Cereal Chem 49:158 - 167.  |  VIEW ARTICLE
Mineral Constituents in Corn and Wheat Germ by Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy.

W. J. Garcia, C. W. Blessin, and G. E. Inglett. Copyright 1972 by the American Association of Cereal Chemists, Inc. 

A rapid wet-ashing procedure, coupled with atomic-absorption techniques, provided a fast method of mineral analysis in corn and wheat-germ samples, with no chemical separation being involved. Samples (0.3- or 2.0-g.) were decomposed by wet-ashing to yield a clear solution. From this solution, potassium, magnesium, calcium, sodium, iron, copper, manganese, and zinc were determined by atomic-absorption techniques. Phosphorus was measured colorimetrically. Interference effects were evaluated in analyzing zinc in an ashed wheat-germ solution. The method has been applied to the analysis of various corn and wheat-germ samples, and results compare favorably with other methods.