Real-time determination of anions and cations in aerosols by ion chromatography    

Testing air pollution requires rapid and accurate measurements of inorganic compounds in ambient air. Coupling a Particle-Into-Liquid-Sampler (PILS) to Metrohm’s 850 Professional IC system enables quasi-continuous measurements with an unprecedented temporal resolution of 5 – 15 minutes.

Filters now take a back seat: The determination of anions and cations in atmospheric aerosols yields essential information about atmospheric transport and transformation processes. The filter method only permits determination averages over a 24-hour or longer time span. Moreover, the results can be compromised by desorption processes and chemical transformations.

Quasi-continuous measurements offer superior precision: Using PILS allows semi-continuous sampling of aerosols downstream from a denuder system. After removing interfering gas-phase compounds, the remaining aerosol particles are dissolved to water via a supersaturated steam phase, and the subsequent liquid sample is transferred to the IC system for analysis. The key benefit of this method is its high temporal resolution of measurements—changes in the ionic composition of ambient air can be recorded almost immediately, allowing a more precise correlation with meteorological and other data.

All Metrohm systems come with a 3-year warranty and fully backed by our expert Applications Laboratory support team. IC Suppressors feature an unprecedented 10-year warranty.