EXTRACTION AND COLORIMETRIC DETERMINATION OF ELEMENTAL SULFUR IN ORGANIC HORIZONS OF FOREST SOILS
A method is proposed for determining elemental S (S°) in organic horizons of forest soils. Elemental sulfur is extracted from the soil with acetone and assayed by a colorimetric method. The procedure is a modification of several existing methods and allows for the extraction of all forms of S°. It also reduces the interference of colored extracts from forest litter. The detection limit is 100 mg∙kg−1 (1 mg S°∙mL−1 of solution) and S° concentrations in excess of 50 000 mg∙kg−1 have been measured. The recovery of S° is approximately 90%. The method is suitable for determining S° in organic forest soils with a wide range of S° concentrations and where a high degree of accuracy and precision is not required. It is rapid and suitable for routine analysis in laboratories without specialized equipment. Key words: Elemental sulfur, forest soil analysis, organic horizon