Prominence Ion Chromatograph - Applications

Ion chromatography is used widely in the analysis of environmental, industrial, pharmaceuticals, and foods samples. In ion chromatography, suppressors are widely used in order to reduce background and noise levels during detection. Suppression of the background yields analyte peak response with greatly enhanced signal to noise –hence higher sensitivity by as much as three orders of magnitude. The newly developed ICDS-40A electrodialytic suppressor for anion analysis features (1) a dialytic membrane suppressor with folded-flow path architecture that minimizes internal volume and peak dispersion (2) continuous, online regeneration and (3) a simple system configuration. Cumbersome and hazardous off-line regeneration is avoided.

The Prominence Ion Chromatograph equipped with the ICDS-40A suppressor features a slim oven and reduces the benchtop footprint by 40 % for the effective use of laboratory space. More detailed description of the operating principles and features of the ICDS-40A suppressor and the Prominence Ion Chromatograph are included in this Technical Report.

Many countries set limits for the concentrations of inorganic anions such as fluoride, chloride, nitrate, nitrite, and sulfate ions in drinking water and other environmental samples to protect public health and ecosystems. Suppressed Ion Chromatography (IC) is generally used in the quantitation of these inorganic anions. In the United States, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved two IC based methods (Methods 300.0 and 300.1) for the analysis of up to eight inorganic anions in water.

Analysis of low molecular carboxylic acids is also essential in environmental samples, especially in wastewater and sludge treatment, hydraulic fracturing operations and landfills. These chemicals, also referred as Volatile Fatty Acids, are metabolites formed through the biological processes water resource recovery facilities (formerly known as wastewater treatment plants) employ to eliminate organic matter and other contaminants. But they can also occur, under favorable conditions, in other applications that involve biological activity, such as various fermentation processes in the food industry. Ion chromatography is often used to monitor these compounds to understand the performance wastewater treatment operations or other biological process of interest.