Development and certification of the new SRM 695 trace elements in multi-nutrient fertilizer

Area of Science:

• Environmental Chemistry
• Analytical Chemistry
• Agricultural Science

Background:

• Increasing regulatory limits on non-nutritive elements (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mo, Ni, Pb, Se, Zn) in fertilizers globally and within the US.
• Need for accurate analytical methods and validated results for fertilizer manufacturers and regulatory bodies.
• Lack of certified reference materials for multi-nutrient fertilizer matrices containing these elements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a new Standard Reference Material (SRM) 695 for trace elements in multi-nutrient fertilizer.
• To provide certified mass fraction values for seventeen elements, reference values for five, and information values for two.
• To support the accurate determination and verification of elemental limits in fertilizers.

Main Methods:

• Development and validation of a new acid-extraction inductively-coupled plasma optical-emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) method.
• Certification of mass fraction values for multiple trace elements in a blended, multi-nutrient fertilizer matrix.
• Analysis and reporting of percentage recovery for eight elements using the developed ICP-OES method.

Main Results:

• SRM 695 is now available with certified values for 17 elements, reference values for 5, and information values for 2.
• The certificate of analysis includes recovery data for 8 elements determined by ICP-OES.
• This SRM addresses the critical need for reliable reference materials in fertilizer analysis.

Conclusions:

• SRM 695 provides essential support for analytical laboratories and regulatory agencies.
• It facilitates compliance with increasingly stringent fertilizer element regulations.
• The availability of this reference material enhances the accuracy and reliability of fertilizer quality control.