Rapid quantification of cyanamide by ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography in fertilizer, soil or plant samples

A rapid and simple method for determination of cyanamide in fertilizer, soil and plants has been developed. In this method, cyanamide is extracted with 2% acetic acid and the extract separated by centrifugation. It is then purified by passing through a membrane filter. The extract was derivatized with 6-aminoquinolyl-N-hydroxysuccinimidyl-carbamate and the derivatized compound separated by ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography. it is then detected with a UV detector at 260 nm by the same method as is used for amino acid analysis. The proposed method is fast, simple and cheap and also has good selectivity and sensitivity for the determination of cyanamide in a wide range of biotic and abiotic materials. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.