Determination of Trace Chlorine and Oxidants in Seawater by Differential Pulse Polarography

This paper describes a rapid and reliable technique for the determination of chlorine and other oxidants in power plant and industrial cooling waters, with particular emphasis on seawater systems. The analytical work is based upon the standard technique of chlorine and oxidant reduction by phenylarsine oxide. Excess phenylarsine oxide is detected quantitatively and nondestructively by differential pulse polarography and has a detection limit of less than 5 ppb chlorine equivalent.

The procedures described in this paper are shown to be applicable for the analysis of total residual chlorine. However, extension of the principle to other types of oxidant determination under different conditions of pH and catalyst should be straightfoward.