Abstract
A method to determine pyrophosphate (PP) and tripolyphosphate (TPP) in sediments was developed. Sediment was extracted with 2% EDTA + 0.1 M NH4F followed by a second extract of 2% EDTA + 1 N NaOH. Orthophosphate (OP), PP, and TPP were separated by anion exchange chromatography, the fractions collected, and P determined after extraction into isobutanol. The limit of detection of the method was 0.5 μg P g−1 sediment. Fourteen sediments were tested and the highest TPP found was 1.8 μg P g−1 sediment. Thirteen of the sediment samples contained less than 1 μg P g−1 as TPP. Only three of the 14 samples contained more than 1 μg P g−1 as PP. The highest level of PP (8.5 μg P g−1) was found in sediment from an animal waste lagoon. Estimates of error and reproducibility were made from analysis of samples with added PP and TPP. The error for samples containing 36.9 μg P g−1 as PP was ± 7.6, and for TPP at 12.3 μg P g−1 the error was ± 3.3. The values for PP and TPP were underestimated by 6 and 36%, respectively.
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