Carbon, Nitrogen, and Sulfur Analysis

Analysis of carbon, sulfur and nitrogen often provide significant characteristics to environmental samples.

Dissolved carbon can be determined using a Shimadzu TOC-5050A Total Organic Carbon Analyzer. Analysis is based on ignition of micro liter volumes of the sample at 700 °C into carbon dioxide that is measured on line by dedicated infra-red cell. The following forms of carbon can be analyzed:

• Total dissolved inorganic carbon
• Total dissolved carbon
• Total non-purgable carbon
• Other forms of carbon such as total dissolved organic and purgable carbon are obtainable by difference.

Nitrogen species in aqueous samples can be measured as:

• Total Kjeldahl N (TKN)
• Ammonia N (NH4-N)
• Nitrite N (NO2-N)
• Nitrate N (NO3-N)

Nitrogen species are mostly determined by spectrophotometric methods or by ion chromatography.

Sulfur compounds are usually measured as:

• Sulfide by spectrophotometric methods
• Sulfite, thiosulfate and sulfate by ion chromatography
• Persulfate by redox reactions