Method for determining ammonia and sensor therefor
First Claim
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1. A method for determining ammonia concentration in an aqueous liquid which contains dissolved oxygen, which comprises:
- (a) Contacting a sample of said liquid with a microbial electrode comprising;
an oxygen-sensitive electrode having a diaphragm,bacteria capable of oxidizing ammonium ion and thereby consuming oxygen in direct or close contact with the diaphragm of said oxygen sensitive electrode, said bacteria being confined or immobilized by a porous membrane permeable to ammonia and to oxygen and impermeable to microbial cells; and
(b) electrochemically sensing the rate of consumption or their decrease in steady state concentration of said oxygen caused by said microorganisms, and thereby(c) detecting the concentration of ammonia from said rate or said decrease of the oxygen.
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Abstract
The concentration of ammonia in an aqueous liquid is determined by contacting a sample of the liquid with dissolved oxygen and with a microbial electrode comprising an oxygen-sensitive electrode, a porous membrane, and nitrifying bacteria confined or immobilised by the membrane which are in direct or close contact with the diaphragm of the electrode. The rate of oxygen consumption under otherwise uniform conditions is as precise a measure of concentration of ammonia as a conventional colorimetric method and distillation-titration method.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. A method for determining ammonia concentration in an aqueous liquid which contains dissolved oxygen, which comprises:
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(a) Contacting a sample of said liquid with a microbial electrode comprising; an oxygen-sensitive electrode having a diaphragm, bacteria capable of oxidizing ammonium ion and thereby consuming oxygen in direct or close contact with the diaphragm of said oxygen sensitive electrode, said bacteria being confined or immobilized by a porous membrane permeable to ammonia and to oxygen and impermeable to microbial cells; and (b) electrochemically sensing the rate of consumption or their decrease in steady state concentration of said oxygen caused by said microorganisms, and thereby (c) detecting the concentration of ammonia from said rate or said decrease of the oxygen. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An ammonia-detecting electrode which comprises:
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an oxygen-sensitive electrode having a diaphragm; bacteria capable of oxidizing ammonium ion and thereby consuming oxygen in direct or close contact with the diaphragm of said oxygen sensitive electrode; said bacteria being confined or immobilized by a porous membrane permeable to ammonia or ammonium ions and to oxygen, and impermeable to microbial cells. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification