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Separation of Organic and Inorganic Phosphorus in Soil Extracts by Mechanical and Chromatographic Filtration¹

ABSTRACT

Soil extracts containing organic and inorganic phosphorus were prepared by HCl-NaOH and HCl-NH₄OH techniques. The extracts were made 0.5N to HCl and were passed through columns of purified activated carbon to effect retention of the organic P by a combination of mechanical and chromatographic filtration. Inorganic P was removed by washing the columns with 0.5N HCl. The carbon was ashed, and the ash was analyzed for P to determine the amount of organic P retained. The organic P in the extracts was retained almost quantitatively by the carbon, and inorganic P was removed almost quantitatively. No competition of inorganic P with organic P for sorption by the carbon was observed. The quantity of carbon and the normality and volume of HCl wash solution were not critical. As compared with the traditional methods of difference employed for measuring soil organic P, the method of filtration has the advantage of requiring only a small correction for the P present in inorganic form, even where quantities of organic P of the order of 10 µg are accompanied by as much as 10⁴ µg of organic P.

¹ Journal Paper No. J-4957 of the Iowa Agr. and Home Econ. Exp. Sta., Ames. Project No. 1183. Contribution from the Department of Agronomy.

² Former Graduate Assistant and Professor. The senior author is now Assistant Soil Chemist, Citrus Experiment Station, University of Florida, Lake Alfred.

Received for publication October 19, 1964. Accepted for publication February 26, 1965.