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Received 22 April 2008; accepted in revised form 10 July 2008; available online 24 July 2008
Abstract
The quantitative assay of clay minerals, soils, and sediments for Fe(II) and total Fe is fundamental to understanding bio-
geochemical cycles occurring therein. The commonly used ferrozine method was originally designed to assay extracted forms
of Fe(II) from non-silicate aqueous systems. It is becoming, however, increasingly the method of choice to report the total
reduced state of Fe in soils and sediments. Because Fe in soils and sediments commonly exists in the structural framework
of silicates, extraction by HCl, as used in the ferrozine method, fails to dissolve all of the Fe. The phenanthroline (phen) meth-
od, on the other hand, was designed to assay silicate minerals for Fe(II) and total Fe and has been proven to be highly reliable.
In the present study potential sources of error in the ferrozine method were evaluated by comparing its results to those
obtained by the phen method. Both methods were used to analyze clay mineral and soil samples for Fe(II) and total Fe.
Results revealed that the conventional ferrozine method under reports total Fe in samples containing Fe in silicates and gives
erratic results for Fe(II). The sources of error in the ferrozine method are: (1) HCl fails to dissolve silicates and (2) if the ana-
lyte solution contains Fe3+, the analysis for Fe2+ will be photosensitive, and reported Fe(II) values will likely be greater than
the actual amount in solution. Another diculty with the ferrozine method is that it is tedious and much more labor intensive
than the phen method. For these reasons, the phen method is preferred and recommended. Its procedure is simpler, takes less
time, and avoids the errors found in the ferrozine method.
2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
0016-7037/$ - see front matter 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.gca.2008.07.009
5002 A.S. Anastacio et al. / Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 72 (2008) 50015008
mineral matrix and determining both Fe(II) and total Fe in and Luther (1994) calibrated the methods needed to selec-
the same dilution. It is also eective for biological and tively extract Fe(III) from amorphous and crystalline
aqueous systems. Its primary disadvantage is that the matrices, non-structural Fe(II) in silicates, and acid-volatile
absorptivity of the tris-1,10-phenanthroline iron(II) com- sulde (AVS) forms of Fe from salt marsh sediments and
plex is about half that of the ferrozine Fe(II) complex, thus mineral samples. In general, the more crystalline the Fe
making the phen method less sensitive than the ferrozine mineral phase, the greater the concentrations of HCl re-
method. quired to eect Fe extraction, leading to a number of stud-
As mentioned above, a great strength of the phen meth- ies recommending 0.5, 1, 2, or even 3 N HCl (Caneld,
od is that it measures both Fe(II) and total Fe in the same 1988; Leventhal and Taylor, 1990; Jolivet et al., 1992; Wall-
solution. The measured chromophoric agent in both the mann et al., 1993; Zachara et al., 1998).
phen and ferrozine methods is the respective complex with With regard to determining Fe(II) in silicate minerals,
Fe(II). Ferric complexes with these reagents are colorless Kostka and Luther (1994) successfully extracted Fe(II)
and thus undetected, so total Fe can be determined only from chlorite (a phyllosilicate clay mineral) using 0.5 M
if the Fe(III) is converted to Fe(II). In the phen method, HCl, followed by ferrozine complexation. They recognized,
this reduction reaction is achieved photochemically or by however, that total mineral dissolution by HFH2SO4 was
the addition of a reducing agent (such as hydroxylamine necessary for the measurement of total Fe by ferrozine; but,
hydrochloride). The basis for the photochemical reduc- unfortunately, they measured only total Fe in the HF
tionrst reported by David et al. (1972) and Wehry and H2SO4 extract, leaving open the possibility that some
Ward (1971) and incorporated into the phen method by non-HCl-extractable Fe(II) could have been present in the
Stucki and Anderson (1981) and Stucki (1981)briey is chlorite.
