ICP-Analysis test chlorine problem?

[radiata]

My ICP-Analysis test results show my chlorine level at 17,924.90 as opposed to Fiji's chlorine level of 19,415.27. Is this a problem? (Sodium was 9,643.67 vs. 9,729.05.)

Thanks in advance...

 

[JimWelsh]

ICP-Analysis

Well, there's your problem right there.

 

[Christoph]

What does your salinity and sulfate (sulfur) readings say?

ICP-OES is not a very well suited method for evaluating the chloride content, ion chromatography is well better suited.

Best,
Christoph

 

[Jamie7907]

Well, there's your problem right there.

Though it is a halogen which can be difficult to test with icp-oes I imagine a lower salinity level is an option as well but without seeing the whole report it’s hard to say. Seems unprofessional and petty I guess. I can tell you that none of the icp companies are getting it completely right and IMO hobbyists are throwing money away for results they could get with hobbyist level kits. Unless they are specifically checking for metals due to tank issues I wouldn’t even recommend icp testing but even then they’d be better off sending a sample off to a real lab run by people who know what they’re doing.

 

[Jamie7907]

My ICP-Analysis test results show my chlorine level at 17,924.90 as opposed to Fiji's chlorine level of 19,415.27. Is this a problem? (Sodium was 9,643.67 vs. 9,729.05.)

Thanks in advance...

Do you know what your salinity was at the time of the sample? Could be that your salinity was low but without seeing the whole report it’s impossible to say.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I do not think it likely to be a concern, but as folks have noted, either the salinity is a bit low, or you have more sulfate and less chloride than usual (or both). Neither is a big deal.

 

[radiata]

At test time, my SG was 1.026, PSU was 33 and PPT was 34 per my Milwaukee refractometer. Per the ICP-Analysis, the Sulfur was 849.35 versus the 951.56 of Fiji seawater.

Any suggestions for remediation? Unfortunately, it would take another ICP-Analysis to see if any remediation was working.

Are any reasonably accurate hobbyist grade test kits available for sodium, chlorine and sulfur? I recollect that 40-odd years ago I owned a LaMotte chlorinity test kit that I used to corroborate SG measurements.

FWIW, I ran the ICP-Analysis and AWT tests as a due diligence effort to check the results my other test kits. Most other numbers were reasonably close to the numbers I've gotten on my own, and I see no heavy metal issues on the ICP results.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

The salinity is just a little low. Raising it will boost all of Chloride, sodium, and sulfate.

Did all of those salinity values come from one reading? sg = 1.026 does not match 33 ppt seawater.

 

[Ccote]

I just did an ICP test from ICP analysis.com. They read my chlorine level at 22,247ppm. My ro has nothing like that in it. How can chorine get into my system. I don’t even have bleach or chlorine in my house

 

[JimWelsh]

I just did an ICP test from ICP analysis.com. They read my chlorine level at 22,247ppm. My ro has nothing like that in it. How can chorine get into my system. I don’t even have bleach or chlorine in my house

Most likely from all that sodium chloride in your salt mix. Think about it -- which element makes up the chloride ion (hint: Chloride is Cl-)?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I just did an ICP test from ICP analysis.com. They read my chlorine level at 22,247ppm. My ro has nothing like that in it. How can chorine get into my system. I don’t even have bleach or chlorine in my house

As Jim notes, chlorine is always chloride in seawater. It's the most abundant ion in seawater.

Yours is a bit high, meaning the salinity is likely a bit high, if it is accurate.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

As Jim notes, chlorine is always chloride in seawater. It's the most abundant ion in seawater.

Yours is a bit high, meaning the salinity is likely a bit high, if it is accurate.

 

[Ccote]

Thank you for your response!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

You're welcome.

Happy reefing!