Formaldehyde determination in seawater. Preliminary applicationto coastal samples at Terra Nova Bay (Antarctica)

• Published in: Journal of Environmental Monitoring
• Main Authors: O. Largiuni, S. Becagli, M. Innocenti, R. Traversi, R. Udisti, STORTINI, Angela Maria
• Other Authors: O., Largiuni, S., Becagli, M., Innocenti, Stortini, Angela Maria, R., Traversi, R., Udisti
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: 2005
• Subjects: Flow injection analysi; formaldehyde (HCHO); seawater; Antarctica; Antarctic; Austral; Ross Sea; Terra Nova Bay; Antarc*; Sea ice
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10278/31210; https://doi.org/10.1039/b507334k

A sensitive spectrofluorimetric-FIA (flow injection analysis) method for formaldehyde (HCHO) determination was improved with the aim of analysing seawater samples.The fluorescence emission versus HCHO concentration shows a linear pattern from sub mg L1 to about 1000 mg L1. The reproducibility at 15 ppb level is about 2%. Interferences from other aldehydes were checked; only glyoxal shows a significative interference, but only when its concentration is about 6000 times higher than that of formaldehyde. Superficial (microlayer, just sub-pack or sea-ice free sea surface) and deep (along the water column, sub-pack or in sea-ice free areas) seawater samples were collected near the coast at Terra Nova Bay (Ross Sea, Antarctica) during the 1998/1999 and 2001/2002 Italian Antarctic Expedition. We report here the preliminary results of the spectrofluorimetric-FIA determination of the HCHO content. The mean seawater superficial formaldehyde concentration was 15 mg L1; the concentration along the water column ranged between 4.5 to over 40 mg L1 (20 mg L1 mean concentration), usually with a maximum value for the 30 m depth, corresponding to a fluorescence maximum. The sampling was repeated 7 times in the austral summer in order to evaluate seasonal changes in the formaldehyde concentration/seawater depth profiles. The results show changes in the formaldehyde concentration at different depths.