Simultaneous routine determination of copper and zinc in plants by neutron-activation analysis

Abstract

Copper and zinc were determined simultaneously in plant leaves by neutron-activation analysis. After ashing the leaves, in the presence of copper and zinc carriers, with fuming nitric and 70 per cent. perchloric acids, the solution was evaporated almost to dryness. The residue was treated with 4 N hydrochloric acid and the solution transferred to an ion-exchange column containing Dowex 1 × 10, 100 to 200-mesh anion-exchange resin in 6 N hydrochloric acid. Copper and zinc were quantitatively eluted with 3 and 0·005 N hydrochloric acid, respectively. The radioactivity of each fraction of solution was counted in a multi-channel analyser by using the 0·51 and 0·44-MeV peak areas of copper-64 and zinc-69m, respectively. Copper and zinc contents have been obtained for different kinds of plant leaves.