Simultaneous Determination of Total Nitrogen and Metal Elements in Tobaccos by High Performance Ion Chromatography

A simple method, developed primarily for simultaneous determination of total nitrogen and inorganic cations by high performance ion chromatographic (HPIC), was optimized for digestion of flue‐cured tobaccos, and compared with the traditional Kjeldahl method and atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). Nitrogen determination by either Dumas method or Kjeldahl method is time‐consuming and tedious. Metal elements determination by either inductively coupled plasma‐mass spectrometry (ICP‐MS) or AAS may be more expensive and requires specialist equipment. The use of HPIC to simultaneous determine total nitrogen as ammonium ion and metal elements as inorganic cations after sample digestion significantly improves the speed of the analysis compared with the conventional methods. The cation‐exchange column and suppressed conductivity detector was used for determination of ammonium and inorganic cations in the presence of the elevated levels of sulfuric acid found in digested sample. The propsoed digestion method was accurate and precise, and required little investment. The determination of ammonium and inorganic cations was linear from 15 pg·L^?1 up to 25 ng·L^?1. The results obtained by the HPIC method were compared with those for the conventional methods approach for the determination of total nitrogen and metal elements. The application of the HPIC method is also demonstrated for a variety of other plant samples matrices.     

Determination of ammonium in Kjeldahl digests by gas-diffusion flow-injection analysis with a bulk acoustic wave-impedance sensor

A novel flow-injection analysis (FIA) system has been developed for the rapid and direct determination of ammonium in Kjeldahl digests. The method is based on diffusion of ammonia across a PTFE gas-permeable membrane from an alkaline (NaOH/EDTA) stream into a stream of diluted boric acid. The trapped ammonium in the acceptor is determined on line by a bulk acoustic wave (BAW)-impedance sensor and the signal is proportional to the ammonium concentration present in the digests. The proposed system exhibits a favorable frequency response to 5.0 x 10(-6)-4.0 x 10(-3) mol l(-1) ammonium with a detection limit of 1.0 x 10(-6) mol l(-1), and the precision was better than 1% (RSD) for 0.025-1.0 mM ammonium at a through-put of 45-50 samples h(-1). Results obtained for nitrogen determination in amino acids and for proteins determination in blood products are in good agreement with those obtained by the conventional distillation/titration method, respectively. The effects of composition of acceptor stream, cell constant of conductivity electrode, sample volume, flow rates and potential interferents on the FIA signals were discussed in detail.     

Inter-laboratory comparison of the chemical analysis of silicon nitride

Summary The results of a round robin for the determination of nitrogen, oxygen and carbon and the common metallic impurities like Al, Ca, Fe, Mg and Na in silicon nitride are reported. The following analytical methods have been tested: nitrogen by acid decomposition under pressure followed by Kjeldahl distillation; oxygen by carrier-gas hot extraction; carbon by combustion in oxygen and infrared detection; metallic impurities after acid decomposition under pressure and evaporation of silicon fluoride by AAS or ICP-OES.     

Determination of the total nitrogen content of hard, semihard, and processed cheese by the Kjeldahl method: collaborative study

The objective of this collaborative study was to determine interlaboratory performance statistics for a modified and optimized version of AOAC Method 920.123 for the determination of the total nitrogen content of hard, semihard, and processed cheese by Kjeldahl analysis. Details included addressing the issues of material homogeneity, test portion size (1 g), quantitative transfer (weighing on to filter paper), ensuring system suitability (nitrogen recoveries), and using AOAC Method 991.20 as the basis for nitrogen analysis. Fifteen laboratories tested 18 pairs of blind duplicate cheese materials with a crude protein content between 18 and 36%. Materials represented hard, semihard, and processed commercial cheeses with a wide range of composition. Statistical performance parameters expressed as crude protein (nitrogen x 6.38), g/100 g, with invalid and outlier data removed were mean = 26.461, repeatability standard deviation (Sr) 0.111, reproducibility standard deviation (S(R)) = 0.153, repeatability relative standard deviation (RSDr) = 0.42%, reproducibility relative standard deviation (RSDR) = 0.58%, repeatability (r) = 0.312, and reproducibility (R) = 0.428. The interlaboratory study results were acceptable and comparable to those for the milk Kjeldahl nitrogen method on a relative nitrogen basis. The Study Directors recommend that this modified method for the determination of total nitrogen in hard, semihard, and processed cheese by Kjeldahl analysis be adopted First Action as an improved method to replace Method 920.123.     