that Fe(III) forms a binuclear bridged complex (tetra- Over time the ferrozine method, with HCl as the extract-
kis(1,10-phenathroline)-l-oxodiiron(III), with a formula ing agent, has become commonly used to assess the reduced
of [(phen)2Fe-O-Fe(phen)2]4+) with 1,10-phenanthroline state of Fe in microbiologically active soils and sediments,
and is colorless. Upon exposure to UV light in the presence including the level of Fe(II) in the silicates. Since Kostka
of excess 1,10-phenanthroline, the binuclear complex is and Luther (1994) made no claim of complete Fe(II) extrac-
photochemically and quantitatively reduced to the tris- tion from chlorite by this method and current practice lacks
1,10-phenanthroline Fe(II) complex, which is the chromo- the use of HFH2SO4 to determine total Fe(II) and total
phoric agent. Fe, its reliability as a quantitative tool for assessing the re-
A clear model for the chemical mechanism involving the dox state of Fe in soils and sediments containing silicate
photochemical reduction of Fe(III) in the ferrozine system minerals is in doubt. Such uncertainty has signicant conse-
appears to be lacking from the literature, but a number of quences because of the current widespread use of the meth-
citations mention carrying out the analyses in the dark or od without critical assessment of its relevance for the
under red safety lights (e.g., Macur et al., 1991; Majestic system(s) to which it is being applied.
et al., 2006). One should not be surprised if the Fe(III)fer- The objectives of the present study were to document the
rozine complex were photosensitive, however, because of eects of photoreactivity and choice of extraction acid on
the well reported photoreactivity of Fe3+ complexes in results from the ferrozine method applied to the measure-
water (Kuma et al., 1992; Meunier et al., 2005; Shaked, ment of Fe(II) and total Fe in silicate minerals. Results will
2008). No mention of photosensitivity was made by the ori- be compared with the phen method under controlled, but
ginal author of the method (Stookey, 1970) because it was varied, lighting conditions and with or without the use of
developed for a totally reduced system from which Fe(III) HFH2SO4 in the extraction medium.
was absent, but in a mixed-valent iron medium in which
both Fe(II) and Fe(III) are present, this phenomenon must 2. MATERIALS AND METHODS
be taken into account.
The rst investigation in which microbiologically re- The materials used in this study were standard reference
duced Fe sediments were analyzed with ferrozine was con- clay minerals of varying Fe(II) and total Fe contents and
ducted by Srensen (1982), who extracted Fe(II) using a soils with a mixture of clay minerals and Fe (oxy-
medium consisting simply of 0.1% ferrozine solution in hydr)oxides. The clay minerals were: Upton, Wyoming,
50 mM HEPES buer adjusted to pH 7 with sodium montmorillonite (American Colloid Company), designated
hydroxide, which probably only achieved complexation of UP; ferruginous smectite (sample SWa-1, Source Clays
Fe2+ that was already in solution. Lovley and Phillips Repository of The Clay Minerals Society), designated S1;
(1986b) introduced the use of the original method with and Uley green nontronite (sample NAu-1, Source Clays
0.5 N HCl to determine both Fe(II) and total Fe in extrac- Repository of The Clay Minerals Society), designated N1.
tions from sediments by preparing parallel ferrozine solu- The clay samples were homoionically saturated with Na+,
tions, with and without the addition of the reducing agent fractionated to <2-lm particle size, dialyzed by centrifuge
hydroxylamine hydrochloride. The ferrozine method con- washing to a NaCl concentration of 5 104 M, and freeze
tinued to evolve as a method for identifying the various dried prior to use.
reactive fractions of Fe in sediments, based on extraction Two of these reference clay minerals, namely, UP and
protocols using ascorbic acid, acid ammonium oxalate, S1, were also prepared in their chemically reduced state,
dithionite, or HCl as extracting agents (Caneld, 1988; using the procedure of Stucki et al. (1984), which included
Kostka and Luther, 1994). Caneld (1988) and Kostka the addition of sodium dithionite to a citratebicarbonate-
Limitations of ferrozine assay for Fe 5003
buered aqueous suspension at 70 C. Following reduction, the total Fe buer, which was prepared by adding 5 g of
the clays were washed four times with 5 mM NaCl solution hydroxylamine hydrochloride to 500 mL of the Fe(II) buf-
under inert atmosphere conditions, one time with high pur- fer. The absorbance of the resulting solutions was measured
ity (18 MX cm) H2O, and freeze dried inside an inert-atmo- at 562 nm.
