YSI 9600 - Manual (Page 7)

SECTION 1 INTRODUCTION TO THE 9600
The YSI 9600 Nitrate Monitor is a powerful instrument that allows the user to continuously record nitrate
levels at a variable sample interval and thus provides a much greater capability to detect nutrient events
than the spot sampling activities which have historically been carried out. The 9600 can be custom
configured with regard to detector cell to provide maximum accuracy for the type of water that you
normally monitor. For applications where typical nitrate levels are over 2 mg/L of nitrate-nitrogen, the
9600 should be configured with a 2 mm cell (designated 9600-02 for ordering purposes). For applications
where typical nitrate levels are below 2 mg/L, the monitor should be equipped with a 10 mm detector cell
and designated 9600-10. The 9600-02 and 9600-10 are designed primarily for freshwater and
estuarine/near coastal applications, respectively, but there may be some cases where the greater range of the
9600-02 will be required for brackish water studies and some cases where freshwater nitrate levels are
consistently low enough to require the greater accuracy of the 9600-10. Note that users cannot change the
detector cell that was purchased with their particular 9600 in order to meet the requirement of a new
application. While detector cells can be switched from 2 mm to 10 mm or vice versa, this action must be
carried out by factory-trained personnel.
To accurately measure nitrate, the 9600 uses flow injection technology combined with a chemical reaction
sequence which is defined in literature from both the USEPA and Standard Methods for the Examination of
Water and Wastewater. The intensity of the color produced by the chemical reaction sequence is
determined by standard absorbance spectroscopy and compared to that of a standard of known
concentration in order to quantify the amount of nitrate in an environmental sample. The use of flow
injection technology minimizes the amount of reagents required and the amount of waste generated.
Key features of the YSI 9600:
• Works on standard cadmium reduction/diazotization principle. Standard Methods #4500-NO
3
- E.
• Can be custom configured relative to detector cell for most freshwater applications (2 mm) or for most
estuarine and near coastal applications (10 mm).
• Easy-to-use NUview
TM
PC software for simple set-up and deployment. Proven EcoWatch for
Windows
TM
software for data analysis and custom presentations. Both software packages are
provided with each instrument.
• Easy access to reagent and waste bags and internal battery pack for field replacement.
• Good battery life (approx. 70 days at a 1 hour sample interval at 20 C) with internal D-cell battery
pack. Also can be powered externally by 12 V lead acid battery, AC adapter, or data collection
platform for longer deployments.
• Automatic calibration at user-selected interval. Calibration points do not affect data continuity for
sample intervals of 30 minutes and greater.
• SDI-12 and RS-232 interfaces standard for use with computers and data collection platforms.
• Waste collection system included with instrument to avoid cadmium
2+
discharge into the environment
• Minimal waste volume because of pump design – approximately 7 liters of waste in 30 days at a 1 hour
sample interval.
• CE and Australian C-Tick Compliance
YSI Environmental 7 Model 9600 Nitrate Monitor