*** 96-60731 Qian This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will develop a new type of total and dissolved carbon (TOC/DOC) analyzer. It is expected to have greater selectivity, narrower peaks (less than 1 minute sample throughput time), higher sensitivity, lower detection limit, lower system blank, lower gas consumption, easier maintenance, lower backpressure, and longer column lifetime. The Phase I design will couple a closed, loop-type sample autoinjector to a two stage, small bore, open tubular quartz combustion column. In addition, Phase I will examine the feasibility of a new detection system which reduces carbon dioxide, formed during the combustion step, to methane, and follows with flame-ionization detection. Accurate TOC/DOC measurements are needed for oceanic models, as well as for food web and climatic studies. The new analyzer is expected to have extensive use in high precision, routine seawater analysis. Potential non-marine applications include monitoring of effluents from municipal sewage, industrial wastes, dump site drainage, agricultural run-off, and eutrophicated systems. Other applications may include monitoring organics in: process water, e.g., power plant cooling and boiler feed water; high purity water generating systems; semiconductor reclaim water; and a variety of pollution regulation operations. ***