sphere glove box. The phen method served as the reference point to which
One soil sample, designated CAB, was a Cambisol results from the ferrozine method were compared. It was se-
(FAO classication, having an incipient B horizon) col- lected because of extensive previous studies which estab-
lected near the city of Patos de Minas, State of Minas Ger- lished its reliability and limitations (Stucki, 1981; Stucki
ais, Brazil. The soil was dry sieved to separate the <2-mm and Anderson, 1981; Komadel and Stucki, 1988; Amonette
particle-size fraction and dispersed in NH4OH. The <2- et al., 1994, 1998). Several hypotheses were tested regarding
lm particle-size fraction was obtained by centrifugation, the performance of the ferrozine method.
then Na saturated and freeze dried. Hypothesis 1: Replacing HCl with HFH2SO4 will en-
The other soil samples were obtained from a saprolitic hance the amount of Fe(II) and total Fe detected in the
prole at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (sampled and de- sample extract, and thereby eect a more reliable assay.
scribed by Petrie et al., 2003 and North et al., 2004) and Hypothesis 2: FerrozineFe(III) complexes are photo-
contained a mixture of Fe(II) and Fe(III) in phyllosilicates chemically reduced by light, thus causing erroneously high
and Fe(III) in (oxyhydr)oxides (Stucki et al., 2007). Sub- assays for Fe(II) in mixed-valent solutions that are unpro-
samples of this soil were suspended in H2O and incubated tected from the light.
anaerobically for 27 days with or without the addition of Hypothesis 3: Photochemical reduction may substitute
either glucose or ethanol as a carbon source to stimulate for hydroxylamine hydrochloride as the reducing agent in
microbial growth (Akob et al., 2007). The sub-samples total Fe determinations by the ferrozine method.
identied as R1 and R2 received glucose, R4 and R5 re- To test these hypotheses, the following variations in the
ceived ethanol, and R7 received neither. Samples were fro- ferrozine method were implemented under controlled light
zen inside their septum-sealed bottles until ready for conditions:
analysis, at which time they were allowed to equilibrate at
room temperature. An aliquot was then removed with a 1. The conventional ferrozine method as described above
syringe needle and freeze dried under N2, except sample (identied here as procedure CFHCl) was carried out
R2 was air dried in normal atmosphere. Portions of the under normal laboratory lighting conditions.
dried samples were then submitted to analysis and desig- 2. The extractant solution used in the ferrozine method was
nated set A. The remainder of some of the samples was left changed from HCl to HFH2SO4, the same mixture used
in the freeze-dried state under ambient conditions for in the phen method (identied here as procedure CF
approximately 1 year, then reanalyzed and designated set B. HF).
All samples were analyzed by the phen and ferrozine 3. The foregoing methods were also repeated under dier-
methods as published by Komadel and Stucki (1988) and ing light conditions. Samples were exposed to either
Lovley and Phillips (1986a,b), respectively. For the phen room light (abbreviated R) or UV light (the same used
method, 2030 mg of each sample was digested in a mixture in the phen method and abbreviated U) for 0 min
of 2 mL of 10 mass% 1,10-phenanthroline in ethanol, (abbreviated D for dark), 4 h (abbreviated 4R or
12 mL of 3.6 N H2SO4, and 2 mL of 48% HF for 30 min 4U), or 24 h (abbreviated 24R or 24U).
in a boiling water bath (sample temperature nominally at
80 C) in open 100-mL polypropylene centrifuge tubes.
The solution was cooled and 10 mL of 10 mass% solution 3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
of H3BO3 was added to quench excess F ions, then diluted
quantitatively with H2O to approximately 100 mL. Two 3.1. Total Fe
milliliters of each solution was then diluted 1:10 with
1 mass% sodium citrate buer. All manipulations were Total Fe results from the phen and variations on the fer-
done in a dark room with red photographic lamps (using rozine method (Fig. 1; Table 1) revealed a very poor corre-
regular red light bulbs) to avoid photochemical reduction lation between the methods. Linear regression analysis of
of the binuclear Fe(III)-phen complex to the Fe(II)phen the plot of total Fe determined by the CFHCl method vs.
