Direct determination of inorganic phosphorus in serum with a single reagent

Estimation of inorganic phosphate in serum based on the formation of "molybdenum blue" may be simplified by eliminating the reduction stage. The yellow complex formed by the reaction of phosphate with molybdate in an acid medium is measured at 390 nm. The yellow complex behaves in accordance with Beer's law over a wide concentration range (to at least 80 mg of P per liter in the initial sample); its molar absorptivity at 390 nm is 2.51 X 10(3) L mol-1 cm-1. Sensitivity is increased in the presence of a detergent (triethanolamine lauryl sulfate), which is also used to dissolve the proteins. Because only one reagent is used (a stable combination of, per liter, 20 mmol of sodium molybdate, 82 mmol of nitric acid, and 100 mg of the detergent), the method is simple and rapid. We describe a manual procedure and an automated one. Within-run precision was 1.9%, and day-to-day precision less than 7%. Results by the automated method compare favorably (r = 0.96) with those obtained by Drewes's method (Clin Chim Acta 39: 81-88, 1972).