Determination of Ammonia in Seawater by Multichannel Flow Injection Analysis

Abstract

An analytical method that uses multichannel flow injection is reported to determine ammonia in seawater. The sample throughput was twenty-eight samples per hour. The linear dynamic range for ammonia was from 20.0–1000.0 μg N · L⁻¹ with a limit of detection of 0.27 μg N · L⁻¹, and recovery values between 98.1% and 104.6%. The relative standard deviation values for nitrogen as ammonia were 2.15–3.33% (n = 6). Statistical t-test analysis indicated that analysis by the flow injection method provided results that were statistically the same as standard procedures. The reported method was suitable for the determination of ammonia in seawater.

Keywords:

• ammonia
• flow injection analysis
• seawater