This manual is intended for the practising chemist who has to do a job in analysing plant material. Therefore, the present manual only contains ready-to-hand procedures without any comment. The procedures described are only for inorganic components, which frequently occur in the plant. Most procedures are designed to give a total content value of the element under consideration, regardless of the chemical structure in which it occurs in the plant.

We have chosen for a design in which all digestion procedures are described in one chapter, all extraction procedures in one chapter and all determination procedures in one chapter. As a consequence, one has to choose a suitable digestion method in combination with the intended determination technique; this has been indicated within each individual determination procedure.

For determination of the elements, mainly spectrometric techniques are used here. Depending on the kind of element and the expected concentration level, the following methods are applied: flame atomic emission spectrometry (flame AES), flame atomic absorption spectrometry (flame AAS), inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), electrothermal atomisation (graphite furnace) atomic absorption spectrometry (ETA-AAS), inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), spectrophotometry and segmented flow analysis (SFA). Besides, potentiometry (ion selective electrodes (ISE)) and coulometry will be encountered. In many cases, more than one method is described to determine a component. This provides a reference, as well as an alternative in case of instrumental or analytical problems.

Inhalt

Preface.- 1. Introduction.- 1.1 Organisation Of This Manual. 1.2 Technical Remarks. 1.3 Sampling And Pretreatment. 2. Digestions.- 2.1 Digestion In Tubes With H2SO4 - Salicylic Acid - H2O2 And Selenium. For the determination of total Ca, K, Mg, Mn, N, N, Na, P and Zn. 2.2 Digestion In Flasks With H2SO4 - Salicylic Acid - H2O2. For the determination of total Ca, K, Mg, Mn, N, Na, P, and Zn. 2.3 Microwave Digestion With HNO3 - H2O2 - HF. For the determination of total Al, As, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, P, Pb, S, Sb, Sn, V and Zn. 2.4 Digestion With HNO3 - H2O2 - HF.- For the determination of total Al, As, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, P, Pb, S, Sb, Sn, V and Zn. 2.5 Digestion With HNO3.- For the determination of total S. 2.6 Digestion With HNO3 - HCLO4 - H2SO4.- For the determination of total Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn. 2.7 Digestion By Dry-Ashing Followed By Treatment With HF.-For the determination of total Al, As, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, P, Pb, S, Sb, Sn, V and Zn. 2.8 Digestion By Dry-Ashing In The Presence Of CAO. For the determination of total B. 3. Extractions.- 3.1 Extraction With Water. For the determination of Cl-, NO2-, NO3- and SO42- 3.2 Extraction With HF - HCL. For the determination of total B and Si. 4. Determinations.- 4.1 Determination Of Aluminium.- 4.1.A Determination Of Aluminium By Spectrophotometry. 4.1.B Determination Of Aluminium By ICP-OES. 4.1.C Determination Of Aluminium By ICP-MS. 4.2 Determination Of Arsenic.- 4.2.A Determination Of Arsenic By ICP-MS. 4.3 Determination Of Boron.- 4.3.A Determination Of Boron By Spectrophotometry. 4.3.B Determination Of Boron By ICP-OES. 4.4 Determination Of Calcium.- 4.4.A Determination Of Calcium By Flame AES. 4.4.B Determination Of Calcium By Flame AAS. 4.4.C Determination Of Calcium By ICP-OES. 4.5 Determination Of Cadmium.- 4.5.A Determination Of Cadmium By Flame AAS. 4.5.B Determination Of Cadmium By ICP-OES. 4.5.C Determination Of Cadmium By ETA-AAS. 4.5.D Determination Of Cadmium By ICP-MS. 4.6 Determination Of Chloride.- 4.6.A Determination Of Chloride By Coulometric Titration. 4.7 Determination Of Cobalt.- 4.7.A Determination Of Cobalt By ICP-OES. 4.7.B Determination Of Cobalt By ICP-MS. 4.8 Determination Of Chromium.- 4.8.A Determination Of Chromium By ICP-OES. 4.8.B Determination Of Chromium By ICP-MS. 4.9 Determination Of Copper.- 4.9.A Determination Of Copper By Flame AAS. 4.9.B Determination Of Copper By ICP-OES. 4.9.C Determination Of Copper By ETA-AAS. 4.9.D Determination Of Copper By ICP-MS. 4.10 Determination Of Iron.- 4.10.A Determination Of Iron By Flame AAS. 4.10.B Determination Of Iron By ICP-OES. 4.11 Determination Of Potassium.- 4.11.A Determination Of Potassium By Flame AES. 4.11.B Determination Of Potassium By ICP-OES. 4.12 Determination Of Magnesium.- 4.12.A Determination Of Magnesium By Flame AAS. 4.12.B Determination Of Magnesium By ICP-OES. 4.13 Determination Of Manganese.- 4.13.A Determination Of Manganese By Flame AAS. 4.13.B Determination Of Manganese By ICP-OES. 4.13.C Determination Of Manganese By ICP-MS. 4.14 Determination Of Nitrogen Fractions.- 4.14.A Determination Of Total Nitrogen By Spectrophotometry. 4.14.B Determination Of Total Nitrogen By SFA. 4.14.C Determination Of Nitrate (+ Nitrite) By SFA. 4.14.D Determination Of Nitrate-Nitrogen By ISE. 4.14.E Determination Of Nitrite By SFA. 4.15 Determination Of Sodium.- 4.15.A Determination Of Sodium By Flame AES. 4.15.B Determination Of Sodium By ICP-OES. 4.16 Determination Of Nickel.- 4.16.A Determination Of Nickel By Flame AAS. 4.16.B Determination Of Nickel By Flame AAS. 4.16.C Determination Of Nickel By ICP-MS. 4.17 Determination Of Phosphorus.- 4.17.A Determination Of Total Phosphorus By Spectrophotometry. 4.17.B Determination Of Total Phosphorus By SFA. 4.17.C Determination Of Total Phosphorus By ICP-OES. 4.18 Determination Of Lead.- 4.18.A Determination Of Lead By Flame AAS. 4.18.B Determination Of Lead By ICP-OES. 4.18.C Determination Of Lead By ETA-AAS. 4.18.D Determination Of Lead By ICP-MS. 4.19 Determination Of Sulphur Fractions.- 4.19.A Determination Of Total Sulphur By ICP-OES. 4.19.B Determination Of Sulphate By ICP-OES. 4.20 Determination Of Antimony.- 4.20.A Determination Of Antimony By ICP-MS. 4.21 Determination Of Silicon.- 4.21.A Determination Of Silicon By ICP-OES. 4.22 Determination Of Tin.- 4.22.A Determination Of Tin By ICP-MS. 4.23 Determination Of Vanadium.- 4.23.A Determination Of Vanadium By ICP-MS. 4.24 Determination Of Zinc.- 4.24.A Determination Of Zinc By Flame AAS. 4.24.B Determination Of Zinc By ICP-OES. 4.24.C Determination Of Zinc By ICP-MS.