A method is described for direct determination of cadmium, copper, iron, lead, and selenium in slurried fruit samples by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry. The fresh samples were suspended in Triton X-100 and shaken with 10 g zirconia spheres until a slurry was formed. The graphite furnace conditions were optimized for each element. The detection limits were 0.3, 3.5, 15.0, 0.5, and 10.0 ng/g for Cd, Cu, Fe, Pb, and Se, respectively. Accuracy and precision were checked against sample mineralization in a microwave acid-digestion bomb. Results for analyses of National Institute of Standards and Technology standard reference materials agreed closely with certified values. Analytical application of this method was tested with 40 samples of 8 widely consumed fruit species. The mean values (referred to fresh weight of edible fraction) for each fruit species had ranges of 0.0003-0.050 microgram/g for Cd, 0.316-1.094 micrograms/g for Cu, 2.00-5.50 micrograms/g for Fe, 0.050-0.396 microgram/g for Pb, and 0.010-0.020 microgram/g for Se. The proposed method is useful for routine multielemental analysis in nutritional and toxicological quality control of fruits and similar foodstuffs.

Cadmium↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Determination of levels of lead contamination in food and feed crops.

A rapid, precise procedure is described for the determination of lead in food and feed products with electrothermal atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Samples were mineralized in a microwave acid digestion bomb in the presence of nitric acid and vanadium pentoxide. Lead concentrations were determined directly from digested samples. The detection limit was 0.04 ng/mL. Accuracy and precision were checked against National Institute of Standards and Technology standard reference material. The analytical method was tested with 51 food and feed crops from Mediterranean zones in Spain and found to be suitable for these products. Lead concentrations in samples ranged from not detectable to 2.695 micrograms/g (fresh weight).

Animal Feed↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Determination of chromium in wine and other alcoholic beverages consumed in spain by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry.

A reliable and rapid method is described for the determination of chromium in alcoholic beverages by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS) after optimization of the temperature-time program for the graphite furnace. Chromium in wines was determined directly without sample pretreatment. Other samples were first mineralized with HNO3 and V2O5. The method was validated, and its analytical characteristics were checked. The detection limit was 1 pg (for a sample volume of 10 microL). Accuracy was 99.20 +/- 3.80% for wines and 98.90 +/- 2.00% for other beverages. Precision ranged from 3.50 to 4.50%. The proposed method was applied to 124 samples of alcoholic beverages frequently consumed in Spain. Mean values obtained (microgram/L) were 20.28 for wines, 8.75 for beer, 7.85 for cider, 14.60 for brandy, 7.50 for rum, 10.25 for whisky, 8.80 for gin, 9.25 for vodka, 24.45 for anisette, and 10.08 for liquors. The advantages of the proposed method (rapidity, sensitivity) and versatility) make it useful for routine analyses and for estimations of dietary intake of chromium.

Alcoholic Beverages↗