ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Comparison of digestion methods for determination of total phosphorus in river sediments

Jitka Malá and Marcela Lagová

Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Brno University of Technology, Veveri 331/95, 602 00, Brno, Czech Republic

E-mail: mala.j@fce.vutbr.cz

Abstract: In this study, four digestion methods used to determine total phosphorus in river sediments, including Na₂CO₃ fusion, the H₂SO₄ and H₂SO₄ + H₂O₂ methods and the SMT protocol were investigated. Interference effects of iron, calcium and organic matter in river sediments, and the substances contained in the digestion agents on the photometric determination of the phosphates were analysed. The digestion methods were tested on ten river sediment samples. Statistical analysis of the results showed significant differences between sample treatments relating to the mean total phosphorus concentration.

Keywords: sediments – total phosphorus – digestion methods – photometric determination – interferences

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.2478/s11696-014-0555-5

Chemical Papers 68 (8) 1015–1021 (2014)