Concentrations of total organic carbon in waters of the Baltic Sea at Station VA-20_2

Not filtered water samples were taken in 10 ml ampoules (sealed immediately after being acidified with phosphoric acid to pH<2, sampling), or 40 ml screw-lid vials, and measured onboard at sampling or next days, or frozen (-20°C) until being acidified and measured in home labs. Carbon measurement was by high-temperature catalytic oxydation in a 10 cm column packed with 5% Pt on aluminum oxide beads at 900°C in a stream of oxygen, and CO2 detection by infrared extinction after the removal of moisture and SO2 by appropriate traps (cold trap, Mg-percarbonate, Na-pyrophosphate, tin, bronze or Sulfix). The apparatus was the dual channel Dimatek 2000 equipped with a Binos 200 detector.