Effect of complexones and tensides on selectivity of nitrogen dioxide determination in air with a chemiluminescence aerosol detector

Modification of the luminol solution by means of addition of various complexones and surfactants has been investigated to eliminate interferences from gaseous co-pollutants in the determination of ambient nitrogen dioxide using a chemiluminescence aerosol detector. The simultaneous presence of EDTA and triton X-100 or X-405 together with sulphite and iodide in the luminol solution suppressed interferences from ozone and peroxyacetyl nitrate to a negligible level and no scrubbers or corrections of the NO₂ measurements were needed.

In general, the best composition of the reagent solution included luminol, KOH, Na₂SO₃, KI, Na₂EDTA and triton X-100. From the point of view of selectivity of NO₂ determination, an optimum reagent solution consisted of luminol (0.002 M), KOH (0.5 M), Na₂SO₃ (0.2 M), KI (0.1 M), Na₂EDTA (0.05 M) and triton X-100 (0.5 vol.%). Interferences from ozone (170 ppb (v/v)) and peroxyacetyl nitrate (81 ppb (v/v)) were 0.2 and 1.2%, respectively, for nitrogen dioxide at a concentration of 50 ppb (v/v) and 0.25 and 1.7%, respectively, for 0.5 ppb (v/v) NO₂. The calibration graph was linear for NO₂ concentrations ranging from 3 to 665 ppb (v/v). Below 3 ppb (v/v) NO₂ the detector response to nitrogen dioxide can be fitted with a linear equation of the third order.