Micelle mediated extraction of titanium and its ultra-trace determination in silicate rocks

A highly sensitive method for extractive spectrophotometric determination of titanium in silicate rocks is described. Titanium in the range 0-10 microg as TiO2 is extracted into benzene or toluene by the formation of a ternary complex of the metal with thiocyanate (SCN-) and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTA) in the ratio 1:2:2. A deep yellowish-orange ternary complex thus formed is suitable for the determination of titanium at wavelength 421 nm. The optimum colour intensity of this ternary complex was attained when the complex was extracted from an aqueous solution having concentrations of thiocyanate and HCl, in the range, 1.5-2.5 and 1-5 mol L(-1), respectively. The molar absorptivity and Sandell's sensitivity of the extracted species were found to be 1.1-1.0x10(5) L mol(-1) cm(-1) and 0.47 ng cm(-2) (referred to titanium), respectively, at lambda(max) of 421 nm. Except Fe3+, Nb5+ and V5+, no interference was encountered in the estimation of titanium. While up to 10 mg L(-1) Nb and V did not interfere in the determination of titanium, the interference of Fe(3+) was eliminated by reducing it to Fe2+ using SnCl2 solution. The method is highly sensitive and selective. The results obtained for titanium estimation in a host of silicate rock samples have been found to be highly reproducible, accurate and favourably comparable with certified values of reference materials and those obtained from standard methods.     

A rapid method for the determination of organic nitrogen and phosphorus based on a single perchloric acid digestion

Results of nitrogen determinations obtained by perchloric acid digestion of organic matter under reflux were found to be equivalent to those obtained by the conventional sulfuric acid Kjeldahl method. A rapid determination of nitrogen and phosphorus was thus possible after a single perchloric acid digestion. Nitrogen was determined by nesslerization and phosphorus by a conventional molybdenum blue technique. The method devised was found satisfactory for a great variety of natural products and pure organic compounds, including materials containing all kinds of tertiary nitrogen.     

Repeatability and reproducibility of determination of the nitrogen content of fishmeal by the combustion (Dumas) method and comparison with the Kjeldahl method: interlaboratory study

Ten fishmeal samples (hidden duplicates of 4 meals plus 2 high-protein meals as a Youden pair), tryptophan, and nicotinic acid were analyzed by 18 laboratories using the Dumas method. Thirteen of the laboratories also analyzed the same 12 samples using their current Kjeldahl method. Recoveries (+/-SR) of tryptophan and nicotinic acid were 99.3+/-1.04 and 98.8+/-2.11% by Dumas and 97.1+/-3.03 and 74.6+/-26.76% by Kjeldahl. The Dumas method gave significantly greater values (P < 0.001) than the Kjeldahl method. For fishmeals, Kjeldahl N = 0.989 of Dumas N (P < 0.001). A similar proportionate difference (0.984 of Dumas N) was observed with tryptophan. Most laboratories failed to determine nicotinic acid correctly by Kjeldahl. For fishmeals, the relative standard deviations for repeatability and reproducibility were for Dumas 1.48 and 2.01% and Kjeldahl 1.62 and 2.37%, respectively. A single analysis conducted in 2 laboratories should not differ by more than 5.63% of the mean value when measured by Dumas or by more than 6.64% by Kjeldahl. It is concluded that with fishmeal, Dumas gives a more reliable measure of organic nitrogen than Kjeldahl, and, therefore, Dumas should be the method of choice.     

