Conductivity or UV/VIS?

Ion chromatography is a highly efficient tool for assessing the environmental impact of ionic species: Be it nutrients or pollutants, drinking water or wastewater, pharmaceutical products or the impurities they contain – IC assures reliable analytical statements concerning ionic content.

The aim of ion chromatography is to first separate and then reliably detect ionic substances. As we deal with ions, detection based on conductivity is successful in most cases. If, however, conductivity detection is adversely affected or even rendered impossible by matrix effects or insufficient separation of the analyte ions, use of an alternative detection method can supply essential information.

When conductivity detection does not yield the desired results, the absorption of ultraviolet and visible light by the sample can supply the correct analytical information.

Of course, UV/VIS detection can only be successful if the substances absorb part of the incident light.