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Simultaneous Determination of Total Sodium, Potassium, Magnesium, and Calcium in Plant Tissues Using Acid Digestion and Ion Chromatography
Author(s) -
Goyal Sham S.,
Hafez Ahmed A. R,
Rains Donald W.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
agronomy journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.752
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1435-0645
pISSN - 0002-1962
DOI - 10.2134/agronj1993.00021962008500060019x
Subject(s) - chemistry , nitric acid , column chromatography , atomic absorption spectroscopy , potassium , sodium , ion chromatography , detection limit , magnesium , perchloric acid , spectrophotometry , chromatography , analyte , acetonitrile , analytical chemistry (journal) , inorganic chemistry , organic chemistry , quantum mechanics , physics
Sodium, K, Mg, and Ca in plant tissue were measured by single column ion chromatography (SCIC) as an alternative to traditional methods such as atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS) or inductively coupled plasma–atomic emission spectrophotometry (ICPAES). Interference of the NH 4 peak on the Na peak in SCIC was eliminated by removal of NH 4 ions by drying the nitric‐perchloric acid plant digest at 350 °C. Cations were separated using an IC‐Pack CM/D column with 0.1 m M EDTA + 3 m M HNO 3 as eluent. Inclusion of 10% (v/v, = 1.89 M ) acetonitrile in the eluent shortened the retention time of divalent cations by 22% compared with the time without acetonitrile. The Na, K, Mg, and Ca content of plant samples analyzed with this technique agreed closely with certified values provided by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The lower limit of detection of SCIC for Na, K, Mg, and Ca were 0.05, 0.2, 0.025, and 0.05 mg L −1 , respectively, using a 100‐ μ L sample. The response of peak areas as a function of solute concentration was linear up to 10 mg L −1 of each cation. The SCIC method was cheaper than AAS or ICP, and faster than AAS, mainly due to simultaneous analyses of all four cations. SCIC did not generate hazardous and toxic waste and thus did not require special disposal procedures.