PYROLYSIS-GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY APPLIED TO THE STUDY OF ORGANIC-MATTER EVOLUTION IN SEWAGE SLUDGE-AMENDED SOILS USING NITROGEN-PHOSPHORUS, FLAME IONIZATION AND MASS-SPECTROMETRIC DETECTION

Pyrolysis in combination with gas chromatographic separation and simul taneous nitrogen-phosphorus and flame ionization detection is proposed for the determination of nitrogen compounds in soils. Peak identifica tion was performed by mass spectrometry. The technique is considered a s a complementary tool for use with other techniques for soil organic matter studies. The pyrolysis probe was placed directly in the horizon tal injection port of a Perkin-Elmer Model 8700 chromatograph coupled with a nitrogen-selective detector and a flame ionization detector and into the vertical injection port of an HP-5890A chromatograph coupled with an HP-5989 mass spectrometer. This technique was applied to stud y the evolution of the organic matter in soils amended with sewage slu dge samples.