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Total Organic Carbon (TOC)
Total organic carbon (TOC) is a rapid method that analyzes for organic carbon and expresses the result as the amount of carbon found. It is a nonspecific method unable to distinguish between various organic species and indicates only that organic carbon compounds are present. TOC analyzers operate by determining the amount of total carbon in a sample aliquot. Total carbon consists of inorganic and organic carbon. Inorganic carbon, present as carbonate or bicarbonate ions, must be removed or quantified prior to the analysis of organic carbon. Once the inorganic carbon is removed, subsequent analysis of the sample aliquot assumes that all carbon remaining is organic.
Discussion
Methodology used to remove inorganic carbon relies on acidification that converts all bicarbonate and carbonate ions to carbon dioxide that is purged out of the sample using an inert gas. If quantification of inorganic carbon is desired, it is purged into a detector; otherwise it is vented to atmosphere. Once inorganic carbon is removed, the remaining organic carbon is oxidized to carbon dioxide that is purged by the inert gas into the detector.
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