DETERMINATION OF TRACE AMOUNTS OF COBALT IN FEED GRAINS AND FORAGES BY SOLVENT-EXTRACTION AND GRAPHITE-FURNACE ATOMIC-ABSORPTION SPECTROMETRY

A method is described for the determination of trace amounts of cobalt in feed grains and forages with a detection limit of 1 ng g-1. Samples are ashed in a muffle furnace and complexed with 2-nitroso-1-naphthol. Following solvent extraction, cobalt is determined using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. The assay can be carried out in a normal analytical laboratory without the need for special "clean" rooms. Reagents have been selected to keep reagent blank values at low levels, and heptan-2-one is used as extracting solvent to avoid problems with evaporation. The assay has been used for diagnostic purposes and to formulate special low cobalt diets for sheep for experimental purposes.