Possibility of utilizing electrochemical techniques for the evaluation of the content of organic impurities in water

Abstract

The use of some special electrochemical techniques, such as the measurement of the double layer capacitance and the determination by fast charging curves of the fraction of electrode surface covered with adsorbate, is proposed as a powerful tool for the evaluation of water quality with respect to organic pollution. Principles of the method are described in detail and practical possibilities are exemplified which make use of simple organic substances. The sensitivity of the method in relation to the nature of the electrode used, as well as of the kind of impurities in solution, is discussed. As a practical application, the method is used for the evaluation of the quality of industrial waters coming from demineralization beds and boilers as well as of laboratory waters prepared with different chemical and electrochemical treatments. This method enables impurity contents as low as 0·01 p.p.m. to be detected. However, if the reference purity could be that of water treated with active charcoal, then the sensitivity of the method could be greatly increased and the lower limit would become ideally pure water.