Total Organic Carbon

Methodology

A filtered and acidified water sample is sparged with oxygen to remove inorganic carbon. The water is then injected onto a combustion column packed with platinum-coated alumina beads held at 680°C. Non-purgeable organic carbon compounds are combusted and converted to CO₂, which is detected by a nondispersive infrared detector (NDIR). Non-purgeable dissolved nitrogen compounds are combusted and converted to NO which, when mixed with ozone, chemiluminesces for detection by a photomultiplier.

Reference

Dickson, A.G., Sabine, C.L. and Christian, J.R. (Eds.) 2007. Guide to Best Practices for Ocean CO2 Measurements. PICES Special Publication 3, 191 pp.