Photochemical combustion of organic matter in sea water, for nitrogen, phosphorus and carbon determination

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Abstract
A photochemical reactor, using a medium power mercury arc lamp for oxidation of organic matter in sea water, is described. The decomposition of some known compounds in distilled water and in sea water, using a 380 W lamp, was followed. First order kinetics with rate constants in the range 0·2–4·0 h−1 were observed. All the nitrogen compounds tested, including urea and some of its derivatives, were oxidized quantitatively. Breakdown of phosphorus compounds was rapid, but polyphosphate esters yielded polyphosphate ion which was only slowly hydrolysed to reactive orthophosphate. If polyphosphate is to be determined, hydrolysis by heating with acid should follow the irradiation. Some samples of English Channel water contained 0·02-0–05 fig-axom P/1. as organic polyphosphate.

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