Measurement of TOC and TN in effluent using Shimadzu TOC-V combined with TN Unit

Introduction

Compared with biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) or chemical oxygen demand (COD), the measurement of total organic carbon (TOC) content is quicker and more reproducible, and it provides a better index of organic pollution in water. Hence the measurement of TOC is being used in a wide range of fields, ranging from controlling raw water and processed effluent at wastewater processing facilities to monitoring public water, cooling water or rinse water for organic content. Particularly plant effluents and water at the intake of wastewater processing facilities contain high concentrations of organic pollutants, and operating conditions of wastewater processing facilities can be efficiently controlled by TOC management. Also, control of TOC in processed and discharged effluent is critically important from the viewpoint of environmental protection. TN (total nitrogen) is also an important item to be monitored, with standards being established for nitrogen content in environmental water and effluent in order to prevent eutrophication in enclosed water bodies. TOC and TN can be simultaneously measured by combining the Shimadzu Total Organic Carbon Analyzer TOC-V and the TN measurement unit TNM-1. This Application News presents an example of TOC/TN measurement using this system.

December 11, 2003 GMT