Surfactant-mediated extraction of iron and its spectrophotometric determination in rocks, minerals, soils, stream sediments and water samples

An extraction spectrophotometric method for iron determination in rocks, minerals, soils, stream sediments and water samples has been developed. At pH 3-4, iron (III) forms a 1:2:1 ternary complex with thiocyanate and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (Fe/SCN/CTAB) which is extracted into ethyl acetate. The readily formed purple complex is suitable for extraction spectrophotometric determination of iron in rocks and related materials from submicrogram to milligram levels. The method is free from any interference due to commonly associated ions present in the matrices of rock samples. The present method is at least fourfold more sensitive (ε=3.2×10⁴ l mol⁻¹ cm⁻¹) than the conventional thiocyanate method and, in addition to the enhanced sensitivity and selectivity, it has got definite advantages over the corresponding binary thiocyanate system in terms of substantial improvement in the stability of the complex formed and broadening of Beer's law adherence range (0-6.0 mg/l). The method has been applied to a number of geological and hydrogeochemical samples for the determination of iron and the results obtained have been found to be favourably comparable with those obtained from the standard methods.     

Bestimmung von stickstoff in refraktärmetallen—I molybdän und wolfram

This is a report on round-robin tests concerning the determination of nitrogen traces in molybdenum and tungsten, which were carried out by the refractory metals group of the chemistry section of the Gesellschaft Deutscher Metallhütten- und Bergleute. The following methods were used: classical and modified Kieldahl methods (in particular, a newly developed micro-Kjeldahl method), inert-gas fusion, vacuum fusion and ultrahigh-vacuum diffusion extraction. As the nitrogen values obtained by the first round-robin test exhibited considerable scatter, possible shortcomings of the various Kjeldahl methods, as well as the quantitative nitrogen recovery by the extraction methods, were carefully examined. The second round-robin test then gave the following results: the nitrogen content of the investigated molybdenum sheet was 2 ppm, the content of the tungsten sheet 0.5 ppm. Classical Kjeldahl methods are not applicable to the determination of nitrogen contents below 10 ppm. Frequently, detection limits of Kjeldahl methods range considerably above 10 ppm, mainly because of contamination by reagents and/or the laboratory atmosphere. The micro-Kjeldahl method and the hot-extraction and fusion-extraction methods are capable of determining nitrogen contents down to 1 ppm at best. The only method available for nitrogen determinations in metals at sub-ppm levels is by ultrahigh-vacuum diffusion extraction. The good agreement between the nitrogen values obtained for molybdenum by the micro-Kjeldahl method and by the various extraction methods is the most reliable proof of the quantitative nitrogen recovery by the extraction methods.     

Diffusion technique for 15N and inorganic N analysis of low-N aqueous solutions and Kjeldahl digests

Diffusion of ammonia is a common sample preparation method for the stable isotope analysis of inorganic nitrogen in aqueous solution. Classical diffusion methods usually require 6-12 days of diffusion and often focus on (15)N/(14)N analysis only. More recent studies have discussed whether complete N recovery was necessary for the precise analysis of stable N isotope ratios. In this paper we present a newly revised diffusion technique that allows correct and simultaneous determination of total N and (15)N at% from aqueous solutions and Kjeldahl digests, with N concentrations down to sub-0.5-mg N L(-1) levels, and it is tested under different conditions of (15)N isotope labelling. With the modification described, the diffusion time was reduced to 72 h, while the ratios of measured and expected (15)N at% were greater than 99% and the simultaneous recovery of total N was >95%. Analysis of soil microbial biomass N and its (15)N/(14)N ratio is one of the most important applications of this diffusion technique. An experiment with soil extracts spiked with (15)N-labelled yeast showed that predigestion was necessary to prevent serious N loss during Kjeldahl digestion of aqueous samples (i.e. soil extracts). The whole method of soil microbial biomass N preparation for (15)N/(14)N analysis included chloroform fumigation, predigestion, Kjeldahl digestion and diffusion. An experiment with soil spiked with (15)N-labelled yeast was carried out to evaluate the method. Results showed a highly significant correlation of recovered and added N, with the same recovery rate (0.21) of both total N and (15)N. A k(N) value of 0.25 was obtained based on the data. In conclusion, the diffusion method works for soil extracts and microbial biomass N determination and hence could be useful in many types of soil/water studies.     

