Determination of organic acids which are volatile with steam

1 Determination of organic acids which are volatile with steam General remarks 

Organic acids which are volatile with water vapour and whose low level of dissociation can be further suppressed by adding phosphoric acid, are 

This method can be used with leakage water from rubbish tips and polluted 

1 mmol/1 and above. Almost without exception carbon dioxide present in such water samples must be expelled from the distillate by boiling and 

The influence of nitrates is eliminated by adding approx. 100 ml of amido-sulphonic acid or urea to the sample. If the sample contains phenols which may be transferred into the distillate, titration should not be carried out against phenolphthalein, but instead against a mixed indicator (methylene blue/neutral red). 

---