm to low ppb levels. It is shown that conductivity detector response vs. concentration is linear over this range and that the response for a given number of milliequivalents is independent of the concentration or volume loaded. It is also shown that concentrator columns can be loaded remotely and stored for at least seven days before analysis without significantly affecting ionic determinations. © 1979, American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.