METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MEASURING THE ELEMENTARY COMPOSITION OF WASTEWATERS

摘要

The object of the invention is a method and apparatus for measuring the elementary composition of wastewaters. In the method and the instrument based on the method the flowing solution of uniform flow velocity and suitable electrical conductivity is forced to assume a free-surface stationary flow shape by means of a suitable hydrophilic boundary surface. A glow discharge is ignited between a metallic anode disposed at a predetermined distance from the surface of the solution and the solution acting as a cathode, and the intensity of light emitted by the glow discharge is measured at characteristic wavelengths of metals and background emitting components, and the concentration of metals is determined utilizing previously recorded calibration diagrams. The invention can also be utilized for measuring the metal content of communal wastewaters in a monitoring regime.