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This European Standard specifies the inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) method for the determination of the elements calcium, sodium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, iron, zinc, copper, manganese, cobalt, molybdenum and lead. The elements calcium, sodium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, iron, zinc, copper, manganese, cobalt, molybdenum and lead are extracted either in feeds mainly consisting of organic matter after dry ashing and dissolving in hydrochloric acid or in feeds mainly consisting of inorganic matter after wet digestion with hydrochloric acid. For the determination of extractable lead in minerals and feeds containing phyllosilicates (e.g. kaolinite clay) wet digestion with nitric acid should be used. The method was successfully tested for: - calcium, sodium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, iron, zinc, copper, manganese, cobalt and molybdenum in the following animal feeding stuffs: 2 complete feeds (pig feed, sheep feed), 1 feed material (phosphate), 1 mineral premixture and 2 complementary feeds (2 mineral feeds), - lead in 2 feed materials (phosphate, CaCO3), 2 feed additives (Bentonite, CuSO4), 1 complementary feed (mineral feed) The method detection limit for each element is dependent on the sample matrix and the instrument. The method is not applicable for the determination of a low concentration of elements. The limit of quantification should be 3 mg/kg or lower. This method also applies for the determination in products with high element content (>5 %). For this purpose the accuracy of the method has to be checked individually. NOTE 1 - EN 15621 uses the pressure digestion mode, therefore lower results may be obtained with the described method in this standard.