Simultaneous determination of N,N-dimethylaniline and phenol in wastewater by high-performance liquid chromatography with chemiluminescence detection.

A method using HPLC-CL linkage was developed for simultaneous determination of N,N-dimethylaniline and phenol in wastewater, based on the strong sensitive chemiluminescence of the luminol-K3Fe(CN)6 systems in alkaline medium. The separation was carried out on a Hypersil ODS column with a mobile phase of ethanol-0.01% triethylamine (2:1, v/v). The linear ranges for N,N-dimethylaniline determinations were 2.0 x 10(-7) - 2.5 x 10(-5) g/mL and 4.0 x 10(-5) - 1.5 x 10(-4) g/mL with a detection limit (3sigma) of 1.20 x 10(-8) g/mL; the relative standard deviation (3sigma) for 5.0 x 10(-6) g/mL N,N-dimethylaniline was 1.4% (n = 6). The range for phenol was from 5.1 x 10(-7) to 1.3 x 10(-4) g/mL, and a detection limit (3sigma) of 2.5 x 10(-8) g/mL could be obtained. The method can be useful for the determination of N,N-dimethylaniline and phenol in some environmental samples.     

Identical flow injection spectrophotometric manifold for determination of protein, phosphorus, calcium, chloride, copper, manganese, iron, and zinc in feeds or premixes

A simple procedure using an identical manifold was developed for determination of nitrogen (protein) phosphorus, calcium, chloride, copper, manganese, iron, and zinc in feeds and feedstuffs. By changing appropriate reagents and detection wavelength, these 8 elements were determined successively with a simple identical double-line flow injection (FI) manifold. Fl spectrophotometric determinations were made by the blue indophenol reaction for ammonium, the molybdenum blue method for phosphate, the cresolphthalein complexone procedure for calcium, and the mercuric thiocyanate procedure for chloride. The chromogenic reagents for copper, iron, manganese, and zinc determination were bis(cyclohexanone)oxalydihydrazone (Cuprizone), 1,10-phenanthroline, formaldoxime, and xylenol orange, respectively. Sample digestion catalyst, Fl manifold, and some chemical parameters were optimized. The proposed procedure had a sampling rate of 90/h for each analyte. The determination ranges (mg/L) were 10-60 for N, 1-15 for P and Ca, 540 for Cl, and 0.5-15 for Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn, respectively. Results of the analyses of animal feed and feedstuff samples by this procedure did not differ significantly from those obtained by proven manual methods.     

Nouveau dosage volumétrique du cuivre au moyen du dichromate

A method for the determination of copper by cuprous thiocyanate is described. This is effected by reacting with ferric sulphate: 3CuCNS +2Fe(S0₄)₃→Fe(CNS)₃ + 3FeSO₄ + 3CuSO₄The determination of Fe′ with dichromate in presence of thiocyanate by means of mercuric sulphate or nitrate was first investigated, and when this had been established, the Fe′ produced according to the above reaction (and which is stoichiometrically equivalent to the amount of copper present), was determined. Very satisfactory results were obtained.     

Ion chromatographic analysis of cyanate in gold processing samples containing large concentrations of copper(I) and other metallocyanide complexes

An ion chromatographic (IC) method was developed for the determination of cyanate in gold cyanidation samples containing large concentrations of metallo-cyanide complexes. The analysis was performed on a Waters HC IC-Pak A anion-exchange column with an anthranilic acid eluent, with detection achieved using indirect UV at 355 nm. Two procedures were developed for removal of the metallo-cyanide complexes prior to the IC analysis. The first was a manual off-line method which used solid-phase extraction cartridges containing a strong anion-exchange resin to trap the complexes and to then enable determination of cyanate without interference. In the second approach, an automated on-line method was developed which used an anion-exchange guard column to trap the complexes and a column switching valve to allow backflushing of the cyanate from the guard column. This enabled the total analysis to be performed in a time of 10–14 min, depending on the sample composition. Finally, a comparison of results obtained by the standard Kjeldahl nitrogen method for cyanate and the IC method revealed an interference in the Kjeldahl method for samples containing large concentrations of Cu(I)-cyanide complexes.     

