Passive diffusion technique for concentration of short-chain volatile fatty acids from seawater

Abstract

A diffusion chamber is described which concentrates short-chain, volatile fatty acids from seawater while simultaneously separating them from interfering salts. The procedure relies on the passive diffusion of volatile compounds from acidified seawater samples and their subsequent absorption onto a base-impregnated filter. The method is simple, efficient, and adaptable to most commonly used methods of volatile acid analysis.