Soil testing methods

Flame Test

• Qualitative analytical procedure to detect certain metal ions
• Procedure relies on characteristic colors emitted when metal ions are heated in a flame
• Useful for identifying unknown metal ions in samples and qualitative analysis of metal cations in solutions or compounds
• Demonstrates the relationship between atomic structure and light emission
• Used for educational purposes in chemistry labs
• Helps in quick identification of elements, quality control for manufacturing, and forensic investigations for material identification
• Quick, easy to perform, and requires minimal equipment
• Cannot detect all elements
• Overlapping colors can cause misidentification
• Less sensitive compared to advanced methods like spectroscopy
• Commonly conducted in school, university laboratories, research centers, and industries dealing with metals and chemicals.
• Materials needed: Bunsen burner or flame source, cotton swabs or wire loop, and solutions of different metal salts.
• Preparation: Use a new cotton swab for each sample to avoid contamination
• Procedure: Soak the swab tip in the metal salt solution and place it in the flame to observe the color produced
• Specific colors are produced for:
  • Lithium chloride: Red orange
  • Strontium chloride: Red
  • Potassium chloride: Light violet
  • Sodium chloride: Yellow
  • Calcium chloride: Orange
  • Copper(II) chloride: Blue green
  • Iron (III) chloride: White with sparks
  • Barium chloride: Pale yellow
• Chemists, laboratory technicians, and supervised students in chemistry labs are responsible for conducting flame teats
• The estimated basic setup costs around PHP 3,050–5,250

Soil Analysis

• The process of testing soil samples to determine their properties
• Helps understand nutrients, minerals, pH level, and potential contaminants
• Helps choose the right plants, guides fertilizer use, determines water retention, and helps restore damaged land
• Saves money by using the right amount of fertilizers and water, protects crops, keeps land healthy, and supports safe building projects
• Helps farmers know soil nutrients, guides crop selection, reduces fertilizer overuse, improves soil health, and protects water sources
• Some tests take a long time, advanced tools can be expensive, results may be inaccurate without proper sampling, trained professionals are needed for data interpretation, and not all areas have easy access to testing facilities
• Can be found at agriculture extension services, soil testing labs, and environmental research facilities

Determining Soil Texture

• Materials: Clear jar with lid, soil sample, water, and optional dish soap
• Remove rocks, roots, or debris from the soil sample
• Fill the jar 1/3 with soil, then fill the rest with water, leaving some space at the top
• Add a few drops of dish soap and shake the jar vigorously for 1-2 minutes
• Let settle undisturbed on a flat surface for the soil particles to settle in layers
• After about 24 hours identify the layers of water, organic matter, clay, silt, and sand will form.
• Use a ruler to measure the thickness of each layer and record the measurements
• Classify the soil using a soil texture triangle based on the percentages of sand, silt, and clay.

Determining Soil pH

• Materials: pH meter, soil sample, distilled water, clean container, and clean cloth or tissue.
• Collect soil from 5-10 cm deep, removing stones, leaves, and debris
• Place soil in container with 1:1 ratio of soil and distilled water
• Stir mixture thoroughly to make a slurry, ensuring pH meter can give an accurate reading
• Calibrate pH meter, using pH 7, 4, or 10 standard solutions, and turn it on
• Clean the electrode with distilled water, dry with a clean cloth, and insert probe into the soil-water mixture, ensuring it is fully submerged
• Wait a few seconds for the reading to stabilize, and record the pH level on the screen
• After testing, rinse the probe with distilled water and wipe it dry
• Soil pH value indications:
  • pH < 7 = Acidic
  • pH > 7 = Alkaline
  • pH = 7 = Neutral
• Test multiple areas for accuracy, avoid using tap water, and ensure proper meter storage

Analysis of Soil Nutrients

• Materials: Soil sample, TPY-6A Soil Nutrient Analyzer, cuvettes, distilled water, reagent for phosphorus, nitrogen, and potassium, weighing scale, filter paper, and pipettes
• Weigh 4g of soil and place in a clean plastic bottle
• Add the required reagent powder to the bottle containing the soil sample
• Using a pipette, add 20 ml of water to the bottle and mix with the soil and reagent
• Cover and shake the bottle thoroughly for about 10 minutes, then allow to stand for 2 minutes to let solids settle
• Filter the mixture to separate the liquid for testing
• Add water to about two-thirds of the first cuvette and adjust to the correct mark
• Pipette the required volume of test solution into the second cuvette and add the standard solution
• Shake well
• Pipette the test solution into the third cuvette, followed by water, and mix
• Add the appropriate reagents to the cuvette (phosphorus, nitrogen, or potassium reagents), following instructions for each and shake well
• No need for further waiting after reagent addition
• Immediately place the prepared cuvette into the instrument for testing in the correct position
• Select the test for the nutrient to analyze on the instrument's interface
• The instrument will display prompts for the blank solution, standard solution, and then shows the results of the sample solution
• The instrument will calculate the nutrient concentration and display the results on the screen, and can print data
• Soil scientists, agronomists, laboratory technicians, environmental engineers, and farmers are responsible for conducting soil analysis
• Approximate costs:
  • Soil Texture: Simple, cost-effective method
  • Soil pH (pH Meter): Around $5 (PHP 300). In the Philippines, about PHP 100 per sample
  • Soil Nutrient Analysis (TPY-6A Analyzer): $1,000-$1,300 (PHP 55,000–72,000), Lab testing: About $15 (PHP 800) per sample

