EXTRACTABLE SULFATE-SULFUR, TOTAL SULFUR AND TRACE-ELEMENT DETERMINATIONS IN PLANT-MATERIAL BY FLOW-INJECTION ANALYSIS .2. TOTAL SULFUR AND COPPER, ZINC, MANGANESE AND IRON IN PLANT-MATERIAL

A rapid, accurate and reproducible procedure for determining total sulphur(S) and trace elements (copper, zinc, manganese and iron) in plant material is described. Plant material is digested in culture tubes with a mixture of nitric and perchloric acids containing ammonium metavanadate and calcium chloride. In the acid digest, concentrations of total-S as sulphate are determined by turbidimetry and trace-elements by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry using flow injection analysis. The results for a range of plant materials compare well with those obtained by conventional procedures for the same elements. The microprocessor controlled digestion and multi-element assay procedure described here offers improved laboratory efficiencies in materials, time and cost effectiveness. The techniques should be particularly useful when plant tissues are in limited supply. © 1990, Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. All rights reserved.