A LOW-COST, CONTINUOUS ON-LINE ORGANIC CONTENT MONITOR FOR WATER QUALITY DETERMINATION

WATER TREATMENT FOR REMOVAL OF ORGANICS IS BECOMING WIDESPREAD IN THE U.S. FOR TREATMENT OF WASTEWATER, DECONTAMINATION OF GROUNDWATER, AND PURIFICATION OF TAP WATER IN THE HOME. ALARMING AS IT MAY BE, MOST DOMESTIC WATER SUPPLIES DO NOT HAVE CONTINUOUS, ON-LINE MONITORING OF ORGANIC CONTENT. THE CONVENTIONAL MEASURE OF ORGANIC CONTENT IS TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON (TOC), INSTRUMENTS FOR WHICHARE COSTLY, REQUIRE FREQUENT MAINTENANCE BY SKILLED TECHNICIANS, AND PROVIDE ONLY PERIODIC ANALYSIS OF GRAB SAMPLES. WE PROPOSE HEREIN A NEW MEASURE FOR ORGANIC CONTENT OF AQUEOUS STREAMS: THE HEAT OF COMBUSTION OF ORGANIC CONSTITUENTS, DELTA H(C). TO A FIRST APPROXIMATION, DELTA H(C) IS PROPORTIONAL TO THE CARBON CONTENT (42 + 12 KJ/G C). WE PROPOSE AN INNOVATIVE METHOD TO MEASURE DELTA H(C): ORGANICS ARE CONVERTED TO VOLATILE COMPONENTS IN A PROPRIETARY PROCESS THAT PRESERVES THE HEAT OF COMBUSTION. THE VOLATILES ARE AIR-STRIPPED FROM THE WATER AND CATALYTICALLY OXIDIZED. THE TEMPERATURE RISE UPONOXIDATION PROVIDES A MEANS TO BACK-CALCULATE DELTA H(C), AND THEREBY, ORGANIC CONTENT. THIS METHOD DOES NOT REQUIRE EXPENDABLE CHEMICALS AND CAN BEMADE TO BE CONTINUOUS USING VERY SIMPLE EQUIPMENT AND INSTRUMENTATION. UNATTENDED OPERATION IN REMOTE LOCATIONS APPEARS TO BE FEASIBLE. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS PHASE I PROPOSAL IS TO DEMONSTRATE PROOF OF CONCEPT OF THIS PROPOSED ANALYTICAL METHOD.