Acid Potassium Iodide Method for Determining Atmospheric Oxidants

Abstract

This investigation used an acid medium for sampling atmospheric oxidants. The acid iodide oxidant procedure was unaffected by air or oxygen, temperature variance, and reducing gases (sulfur dioxide and hydrogen sulfide.) The method possessed good color stability. The method also agreed favorably with the 1 or 2% neutral buffered iodide method when a chromium trioxide scrubber was required to remove the reducing gases from the latter procedure.

The acid oxidant absorption solution of 1 3 ml in a midget impinger contained 10 ml of 1.5% potassium iodide in a 0.1 N sodium hydroxide solution and 3 ml of acetic acid (1:5) which produced a solution of approximately 3.8 pH. Particulate matter was removed by a glass wool attachment to the midget impinger. The air was sampled with a Gelman Sequential Sampler at the rate of 1.41 liters per minute. After the oxidant sample was collected, the absorbing solution was transferred to a graduated cylinder and the volume was adjusted to 25 ml with distilled water. The absorbance was read at 355 millimicrons wavelength by a spectrophotometer in a 1 cm cell. The acid oxidant method was effective between 1 to 70 pphm of ozone.