A field electrode method for the determination of sulfide

This paper reports the development of a field electrode method for the determination of total sulfide in water. The method involves the use of preweighed sodium sulfide crystals in the standardization process. Sodium sulfide crystals were weighed and sealed in air-tight plastic volumetric flasks. Standards were prepared in the field by adding a sulfide antioxidant buffer to the flasks containing the sulfide crystals and diluting it to mark with deionized deaerated water. Standards of lower concentration were prepared by serial dilutions of first standards.The results of the reproducibility determination revealed that sulfide concentrations as low as 6 ppb could be measured with a reproducibility of better than ±10%.Water samples were collected from a series of lakes in Fort Bend County, Texas (near Houston) and analyzed for sulfide content. The sulfide ion concentrations of these samples were determined directly in the field by use of an Orion Model 407A/F specific meter equipped with a silver/sulfide ion selective electrode in conjunction with a double junction reference electrode.