Study of the performance of an optochemical sensor for ammonia

An optical sensor for ammonia based on ion pairing has been investigated. A pH-sensitive dye (bromophenol blue) was immobilized as an ion pair with cetyltrimethylammonium in a silicone matrix. The colour of the dye changes reversibly from yellow to blue with increasing concentration of ammonia in the sample. The concentration of ammonia can be determined by measuring the transmittance at a given wavelength. All measurements were performed with a dual-beam, solid state photometer. The measurement range is from 6 × 10⁻⁷ to 1 × 10⁻³ M (0.01 to 17 μg ml⁻¹) in 0.1 M sodium phosphate buffer, pH 8. The 90% and 100% response times at a flow rate of 2.5 ml min⁻¹ are 4 min and 10 min, respectively, for a change from 41.9 to 82.5 μM ammonia, or 12 min and 48 min, respectively, for change from 160 to 0 μM ammonia. A continuous drift in signal baseline and ammonia sensitivity limited the measurement stability. The sensor was useful over a period of a few days. The storage stability is more than 10 months (dry). No interference due to pH was observed in the range from pH 5 to pH 9. Sensor performance is seriously affected by amines and cationic detergents. The sensor could be sterilized with 3% hydrogen peroxide or dry heat (90 °C).