Determination of aluminium phosphide (AlP) in fumigants by ICP OES

摘要

A method for determination of aluminium phosphide (AlP) in fumigants by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP OES) is presented. An 8 hour hydrolysis in water achieved complete decomposition of AlP, with the released PH3 being absorbed in a medium of KMnO4/H2SO4. The solution was treated with NH2OH center dot HCl to reduce the excess MnO4- and the PO43- so formed was quantitated as P by ICP OES based on external calibration using the P(I) 213.618 nm emission line. A detection limit (3s, n = 10) of 0.26 g/100 g AlP and an LOQ (10s, n = 10) of 0.85 g/100 g AlP were realized. Ten commercial samples of fumigants were analysed, providing results in agreement with specifications of similar to 55-60 g/100 g and concordant with values generated by a spectrophotometric method, as evidenced by a paired t-test (95% confidence limit). This simple procedure has been adopted by the Parana Institute of Technology - TECPAR (Curitiba, Brazil).