False Oxygen Consumption Effect and Factors Causing It

Abstract

False oxygen consumption effect characterized by a decrease of the polarographic sensor readings by the introduction of neutral microadditives into the incubation medium was modeled and tested. These neutral microadditives neither consume oxygen nor cause its consumption by other components of the medium. It is shown that microadditives less than 3% of the volume of incubation medium can cause statistically significant effect of false oxygen consumption more than 4% of the initial oxygen content. The effect can reach more than 15% at higher volumes of additives. The most important properties of additives enhancing the effect are low oxygen content, low temperature, and low concentration of oxygen salting out components.