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Reducing Mercury Pollution from Kjeldahl Determination of Total Nitrogen¹

ABSTRACT

Mercury as a digestion catalyst in Kjeldahl determination of nitrogen in soil and plant tissue is a potential pollutant if washed into laboratory drains. In an effort to reduce this pollution hazard, a study was conducted to develop a means of freeing Kjeldahl waste solutions of mercury. By using an inexpensive polyethylene trap, developed in our laboratory, and increasing the quantity of zinc in the distillation phase of the Kjeldahl procedure, more than 90% of the mercury was recovered and retained in the laboratory.

Key Words: environment • laboratory techniques • digestion salts

¹ Contribution from the Southern Hardwoods Laboratory, which is maintained at Stoneville, Miss., by the Southern Forest Exp. Sta., USDA Forest Serv., in cooperation with the Miss. Agr. and Forest. Exp. Sta. and the Southern Hardwood Forest Research Group.

² Chemist and Principal Soil Scientist, respectively.

Received for publication September 22, 1972.