Because FOG is based on a solvent extraction and evaporation of the solvent and weighing the residue, most instrumental methods use some sort of spectroscopy (IR, UV, etc to measure the concentration of "
oil" in the water. Some units even perform a solvent extraction of the "
oil for analysis.
This type of analysis compares favorably with conventional FOG analysis if the
composition of the '"
oil" is relatively constant and only the
concentration changes. However, the results may show considerable variance from the FOG analysis if
both the composition
and concentration of the oil in the sample vary. If you are familiar with the wastewater contaminants, you may decide that an on-line analyzer is appropriate. Just one more caution, some contaminants that are not oil may also be extracted in the conventional FOG analysis.
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