Abstract:
A method for determining zinc in plant material by atomic absorption spectroscopy has been developed. The proposed method utilizes .1 N HCl-99% methanol as the solvent system and is consistent with the requirements for easy sample preparation and for the determination of other trace metals in the same solution. The accuracy of the results obtained by the proposed method was compared to the results obtained for identical samples as determined by the official colorimetric method of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists. The results obtained by each method compared favorably. The proposed AAS method yielded a sensitivity of 12 ppb as compared to 38 ppb for the AOAC method. The time of analysis by the proposed AAS method is significantly shorter than that required for the AOAC colorimetric method.
