Mineral oil extraction of light filth from rubbed sage: collaborative study

The official methods for extracting light filth from rubbed sage, 44.D08--44.D10, specifies a hot isopropanol pretreatment and flotation from cooled dilute isopropanol with mineral oil to extract light filth. The method gives good recoveries, but occasionally excessive interfering plant material is extracted along with the filth elements. A new method has been developed in which chloroform is used for pretreatment instead of isopropanol, and Tween 80-EDTA is added twice rather than once. This method has given consistently cleaner filter papers and better recoveries for rodent hairs, 85 vs. 79%, and for elytral squares, 95 vs. 84%. The new method has been adopted as official first action.