Automativ Quantification of inorganic Ions in Water- and Wastewater by Electrophoresis based Separation

Duration:
2016-2018

Financing:
Forschungsförderungsgesellschaft FFG Ausschreibung: BRIDGE

Contact:
DI Roland Fuiko rfuiko(at)iwag.tuwien.ac.at

Partner:
KROHNE Messtechnik GmbH (Link)

Short description

Capillary electrophoresis has been a well-known electrokinetic analysis method for the separation and quantification of chemical constituents in different samples for over 30 years. In the present project, capillary electrophoresis is applied to separate inorganic compounds in water and wastewater samples by means of automated sequential analysis in a fused silica capillary. Ammonium, phosphate, nitrate and nitrite are the environmentally relevant core parameters measured in a laboratory setup. In order to improve the reproducibility of the measurement results, which is often a major problem in electrophoretic analysis, a new experimental setup is being developed and tested at the institute. Through method development and chemical design of the electrolyte solution used, the sensitivity and the separation performance are optimized for use in water and wastewater treatment plants. In wastewater treatment, this gives new and necessary insights into process flows with one device for all relevant parameters. This is actually not possible and can therefore be seen as an essential device for process optimization and monitoring. Due to the resulting cost reduction in process analysis while increasing the information density, the system has enormous economic and scientific potential.

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