Expert system for the ion chromatographic determination of alkali and alkaline earth metals in mineral waters

Abstract

The main limiting factors (the highest concentration that may be injected, the lowest concentrations that can be determined, attainable quality of results and limitations arising from the interfering effects of ions in much higher concentrations) that could prevent the successful suppressed ion chromatographic determination of lithium, sodium, ammonium, potassium, magnesium, calcium and strontium in any particular mineral water were obtained experimentally and organized into three databases supporting the operation of an expert system. The expert system permits the planning of appropriate dilutions, the prediction of suitable detector output ranges, the planning of the appropriate standard additions or concentrations of calibration solutions necessary for the successful quantitative analysis and predicts interferences for the determination of individual ions in particular real samples. The predictions of the expert system were checked experimentally on two different natural samples. All the predictions were realistic and, although very simple calculations were used by the expert system, appropriate distinction between different extents of interferences was achieved. The described expert system works well and offers significant support to the planning of the analysis of different natural mineral waters.