A rapid screening method for acid-volatile sulfide in sediments

A new. direct method for the determination of acid-volatile sulfide (AVS) i n sediments is presented. The method utilizes the direct reaction of Clines reagent with small amounts of sediment followed by colorimetric determinat ion of AVS and offers fast analysis times without the need for specialized glassware or equipment. A comparison between AVS measured by this method an d that measured by a purge-and-trap AVS method shows a linear relationship (r = 0.986, p < 0.001), although the method underestimates the AVS concentr ation measured by the purge-and-trap method. Sample throughput by the direc t AVS method is more than 10 times that of purge-and-trap methods. The appl icability of the direct AVS method to the rapid screening of AVS concentrat ions in sediments and for evaluating sediment quality with respect to metal contamination is demonstrated.