Complexation equilibria and spectrophotometric determination of iron(III) with resorcylic acid

The complexation equilibria of Fe(III) with resorcylic acid (2,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid, DHB) were studied spectrophotometrically in ethanol-water (4 + 6, v/v) at an ionic strength of 0.1 M NaClO4. The complexation reactions were demonstrated and characterized. A simple, rapid, and sensitive method based on the formation of the Fe(III)-DHB complex at pH 2.5 (lambdamax = 520 nm, epsilon = 0.8 x 10(4) L/mol x cm) was developed for the spectrophotometric determination of Fe(III). The effect of diverse ions on the sensitivity of the proposed method was studied. The Fe-DHB complex was isolated and characterized by both elemental analysis and infrared spectroscopy. The thermal behavior of the complex in dynamic nitrogen gas was studied by thermogravimetric and differential thermogravimetric analysis. Thermal events encountered throughout the course of decomposition were monitored. A computer program was used for regression analysis and for determination of kinetic and thermodynamic parameters from experimental nonisothermal thermogravimetric data. The proposed method was tested by determinations of iron in various synthetic samples and Portland cement materials.     

Simultaneous spectrophotometric determination of cyanide and thiocyanate after separation on a melamine-formaldehyde resin

A simple indirect spectrophotometric method for the determination of cyanide, based on the oxidation of the cyanide with chlorine (Cl(2)) is described. The residual chlorine is determined by the color reaction with o-tolidine (3,3'-dimethylbenzidine). The maximum absorbance for Cl(2) is at 437 nm. A linear calibration graph (0-4.0x10(-5) M CN(-)) is obtained under optimal reaction conditions at room temperature and pH 11-12. The stoichiometric mole ratio of chlorine to cyanide is 1:1. The effective molar absorptivity for cyanide is 5.87x10(4) l mol(-1) cm(-1) at pH 1.6. The limit of quantification (LOQ) is 3.6x10(-7) M or 9.4 ppb. Effects of pH, excess reagent, sensitivity, reaction time and tolerance limits of interferent ions are reported. The method was applied to the determination of cyanide in a real sample. The basic interferent usually accompanying CN(-), i.e. thiocyanate, is separated from cyanide by sorption on a melamine-formaldehyde resin at pH 9 while cyanide is not retained. Thiocyanate is eluted with 0.4 M NaOH from the column and determined spectrophotometrically using the acidic FeCl(3) reagent. The initial column effluent containing cyanide was analyzed by both the developed chlorine-o-tolidine method and the conventional barbituric acid-pyridine (Spectroquant 14800) procedure, and the results were statistically compared. The developed method is relatively inexpensive and less laborious than the standard (Spectroquant) procedure, and insensitive to the common interferent, cyanate (CNO(-)).     

Sequential injection system for on-line analysis of total nitrogen with UV-mineralization

An automatic method for the determination of total nitrogen in wastewater by sequential injection analysis and mineralization with UV radiation has been developed. The method is based on the mineralization of the samples with sodium persulphate in basic medium under UV radiation. Small volumes of sample and reagents are firstly aspirated into a single channel and then propelled by flow reversal to the UV reactor and then to the detector. The organic and inorganic nitrogen compounds are oxidized to nitrate that is then measured at 226 nm. The sequential injection procedure has been optimized and the factors affecting the efficiency of the oxidation have been studied with a number of test substances with different chemical structures and properties. Solutions in the concentration range 1-56 g l⁻¹ of nitrogen can be analyzed with the described procedure. The sample rate is of 30-40 samples h⁻¹. The LOD is 0.6 mg l⁻¹ N and the reproducibility is 1.8% (28 mg l⁻¹ N). Organic carbon in the form of glucose was added to a number of test solutions to study the potential interference of organic matter.The method was compared with the Kjeldahl digestion method by analyzing 15 wastewater samples with both methods. The nitrate and nitrite content of the non-oxidized samples were subtracted from the corresponding nitrogen content determined after photo-oxidation and the value compared with the Kjeldahl nitrogen content.     

