Published online by Cambridge University Press: 11 May 2009
The use of tetraphenylarsonium chloride for the detection and determination of perchlorate in sea water has been investigated. An aqueous solution of this reagent gives a visible precipitate of tetraphenylarsonium perchlorate with sea water containing 5 μg ClO4-/ml. within 10 min. For the quantitative determination of traces of perchlorate, potassium perrhenate is added to the water sample, and the tetraphenylarsonium perrhenate, which is precipitated by addition of the reagent, co-precipitates tetraphenylarsonium perchlorate. Perchlorate is determined in the mixed precipitate by infra-red absorption spectrophotometry. Using 100 ml. of sea water, a sensitivity of 0·03 μg ClO4-/ml. can be attained, with a coefficient of variation of ca. 10%. No interference is caused by the ions normally present in sea water.