The YSI 6883 ammonium ISE sensor employs a silver/silver chloride (Ag/AgCl) wire electrode in a custom filling solution. Nonactin membrane separates the internal solution from the sample medium and this membrane selectively interacts with ammonium ions.
When the probe is immersed in water, a potential is established across the membrane that depends on the relative amounts of ammonium in the sample and the internal filling solution. This potential is read relative to the reference electrode of the sonde pH probe. As for all ISEs, there is a linear relationship between the logarithm of the ammonium activity (or concentration in dilute solution) and the observed voltage. The Nernst equation describes this relationship.