Comparison of the Concentrations of Trace Metals and Phosphorous in Acacia Nilotica in Different Areas in Sudan

Abstract

The ash content and the concentrations of sodium, potassium, lithium, calsium, magnesium, iron, manganese, zinc and phosphour in Acacia Nilotica were determined for samples from different areas in Sudan (Abuhamed(North), Elobyied (West), Elgadaref (East), Elgazeria (Middle) and Damazene (South).The results obtained for ash % showed the Northern sample to have a high ash content. Physical properties (density, colour and pH) were determined by standard methods. Metal cations were determined by flame photometry and atomic absorption spectrophotometry using the standard addition and calibration curve methods. The results obtained for sodium, lithium and magnesium showed that the Southern sample has high concentrations .While the northern sample showed high concentration of calcium, and the Eastern sample has high concentration of potassium. Zinc, manganese and iron concentrations generally the almost all samples have very low concentrations (traces). The phosphorous, however, was determined U.V. spectrophotometrically using the standard addition method for measurement of the absorbance, at 410nm of the complex produced by the coupling of meta-molybdate ammonium vanadate with phosphorus ,the results obtained showed that the sample from the middle has high concentration of phosphorus.