Simple Analytical Method for the Determination of Trichloroethylene by Applying Oxidizing Agents to the Quartz Crystal Microbalance Sensor

A highly sensitive detecting method for trichloroethylene using quartz crystal microbalance was newly developed. The method uses oxidizing agents such as PbO2 and H2SO4. TCE is converted into HCl by the reaction with the oxidizing agents and then reacts directly with a copper electrode placed on the quartz crystal surface to forms copper chloride. In case of 100 ppb of trichloroethylene concentration and fundamental frequencies of 9 MHz at 30°C, the frequency response of about -14 Hz was obtained. The new method enables the measurement of very low concentrations of TCE.