This document specifies the method for the digestion of different plant biostimulants with aqua regia to enable a subsequent determination of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), chromium (Cr), mercury (Hg), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn). The method can be also applied for determination of other elements. The method is applicable for all solid and/or liquid plant biostimulants.
This document is applicable to the blends of fertilizing products where a blend is a mix of at least two of the following component EU fertilising products categories: Fertilizers, Liming Materials, Soil Improvers, Growing Media, Inhibitors, Plant Biostimulants, and where the following category Plant Biostimulants is the highest % in the blend by mass or volume, or in the case of liquid form by dry mass. If Plant Biostimulants is not the highest % in the blend, the European Standard for the highest % of the blend applies. In case a blend of fertilizing products is composed of components in equal quantity or in case the component EU fertilising products used for the blend have identical formulations , the user decides which standard to apply.
The digests are suitable for analysis using EN 17701-2:2024 (ICP-AES) and EN 17701-3:2024 (Hg analysis).
NOTE Alternatively, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) can be used for the determination of the elements in the aqua regia digests if the user proves that the method gives the same results.
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