DISSOLVED OXYGEN.[[16]][[65]][[68]][[71b]][[99]][[100c]][[120]]
Reagents.—1. Sulfuric acid, concentrated. (Sp. gr. 1.83–1.84.)
2. Potassium permanganate. Dissolve 6.32 grams of the salt in water and dilute the solution to 1 liter.
3. Potassium oxalate. A 2 per cent solution.
4. Manganous sulfate. Dissolve 480 grams of the salt in water and dilute the solution to 1 liter.
5. Alkaline potassium iodide. Dissolve 700 grams of potassium hydroxide and 150 grams of potassium iodide in water and dilute the solution to 1 liter.
6. Hydrochloric acid. Concentrated (Sp. gr. 1.18–1.19).
7. Sodium thiosulfate. A N/40 solution. Dissolve 6.2 grams of chemically pure recrystallized sodium thiosulfate in water and dilute the solution to 1 liter with freshly boiled distilled water. Each cc. is equivalent to 0.2 mg. of oxygen or to 0.1395 cc. of oxygen at 0°C. and 760 mm. pressure. Inasmuch as this solution is not permanent it should be standardized occasionally against a N/40 solution of potassium bichromate. The keeping qualities of the thiosulfate solution are improved by adding to each liter 5 cc. of chloroform and 1.5 grams of ammonium carbonate before diluting to the prescribed volume.
8. Starch solution. Mix a small amount of clean starch with cold water until it becomes a thin paste and stir this mass into 150 to 200 times its weight of boiling water. Boil for a few minutes, then sterilize. It may be preserved by adding a few drops of chloroform.
Collection of sample.—Collect the sample in a narrow-necked glass-stoppered bottle of 250 to 270 cc. capacity. The following procedure should be followed in order to avoid entrainment or absorption of atmospheric oxygen. In collecting from a tap fill the bottle through a glass or rubber tube extending well into the tap and to the bottom of the bottle. To avoid air bubbles allow the bottle to overflow for several minutes, and then carefully replace the glass stopper so that no air bubble is entrained. In collecting from the surface of a pond or tank connect the sample bottle to a bottle of 1 liter capacity. Provide each bottle with a two-hole rubber stopper having one glass tube extending to the bottom and another glass tube entering but not projecting into the bottle. Connect the short tube of the sample bottle with the long tube of the liter bottle. Immerse the sample bottle in the water and apply suction to the outlet of the liter bottle. To collect a sample at any depth arrange the two bottles so that the outlet tube of the liter bottle is at a higher elevation then the inlet tube of the sample bottle. Lower the two bottles, in any convenient form of cage properly weighted, to the desired depth. Water entering during the descent will be flushed through into the liter bottle. When air bubbles cease rising to the surface raise the bottles. Finally replace the perforated stopper of the sample bottle with a glass stopper in such manner as to avoid entraining bubbles of air.