Phosphorus in wine may be determined directly or indirectly by atomic absorption spectrometry. The direct method uses the carbon rod atomizer as the excitation source and a phosphorus hollow cathode lamp. In the indirect determination, one measures the amount of molybdenum that will complex with phosphorus in the wine. Both nitrous oxide-acetylene and air-acetylene flames are suitable as atomization sources in this indirect method. The resultant data have been compared with those from the AOAC colorimetric method (11.032-11.034). A 2-sample comparison test showed the results to be insignificantly different at the 95% confidence limits.
