Simultaneous determination of PIP and POP in seawater

Abstract

A method for simultaneous determination of particulate inorganic phosphorus (PIP) and particulate organic phosphorus (POP) in seawater was improved. After using cellulose acetate membrane to filter the seawater samples and washing the membrane with 1mol/L hydrochloric acid, PIP was extracted into hydrochloric acid phase and POP was left on the membrane. POP was oxygenated at 120°C, 0.12MPa with potassium persulphate. Phosphomolybdate blue spectrophotometry was used in the determination. The proper volume of seawater sample for simultaneously determining PIP and POP was 100–150ml, containing PIP≥0.27μg, POP≥0.69μg. Relative Standard Deviation (RSD) of the determination of PIP and POP was 5.8% and 4.3% respectively. This method was used to determine POP and PIP in the surface water of Huiquan Bay, Qingdao, China. PIP content there averaged at 69.0μg/L and POP at 3.3 μg/L. PIP is the main form (>93%) of particulate phosphorus (PP). Maximum PIP coincided with flood tide, indicating that PIP mainly originated from disturbance of surface sediments. At the offshore area, maximum of PIP appeared at flood tide and minimum of PIP appeared at ebb-tide. The maximum of POP presented at about 10:00am, which suggests that POP is closely related to biological metabolism. The control factor of POP in seawater was concluded to be biological metabolization.