Chromatography

• Biophysical technique that enables the separation, identification, and purification of mixture components for qualitative and quantitative analysis
• Techniques:
  • Thin-Layer Chromatography: Simple and inexpensive for preliminary analysis, less sensitive than GC or LC, and used in research laboratories and quality control
  • Paper Chromatography: Uses paper as the stationary phase with mobile phase is liquid solvent
  • Gas Chromatography (GC): Used to separate volatile compounds in chemical industry, environmental analysis, GC is one of the few chromatography which does not us the mobile phase
  • High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC): Used to separate non-volatile samples, versatile for wide variety of samples, including pharmaceuticals, in the food and pharmaceutical science
• Thin-Layer Chromatography: Simple and inexpensive, for teaching and small-scale separations
• Thin-Layer Chromatography: Limited samples and resolution, educational institutions and small-scale research
• High-Performance Liquid Chromatography: Can separate very complex mixtures with high resolution
• High-Performance Liquid Chromatography: High sensitivity and automation, analyzes variety samples including pharmaceuticals.

Chromatography costs

• Thin-Layer Chromatography: \ Range: P500 – P2,000 per pack (depending on size, quantity, and brand)
• Paper Chromatography: Filter Paper: Range: P100 – P500 per pack (depending on size, quantity, and brand)
• Gas Chromatography (GC): P500,000 – P5,000,000 or more (depending on model, brand, and features
• High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC): P500,000 – P5,000,000 or more (depending on model, brand, and features)

Water Sampler

• Water sampler is a device used to collect water samples from different depths in a body of water
• Samples are used to test the presences of pollutants, the level of dissolved oxygen, or the number of bacteria
• Niskin bottles: Cylindrical bottles lowered into the water and closed at the desired depth
• Rosette samplers: Hold multiple Niskin bottles, collecting multiple samples at different depths
• Grab samplers: Simple devices collecting surface water samples
• Valuable tool for understanding the health of waterways to identify pollution, track changes, and predict future problems
• Can be expensive, requires specialized training, and collect a limited amount of water
• Water samplers are used by scientists, environmental engineers, and other professionals to monitor water quality and to study aquatic ecosystems

Water Analysis

• Testing and evaluating the physical and biological properties of the water
• Uses include: Drinking Water Safety, Environmental Protection, Regulatory Compliance etc
• Ensures quality in the food and beverage industry, in the pharmaceutical industry, and in agriculture

Four Categories of water analysis methods

• Chemical Water Analysis Methods: including the concentration of ions, the acidity or alkalinity (pH), hardness
• Physical Methods: Measure physical properties of water like turbidity, temperature, etc
• Biological Methods: Focus on detecting microorganisms
• Instrumental Methods: Utilized to perform analysis of trace elements and radioactive substances in water
• Water Analysis Provides:
  • Ensures Safety
  • Improves Public Health
  • Supports Environmental Conservation
  • Prevention of Diseases
• High Cost
• Time Consuming
• Waste Generation
• Risk of Sampling Errors

Analysis

• Ensures Safety and Quality, and Chemical analysis guarantees our food is free from substances
• Promotes Health and Well being
• Chemical Analysis Method shows high accuracy

Chemical Analysis, Types, and Methods

• Qualitative Analysis: Focuses on identifying substances that area present in the sample
• Quantitative Analysis: Focuses on determining how much a component is present
• Measuring volumes of reactants
• Chemical analysis methods can time-consuming
• Healthcare and Medicine: -Food Science and Safety
• Forensics and Law Enforcement
• -Pharmaceutical Development

How to Conduct a Test, and Methods to Utilize

• Sample Selection
• Sample Preparation
• Testing type selection
• Selecting the selected method
• Testing for results and reading
• Analysis are recorded
• Test is given on a report

Allergen Tests

• Patch test is undertaken for the investigation and determination of substances the produce allergic contact dermatitis
• Allergen Tests:
• Dermatologist Clinic
• Hospitals
• Time-Consuming and cannot Detect all Contact Allergies
• Allergens are accurate

Conducting An Allergen Test

• Patients returns to the hospital after 28hours
• Patients are tested for 4-5 days for monitoring
• Healthcare workers will test allergens
• Allergists/Immunologists:
• Doctors
• Trained Nurses and Technicians

Skin Test

• Allergy skin test helps find out what is causing allergy
• Identifying and managing allergies helps individuals improve symptoms
• Not safe for everyone, but may produce reaction
• Allergy can be taken at clinics are hospitals Skin area is prepped with alcohol
• Small amounts of the Suspected Allergens are then placed
• There is often a tiny of skin
• HealthCare is observed

Skin Results

• Skin Results:
• The healthcare worker will test patients skin
• Alleregen List
• This requires time for the testing