Method and apparatus for stripping voltammetric and potent iometric detection and measurement of contamination in liquids

Abstract

A system for measuring the presence and concentration of electro-active species in a liquid solution. The system comprises a preparation module, a potentiometric module and a voltammetric module. The preparation module is adapted to prepare and isolate the contaminants of concern in a liquid sample into its electro-active form. The potentiometric module is coupled to the preparation module and adapted to gather environmental metrics of the liquid sample. The voltammetric module is adapted to receive the sample from the potentiometric module or preparation module and identify and determine a concentration of electro-active species.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A system for measuring the presence and concentration of electro-active species in a liquid solution comprising: 
 a preparation module adapted to prepare and isolate the contaminants of concern in a liquid sample into its electro-active form;    a potentiometric module coupled to the preparation module adapted to gather environmental metrics of the liquid sample; and    a voltammetric module adapted to receive the sample from the potentiometric module or preparation module and identify and determine a concentration of electro-active species.    
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the preparation module comprises a first section and a second section separated by a semi-permeable membrane, the first section and the second section each including an electrode for preparing the liquid sample when a voltage is applied to the electrodes for electrochemial oxidation of the liquid sample.  
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2  wherein a first part of the preparation module mixes the sample with a reagent and electrically stimulates the sample and a second part of the preparation cell receives waste from the voltammetric module.  
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3  wherein the first part of the preparation module is adapted to transfer only a part of the sample containing electro-active ions into the voltammetric module.  
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein a second part of the preparation module draws waste material from the first part through the semi-permeable membrane in the cell.  
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 2  wherein the semi-permiable membrane facilitates electromechanical oxidation of the liquid sample and provides a closed circuit for electrical current to flow through the first section and the second section without physical mixing of a solution in each section.  
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 2  wherein the preparation module is adapted to receive raw sample from the potentiometric module.  
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the potentiometric module includes ports for coupling sensors and wherein data measured by the sensors is adapted to be correlated with data from voltammetric measurements in the voltammetric module.  
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1  wherein sample water is drawn through the potentiometric module and sent to the voltammetric module.  
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the voltammetric module includes at least one flow through cell adapted to direct a flow over an electrode in the module.  
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the voltammetric module is adapted to process the sample in a stripping voltammetry process.  
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the voltammetric module comprises at least one flow through cell containing three electrodes including, a working electrode, a reference electrode and an auxiliary electrode.  
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11  wherein the flow through cell further includes an inlet for providing a standard solution sample to the measurement cell required for analysis calibration and a plating solution required for electrode modification.  
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising at least two electrodes in the sample preparation cell, at least one electrode in the potentiometric module, and at lest three electrode in each flow through cell in the voltammetric module.  
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14  wherein the electrodes are composed of graphite, impregnated with organic and inorganic compounds, which is hermetically pressed into a polymer body, and hermetically pressed into the respective cell.  
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15  wherein the working electrode is an impregnated graphite, gold, platinum, glassy carbon or iridium.  
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15  wherein the reference electrode is a silver electrode hermetically pressed into a polymer body and hermetically pressed into the flow through cell.  
     
     
         18 . A method for detecting and identifying contaminants in liquids comprising the steps of: 
 measuring environmental properties of a liquid sample taken from a liquid source preparing the sample into its electro-active form; and    identifying and determining a concentration of contaminants in the sample by a stripping voltammetric process.    
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the step of preparing the sample further comprises the step of adding a predetermined reagent to the sample to prepare the sample for measurement.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the reagent is an acid, base, salt, organic agent or inorganic agent.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the step of measuring environmental properties of the sample further comprises the step of using at least one ion selective electrode to perform analysis on the sample.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the step of identifying further comprises the step of using three electrodes of a flow through cell, a working electrode, an auxiliary electrode, and a reference electrode, capable of detecting concentration of electro-active ions to a lower limit of about 5 parts per trillion.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the voltammetry process occurs within about 5 minutes of inputting the sample liquid into the voltammetric module.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 18  further comprising the steps, prior to the stripping voltammetry process of: 
 providing a standard solution to a measurement cell required for analysis calibration; and  
 providing a plating solution to the measurement cell for electrode modification.  
 
     
     
         25 . A water treatment system comprising: 
 a first system for measuring the presence and concentration of electro-active species in liquid solution in an upstream location from a water treatment process; and    a second system for measuring the presence and concentration of electro-active species in a liquid solution in a downstream location from the water treatment process, the first and second system adapted to communicate sample characteristics to an independent treatment system adapted to control the treatment and processing of the contaminated water.    
     
     
         26 . The water treatment system of  claim 25 , wherein the first system and the second system each comprise: 
 a preparation module adapted to convert a liquid sample into its electro-active form;    a potentiometric module coupled to the preparation module adapted to gather environmental metrics of the liquid sample; and    a voltammetric module adapted to receive the sample from the potentiometric module or preparation module and identify and determine a concentration of electro-active species.    
     
     
         27 . The water treatment system of  claim 26  further comprising: 
 an automated hydraulic device for automatically drawings and conveying liquid samples and solutions through the system; and  
 a microprocessor based controller for the automated management of all operational aspects of the system, with the ability to network multiple individual sensor systems into a system of systems capable of data sharing and archiving data.