Sealed Chamber Digestion for Plant Nutrient Analyses¹

Abstract

Abstract A sealed chamber digestion (SCD), using perchloric acid and hydrogen peroxide, was developed as an alternative to conventional procedures for plant tissue digestion. The SCD procedure was evaluated using eight plant tissue standards obtained from the National Bureau of Standards, University of Georgia, and the University of Florida. The results of the SCD did not differ greatly from reported standard values. The advantages of SCD are (i) the low volume of reagents used and the ability to utilize low volume dilutions, (ii) low temperature of digestion, (iii) use of a closed system eliminating the need for a fume hood, (iv) micro‐sample analyses capabilities, (v) minimal equipment investment, and (vi) simplicity.