complex. The Fe(II) complex was then measured by UV the phen method gave an R2 value of 0.38 and accounted
visible transmission spectroscopy at 510 nm. Total Fe was for only about 21%, on average, of the total Fe measured
measured in the same solutions after exposing them to by the phen method (based on the regression equation
UV light for 2 h (Komadel and Stucki, 1988), which com- CFHCl = 0.21 phen 0.05). Replacing HCl with HF
pletely converted the Fe(III) to Fe(II). H2SO4 as the digesting or extracting acid improved the fer-
The conventional ferrozine method (CFHCl) consisted rozine results dramatically (Fig. 1), increasing the R2 to 0.99
of extraction of Fe from the sample for 1 h in 0.5 N HCl at and accounting for about 89% of the total Fe measured by
room temperature. A 0.1-mL aliquot of each sample extract phen (CFHF = 0.89 phen 0.04). These results were ob-
was pipetted into 20 mL of the Fe(II) buer solution, which tained from reference clay samples in both their oxidized
was previously prepared by dissolving 0.2 g of ferrozine in and reduced states and from the soil samples.
HEPES buer adjusted to pH 7 with NaOH solution. A The eect of light on the total Fe content measured by
second 0.1-mL aliquot was also transferred to 20 mL of the CFHF method (Fig. 2) was less dramatic than the
5004 A.S. Anastacio et al. / Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 72 (2008) 50015008
5005
5006 A.S. Anastacio et al. / Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 72 (2008) 50015008
Table 2
Results for Fe(II) analysis of soil and clay mineral samples by the phenanthroline (phen) method and variations of the ferrozine method (see
footnote to Table 1 for abbreviations)
Sample Phen (mmol/g) CFHCl CFHCl-D CFHF (mmol/g) CFHF-D
(mmol/g) (mmol/g) (mmol/g)
Mean SD Mean SD Mean SD Mean SD Mean SD
Fe(II)
S1A 0.018 0.004 0.26 0.08
UPA 0.063 0.002 0.050 0.005
N1A 0.016 0.003
R1A 0.159 0.006 0.098 0.005
R4A 0.161 0.005 0.20 0.03 0.086 0.006 0.152 0.007
R5A 0.148 0 0.082 0.009
R7A 0.092 0.001 0.16 0.1 0.046 0.007 0.116 0.008
R2A 0.134 0.003
UPB 0.0351 0.0005 0.022 0.005 0.063 0.006 0.0300 0.0009
N1B 0.005 0.001 0.01 0.01 0.057 0.001
CAB 0.049 0.002 0.04 0.02 0.061 0.004
R1B 0.13 0.02 0.017 0.006 0.16 0.03 0.12 0.02
R4B 0.14 0.01 0.017 0.007 0.136 0.009 0.110 0.005
R5B 0.13 0.02 0.010 0.005 0.11 0.01 0.090 0.006
R7B 0.093 0.003 0.02 0.04 0.10 0.03 0.08 0.01
R2B 0.122 0.002 0.011 0.008 0.11 0.02
S1R 1.0 0.2 0.46 0
UPR 0.31 0.04 0.03 0.02
Limitations of ferrozine assay for Fe 5007
Oce of Research; The Academy of Applied Science; The Council Lovley D. R. and Phillips E. J. P. (1986b) Organic matter
for International Exchange of Scholars Fulbright Foundation (fel- mineralization with reduction of ferric iron in anaerobic
lowship to J.D.F.); the National Science Foundation, Division of sediments. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 51, 683689.
Petrology and Geochemistry, Grant No. EAR 01-26308; and the Macur R. E., Olsen R. A. and Inskeep W. P. (1991) Photochemical
Environmental Remediation Science Program (ERSP), Biological mobilization of Ferritin iron. Plant Soil 130, 6974.
and Environmental Research (BER), U.S. Department of Energy, Majestic B. J., Schauer J. J., Shafer M. M., Turner J. R., Fine P.
Grant No. DE-FG02-07ER64374. The authors thank Dr. Joel E. M., Singh M. and Sioutas C. (2006) Development of a wet-
Kostka, Florida State University, for supplying the Oak Ridge soil chemical method for the speciation of iron in atmospheric
samples. aerosols. Environ. Sci. Technol. 40, 23462351.
Meunier L., Laubscher H., Hug S. J. and Sulzberger B. (2005)
Eects of size and origin of natural dissolved organic matter
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