Three component flow injection analysis with on-line dialysis. Simultaneous determination of free calcium, total calcium and total chloride in milk by flow injection analysis and on-line dialysis

Summary A fast and reliable fully automated three-component flow injection procedure for the simultaneous determination of free calcium, total calcium and total chloride in milk is described where the three components from a single sample injection (30 l milk samples) are determined at a sampling rate of 60 samples per hour. The samples are directed to three different channels by using two dialysers in series. Interferences in the determination of free calcium are eliminated by using a dialyser (first in the series) which also separates the total and free calcium. Free calcium is determined by UV/VIS spectrophotometry at 580 nm and total calcium by atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) at 422.7 nm. Interferences from phosphates in milk in the determination of total calcium by AAS are overcome by using a nitrous oxide-acetylene flame with the necessary suppression with potassium ions. A second dialyser in series is used to eliminate interferences, especially the interference of casein, before the dialysed chloride is measured with a coated tubular chloride-selective electrode. The results obtained for the free calcium, total calcium and total chloride in milk at a sampling rate of 60 samples per hour compared well with data obtained by standard methods. With 30 l samples the relative standard deviation for milk samples having different concentrations of free calcium (110–170 mg/l free calcium), total calcium (1000–1500 mg/l total calcium) and total chloride (1000–1800 mg/l total chloride) were better than 0.37, 1.01 and 0.25, respectively.