Determination of iron in natural waters and plant material with 1,10-phenanthroline by flow injection analysis

Abstract

A flow injection analysis procedure for the determination of total iron in natural waters and plant digests by the 1,10-phenanthroline method is described. Effects of mixing-coil lengths, sample volume, flow-rates, reagent concentrations and interfering species were investigated. The proposed procedure allows the determination of iron concentrations in the range 0.1–30 p.p.m. at a rate of up to 180 samples per hour with a relative standard deviation of lower than 1%. The results agree with those obtained by atomicabsorption spectrometry, and an iron concentration identical with the certified value was found by analysis of an NBS standard reference material.