Water sampling and testing is critical in a whole host of applications. It factors into microbiological research, ecological studies, environmental impact assessments, various industrial applications, and so on. This complexity is reflected in the number of steps often required for thorough water analysis, making it an arduous and costly task. Discrete analysis is one solution that promises to streamline complex water analysis workflows, saving users precious time without compromising results quality.
This post will look at why discrete analyzers are used for water analysis and the benefits they offer chemists.
What are Discrete Analyzers?
A discrete analyzer is a flexible instrument frequently used in environmental and industrial laboratories for wet chemistry applications. These chemical analyzers are easy to use and enable multiple analytes to be measured simultaneously, conducted on samples kept in discrete cuvettes.
One of the most significant points to make about discrete analyzers is that they were designed to do the role of multiple instruments, as it imitates the processes a lab chemist should follow. These processes include dispensing samples, mixing reagents, and photometric measurements and the final stage is interpreting the results.
Why are Discrete Analyzers Used For Water Analysis?
Discrete analyzers are ideal for analyzing heavy metals, pollutants, and nutrients in various samples, including soils and water. This technique of wet chemistry analysis is cost-effective and far more efficient than traditional methods. Environmental, industrial, and wastewater can be tested in laboratories with discrete analyzers, with the results used in the treatment, processing, and management of samples.
Water analysis is crucial for the health and safety of humans and our environment. Traditionally, water testing required multiple instruments to analyze a range of factors like alkalinity, conductivity, hardness, nutrients, and more. These individual tests require specialist staff and are costly and time-consuming methods. However, using discrete analyzers enables chemists to perform tests on multiple parameters with one instrument, offering a range of benefits.
Benefits
Discrete analyzers consolidate several instruments into one to offer a more efficient and cost effective method of wet chemical analysis. Some of their key advantages include the following:
- Automation
- Easy to set up and use
- Increased productivity
- Reduced labor and set-up costs
- Run multiple tests simultaneously
To support the accuracy and efficiency of water analysis with discrete analyzers, they must be used with SI traceable discrete water standards. Although water standards can be prepared in-house, we do not recommend this for several reasons. It is time-consuming and requires numerous resources, but it can be challenging to produce the required documentation and ensure complete traceability. Therefore, working with a company that can develop these standards for you makes things easier and guarantees you have highly traceable and reproducible certified reference materials.
Contact us today if your wet chemistry processes could benefit from pre-made discrete water standards.