Development of a microgravity-compatible reagentless organic acid and alcohol monitor (OAAM)

The development of a microgravity-compatible analyzer capable of quantifying organic acids in water is described. The analyzer employs "reagentless" solid phase acidification to convert organic acids to the volatile form followed by membrane separation and specific conductance detection to determine organic acids at concentrations between 0.005 and 40 mg/L. In the future, this technology will be extended to the detection of alcohols, which will be oxidized to form the corresponding organic acid and then determined using the same processes. An immobilized enzyme biocatalyst, alcohol oxidase, oxidizes alcohols to form an aldehyde. Oxidation to the corresponding organic acid is then completed over a heterogeneous catalyst. The combined organic acid and alcohol monitor (OAAM) will be utilized to determine levels of both analyte classes at various points within the water recovery system (WRS) baselined for the International Space Station (ISS). These data will improve water quality through enhanced process control, while allowing early diagnosis of potential problems. Grant numbers: NAG9-1081.