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A stable discharge was produced in atmospheric air using water as a cathode. Spectral lines of elements dissolved in tap water could be observed. It is demonstrated that the appearance of these spectral lines is a consequence of cathode sputtering of water during the discharge. The intensity of the lines was found to depend strongly on the acidity of the water. This kind of discharge gives a possibility for continuous analysis of water and waste water solutions.
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Cserfalvi et al. (1993) studied this question.
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