Resumen de Ion Chromatography: Analysis of Ions in Pond Waters
Ion chromatography (IC) is a powerful technique for analysis of aqueous media containing a variety of both cations and anions. It promises to replace classical wet chemical methods for such analyses, which are frequently labor intensive and time consuming and often involve use of hazardous chemicals in the sampling protocol. We have introduced an IC instrument in our first-year general chemistry laboratory courses and in the quantitative analysis course with considerable success. Students have used it to investigate the water quality of a number of ponds on the campus grounds and associated ecosystem preserve. In the introductory chemistry laboratories, students use the IC instrument to analyze fluoride, chloride, nitrate, phosphate, and sulfate ions in ponds located on the campus. In quantitative analysis, in addition to analyzing pond waters with IC, students compare results obtained from IC with complementary techniques such as ion-selective electrodes and spectrometric methods. The high sensitivity of ion chromatography and the minimal sample preparation involved make IC a powerful and very usable tool for the analysis of ions in an undergraduate setting.
