Rapid Automatic Determination of Calcium and Magnesium in Aqueous Solutions by FIA Using Potentiometric Detection

A pH-sensitive detector for flow-through potentiometry based on a graphite/quinhydrone/silicone composite electrode was applied to determine calcium and magnesium in aqueous solutions. The determinations are performed by FIA titrations with EDTA as the carrier solution. The method was applied to the analysis of mineral water, drinking water, and river water. The results were compared with those obtained by batch complexometric titration. The proposed new method is suitable for the simple, rapid and automated determination of water hardness in small sample volumes of aqueous solutions. The detection limit for both ions is about 1 � 10 � 5 mol L � 1 , the standard deviation is less than 2%. The sampling frequency is 60 determinations per hour.