Spectrophotometric determination of dissolved manganese in natural waters with 1-(2-pyridylazo)-2-naphthol: application to analysis in situ in hydrothermal plumes

Abstract

A spectrophotometric method using the complexing reagent 1-(2-pyridylazo)-2-naphthol (PAN) was developed for the determination of dissolved manganese in seawater. A detection limit of approximately 22 nM was obtained when the analyses were performed in situ with a submersible chemical analyzer (Scanner). Color formation was rapid (less than 1 s), which permitted the technique to be used in flow injection and continuous flow systems. An investigation of possible interferences revealed that the only significant interferent to manganese determinations in seawater (hydrothermal plumes) was iron. The iron-specific chelating agent desferrioxamine B was used to mask this interference. Temperature and pressure did not adversely affect the sensitivity of the technique, which made it amenable to applications in situ to depths of 3000 m. This method was tested by measuring dissolved manganese concentrations in situ in submarine hydrothermal plumes using a Scanner. Scanner deployments over the Juan de Fuca Ridge produced the first near real time analyses of manganese from a hydrothermal plume environment. Estuarine samples have also been successfully analyzed in the laboratory and the results confirmed by an independent method.