The use of 3-(2-pyridyl)-5,6-diphenyl-1,2,4-triazine as a precolumn derivatizing reagent in HPLC determination for Fe(II) in natural samples.

3-(2-Pyridyl)-5,6-diphenyl-1,2,4-triazine (PDT) was used for the first time as a precolumn derivatizing reagent in the high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method with UV absorbance detection for the Fe(II) determination. The Fe(II) reacts with PDT to form a magenta colored chelate in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and acetic acid-sodium acetate buffer solution medium of pH 4.65. The selection of maximum absorbance detection wavelength and the optimum composition of the organic modifier in the mobile phase were investigated in detail for the quantitative determination of Fe(II) using HPLC system. The formed Fe(II)-PDT chelate was satisfactorily separated from PDT on an Agilent Shim-pack ODS column (Eclipse XDB-C8, 4.6 x 150 mm) by isocratic elution with acetonitrile and 0.02 mol L(-1) acetic acid-sodium acetate buffer solution (pH 4.65, containing 0.02% of SDS and 60 x 10(-3) mol L(-1) NaClO(4)) as mobile phase at a flow rate of 1 mL min(-1), and monitored with a multiple wavelength detector. The detection limit (S/N = 3) is 0.35 ng mL(-1). Due to the excellent separation ability of HPLC, the innovative introduction of PDT as the precolumn derivatizing reagent, and the proper selection of the detect wavelength, the sensitivity of our newly developed HPLC method was enhanced remarkably compared to those of the common spectrophotometric methods. The developed HPLC method was successfully applied to the determination of Fe(II) in lake water samples.     

Indirect determination of thiocyanate with ammonium sulfate and ethanol by extraction-flotation of copper

A new method for the indirect determination of thiocyanate with ammonium sulfate and ethanol by extraction-flotation of copper in the presence of ascorbic acid is described. A small amount of Cu(II) is reduced to Cu(I) by ascorbic acid, then Cu(I) is precipitated with SCN-. In the course of phase separation of ethanol from water, the precipitated CuSCN stays in the interface of ethanol and water. A good linear relationship is observed between the flotation yield of Cu(II) and the amount of SCN-. Using 1.0 ml of 1 x 10(-3) M ascorbic acid solution, 50 micrograms of Cu(II), 3.5 g of (NH4)2SO4 and 3.0 ml of ethanol with a total volume of 10 ml, the concentration of thiocyanate could then be determined by determining the flotation yield of Cu(II). The detection limit for thiocyanate is 5 x 10(-5) M. Every parameter was optimized and the reaction mechanism was studied. The method is simple and rapid and it was successfully applied to the determination of thiocyanate in urine and saliva of smokers and non-smokers and in venous blood of patients infused with sodium nitroprusside.     

Analysis of thiocyanate in biological fluids by capillary zone electrophoresis

A new sensitive and simple method has been developed for the determination of thiocyanate in human serum, urine and saliva. The determinations were performed in a fused-silica capillary [64.5 cm (56 cm effective length) x 75 microm] using 0.1 M beta-alanine-HCl (pH 3.50) as a background electrolyte, separation voltage 18 kV (negative polarity), temperature of capillary 25 degrees C and direct detection at 200 nm. Serum samples were 10-times diluted with deionised water and deproteinised with acetonitrile in the ratio 1:2. Urine and saliva samples need only 20-fold dilution with deionised water. The proposed method was successfully applied to the determination of thiocyanate in various human serum, saliva and urine samples.