Gas-liquid chromatography and flame photometric detection of phosphine in wheat

A screening method using gas-liquid chromatography with flame photometric detection has been developed for determining phosphine in wheat. Phosphine is measured as the sum of physically bound intact phosphine and that derived from residual aluminum phosphide. Wheat is extracted in a closed, partially evacuated glass system by refluxing with 10% sulfuric acid. Liberated gases are swept into a gas-collection flask fitted with rubber septa to permit gas sampling. Aliquots of collected gas are injected into a gas chromatograph. Phosphine is quantitated by peak area as determined by an electronic integrator. Recoveries varied with concentration: 67% was recovered at 0.10 ppm and 98% was recovered at 19 ppm. For concentrations less than 1.5 ppm, the coefficient of variation was 9.95%. Using flame photometric detection, phosphine concentrations as low as 0.04 ppm were easily determined in wheat.