Exploring a low-cost turbidimetric sensor for available potassium determination in soil.

Potassium (K) is among the macronutrients required for crop production and it is absorbed through plant roots from the soil solution. Replenishment of soil K is usually done by fertilizer application; therefore, it is crucial to know the amount of this nutrient that's available in the soil. There's very little literature reporting a turbidimetric method for K determination, and even less in soil samples.

Microwave-based strategies for sample preparation and halogen determination in blood using ICP-MS.

In this work, two microwave-assisted sample preparation methods based on combustion and ultraviolet digestion for futher determination of Br, Cl, and I in blood by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry were proposed. For microwave-induced combustion (MIC), blood was spotted on square pieces of Munktell TFN paper, and water and diluted NHOH were evaluated as absorbing solutions. The stability of the analytes in the spotted blood was also evaluated.

Ilex Paraguariensis exposition to As and Cd in a closed soilless system.

The exposition of mate (Ilex Paraguariensis A. St.-Hil.

Determination of toxic elements in yerba mate by ICP-MS after diluted acid digestion under O pressure.

In this work, a procedure allowing effective digestion of a high mass of yerba mate (up to 1500 mg) using diluted HNO in a system pressurized with oxygen, is proposed. Digests were suitable for direct analysis by ICP-MS, virtually free of interferences. Digestion was performed using 7 mol l HNO and 8 bar O.

Determination of cadmium and lead at sub-ppt level in soft drinks: An efficient combination between dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction and graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry.

A DLLME method for extraction and preconcentration of Cd and Pb from soft drinks and further determination by GF AAS was developed. Important parameters of DLLME such as the type and volume of dispersive and extraction solvents, concentration of DDTC (complexing agent) and pH were evaluated. Better results were obtained using 500μL of acetone for Cd and 700μL of acetonitrile for Pb as dispersive solvents, 60μL of CCl as extraction solvent for both analytes and 500μL of 1.