Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Monitoring industrial wastewater by online GC–MS with direct aqueous injection

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

An online GC–MS-system for automated monitoring of crude wastewater at a complex chemical production site is presented. The modular system is, in principal, based on commercial equipment, but utilizes a special, two-stage injector, which consists of a splitless vaporization chamber on top of a PTV injector filled with Tenax. This set-up enables direct injection of wastewater. Almost 140 volatile and semi-volatile compounds are calibrated down to 1 mg L−1, which is sufficient for analysis of the influent of the wastewater-treatment plant. Two instruments analyze alternately, every 20 min, and the instrument cycle time is 40 min. The quantitative results are transferred to a database which is connected to a process-control system. Depending on the nature and concentration of a compound, an alarm can be generated and the wastewater stream can be diverted into an “off spec tank” if necessary. The GC–MS-system operates quasi-continuously with a system availability >98%. Data quality is automatically controlled in each run and by daily analysis of a quality-control sample. The development of a novel stacked PTV–PTV injector design to expand the range of analytes to selected basic compounds is described.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Grob K, Habich A (1993) J High Resol Chromatogr Chem Commun 6:11–15

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Grob K (1984) J Chromatogr 299:1–11

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Temmermann IFMM, Quaghebeur DJM (1990) J High Resol Chromatogr 990(13):379–380

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Wolska L, Olszewska C, Turska M, Zygmunt B, Namiesnik J (1998) Chemosphere 37(13):2645–2651

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Zwank L, Schmitt TC, Haderlein SB, Berg M (2002) Environ Sci Technol 36(9):2054–2059

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Pyle SM, Gurka DF (1994) Talanta 11:1845–1852

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Bruner F, Lattanzi L, Borghesi P (1996) Acqua Aria 6:611–617

    Google Scholar 

  8. Bérubé PR, Parkinson PD, Hall ER (1999) J Chromatogr A 830(2):485–489

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Hong S, Duttweiler CM, Lemley AT (1999) J Chromatogr A 857(1+2):205–216

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Schomburg G, Bastian E, Behlau H, Husmann H, Weeke F (1984) J High Resol Chromatogr Chem Commun 7:4–12

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Maris C, Laplanche A, Morvan J, Bloquel M (1999) Water Sci Technol 40(6):141–148

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Vreuls JJ, Brinkmann UAT, de Jong G, Grob K, Artho A (1991) J High Resol Chromatogr 14:455–459

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Vreuls JJ, de Jong GJ, Ghijsen RT, Brinkmann UAT (1993) J Microcolumn Sep 5(4):317–324

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Mol HG, Janssen HGM, Cramers CA, Brinkmann UAT (1993) J High Resol Chromatogr 16(8):459–463

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Mueller S, Efer J, Engewald W (1994) Chromatographia 38(11–12):694–700

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Teske J, Efer J, Engewald W (1997) Chromatographia 46(11/12):580–586

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Grob K, Biedermann M (2002) Anal Chem 74:10–16

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Bieri S, Christen P, Biedermann M, Grob K (2004) Anal Chem 76:1696–1701

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Hollemann-Wiberg (1985) Lehrbuch der Anorganischen Chemie. Walter de Gruyter, Berlin New York

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgment

We thank Joachim Gerstel, JAS, for kind cooperation and for building the special PTV–PTV injector.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. BASF Aktiengesellschaft, Environmental Analytics, 67056, Ludwigshafen, Germany

    M. Wortberg, W. Ziemer, M. Kugel, H. Müller & H.-J. Neu

Authors
  1. M. Wortberg
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. W. Ziemer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. M. Kugel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. H. Müller
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. H.-J. Neu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. Wortberg.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Wortberg, M., Ziemer, W., Kugel, M. et al. Monitoring industrial wastewater by online GC–MS with direct aqueous injection. Anal Bioanal Chem 384, 1113–1122 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-005-3366-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-005-3366-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation