Determination of true selectivity coefficients of neutral carrier calcium selective electrode

Literature data concerning selectivity coefficients of neutral carrier calcium selective electrode show large discrepancies up to several orders of magnitude for sensors containing the same active component. It can be shown theoretically that determination of selectivity coefficients in non-complexing media gives too high values because of additional sources of the main ion in the membrane vicinity. Determination of selectivity coefficients in solutions containing a complexing agent gives the possibility to evaluate true selectivity coefficients not influenced by additional factors. Measurements performed in complexing as well as in non-complexing media and calculation of the detection limit indicate a good agreement between expectations and experimental results. This has been confirmed using the calcium selective electrode with the neutral carrier ETH 1001 witho-nitrophenyl octyl ether or dioctylsebacate as mediators. As interferents sodium, potassium and magnesium ions were tested.