DETERMINATION OF SULFUR-DIOXIDE IN WINE USING A QUARTZ-CRYSTAL MICROBALANCE

A new method for the analysis of both total and bound SO2 in wine is p roposed, based on a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM), and it is compa red with the widely used Ripper method. The proposed method is faster than the Ripper's, and the instrumentation is either homemade or widel y available. When both methods are applied to the same sample, the res ults obtained using the QCM method are bracketed in an interval less t han one-tenth the size of that obtained using the Ripper method. Altho ugh the SO2 concentrations found using the QCM method correlate well w ith the ones obtained with the Ripper method, the results are systemat ically higher, which can be explained as due to the absence of interfe rences known to affect the Ripper method.