Effect of washing procedures on mineral analyses and their cluster analyses for orange leaves

Abstract

Fifty mature orange leaves were divided into groups of 10 and each group received a different washing procedure (control, wipe only with cloth, wipe plus detergent and acid (1/10N HC1) wash, acid wash, wiping and acid wash followed by deionized water). The objective was to determine if the so‐called dust elements (Fe, Al, Si, Ti) clustered together when dust was cleaned from leaves. The clustering was changed by washing procedures. Calcium, Na, Cu, and Mn concentrations were not changed by washing. Phosphorus, Mg, and K were lost from leaves by leaching with severe washing. Dust or contaminating Fe, Al, Si, Ti, and Pb were removed by all washing procedures but wiping with acid tended to decrease the coefficient of variation among samples.

Key words:

• Sample preparation
• leaf washing