Analysis of chlorophylls and pheophytins is indispensable for the estimation of phygiological biomass and/or of environmental pollution.In practice, the spectrophotometric analysis is the most widely employed method for the determination of chlorophylls in natural water, but a number of errors are inherent in spectrophotometric analysis to determine the individual pigments.The present paper describes a fluorometry combined with paper chromatography.Chlorophyll
a, b and pheophytin
a, b can be separated with ease by paper chromatography and quantitatively measured without the influence of other pigments by this method.The procedure for the determination of chlorophyll
a, b and pheophytin
a, b was established as follows; The phytoplankton was harvested by glass fiber filter (TOYO GA200, pore size; 0.8μm, φ;4.5cm).The amount of natural water (0.5-3
l) to be filtrated was controlled by observing the color of plankton on filter.The filter was ground in mortar with a pestle for five minutes at room temperature with 5-7ml of 90% acetone. The suspension was transferred to a centrifuge tube, and then was centrifuged at 4,000 rpm for ten minutes.The total volume of acetone extract was made up to 10.0ml with 90% acetone.A 5 μl of the resulting solution was spotted on filter paper with microsyringe.Care was taken to maintain the spot size (2mm diameter).Development of the chromatogram was carried out with lightpetroleum: acetone 20:4 (v/v). After development, four spots of chlorophyll
a, b and pheophytin
a, b(
Rf;pheo.
a=0.97, pheo.
b=0.82, chl.
a=0.46, chl.
b=0.26) were detected by U. V. lamp. Immediately, these spots on filter paper were scissored and transferred to sample tubes, and the pigment adsorbed on filter paper was eluted with 3.0ml of acetone.Fluorescence of the acetone solution was detected with HITACHI 650-10 (S) fluorescence spectrophotometer.The sensitivity of the fluorescence spectrophotometer was regulated by the emission of a YVO
4/Eu film. The coefficient of variation of measurement was found to be less than 4% (8 determinations).Therefore, this fluorometry is very simple, rapid and effective method for the analysis of chlorophyll
a, b and pheophytin
a, b in natural water. Chlorophyll
a, b and pheophytin
a, b in natural water were detected by this method with satisfactory results.
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