Inorganic fertilizers and liming materials - Determination of specific elements - Determination of cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, nickel and zinc by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) after aqua regia dissolution

This document specifies a method for the determination of the content of cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, nickel and zinc in fertilizers and liming materials using inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) after aqua regia dissolution. Limits of quantification are dependent on the sample matrix as well as on the instrument, but can roughly be expected to be 0,3 mg/kg for Cd and 1 mg/kg for Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn. This document is applicable to the fertilizing products blends where a blend is a mix of at least two of the following components: fertilizers, liming materials, soil improvers, growing media, inhibitors, plant biostimulants and where the following category: inorganic fertilizers and liming materials is the highest % in the blend by mass or volume, or in the case of liquid form by dry mass. If inorganic fertilizers and liming materials is not the highest % in the blend, the European Standard for the highest % of the blend applies. In case a fertilizing product blend is composed of components in equal quantity, the user decides which standard to apply. NOTE 1 The term fertilizer is used throughout this document and needs to be taken to include liming materials unless otherwise indicated. NOTE 2 Dissolution by aqua regia is equivalent to digestion and extract and digest are equivalent terms in this sense for the purposes of this standard.