Determination of trace elements in drinking tea by various analytical techniques

Tea has been one of the most popular simulating beverages which is both heavily produced and consumed in Taiwan. The determination of minor or trace elements in drinking tea and tea leaves is therefore important for estimating the daily intake of Taiwanese considered as a safety indicator. In order to accurately and precisely determine the concentrations of trace elements in samples, several analytical methods such as AAS, NAA and ICP-AES are suggested. This paper attempts to utilize all three methods to determine the concentrations of minor or trace elements in different types of tea leaves and the extracts percolated from them. The influence of fermentation processes on the concentration levels of minor or trace elements in tea samples is investigated. Because only free metal ions are bioavailable for the human body, it is necessary to determine their concentrations in drinking tea. The dissolution of trace elements in drinking tea is therefore studied by simulating the common Chinese style of tea percolation. Concentrations of thirteen elements including Zn, Mn, Ca, Cu, Ni, Al, K, Mg, Cd, Pb, Na, Co and Sc are determined.     

Inter-annual variability in atmospheric input and partitioning of heavy metals in the Lagoon of Venice

Atmospheric bulk deposition of major and trace elements was measured at Venice from November 1995 to October 1997. Collection was carried out using polyethylene bulk passive samplers, samples being collected bi-weekly. In order to highlight the contribution of the atmosphere to water chemistry and particle budgets in the Lagoon of Venice, the geochemical composition (Si, Al, Ca, Mg, K, Na, Mn, Cr, Zn, Pb, Cd, Cu, As) of dissolved and insoluble bulk fractions was determined by AAS + ICP mass spectrometry. Great sample variability was found, with almost two orders of magnitude between maximum and minimum values for several metals. All fluxes in 1995/96 were 30% lower than in 1996/97, ranging from -3% (Ca) to -57% (Li), except for Zn, Cd and As. On the contrary, the solubility of all elements decreased during 1996/97. Partitioning between soluble and insoluble phases shows that Al, Cr, Fe and Si are mainly in the insoluble form, whereas for As, Ca, Cu, Mg, Na, Ni, K, Pb and Zn the dissolved fraction represents 50-90% of total input. The amount of particle load affects partitioning between dissolved and particulate, especially for Al and Pb. Seasonal variability was evident. The lowest pH values (approximately 5.2) were recorded in winter, causing an increase of solubility for all metals except for As, which showed the highest solubility in summer.     

Concentrations of major and trace elements in polished rice and paddy soils collected in Aomori,Japan

Rice grain samples and surface paddy soil samples were collected from 20 sites throughout Aomori Prefecture, Japan, and the concentrations of 25 elements in the polished rice and 33 elements in the soils were determined by neutron activation analysis, inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer or atomic adsorption spectrometer. The range of essential element concentrations in the polished rice was within one order of magnitude, however, the range for most of the trace elements was more than one order of magnitude. The range of element concentrations, except for I, in the paddy soils was within one order of magnitude. The ±95% confidence intervals of the soil-to-polished rice transfer factors for all elements, except for Pb, were within two orders of magnitude, and the geometric mean values were as follows: Cl, Mo and Zn (0.1–1); K, Cu, Cd, Rb, Mg, Mn, and Ag (0.01–0.1); Ni, As, Ca, Se and I (0.001–0.01); Na, Cs, Sr, Co, Cr, V, Ba, Pb, Fe and Al (<0.001).     

微波消解样品-火焰原子吸收光谱法测定淡竹叶中痕量元素

产自3个不同地区的淡竹叶样品用硝酸经微波辅助消解,采用火焰原子吸收光谱法测定所得样品溶液中锌、铁、铜、锰、钾、钙、钠、镁、镍、铅、铬、钴、铝和硒等14种痕量元素的含量。14种元素的质量浓度在一定的范围内均与其吸光度呈线性关系。以1#样品为基体,加入适量9种痕量元素的标准溶液做方法的回收试验,测得回收率在98.1%～108.0%之间,测定值的相对标准偏差(n=5)均小于8%。     

用氯化三烷基甲基铵-甲基异丁基酮从大量铁、铝、钙、镁、钾、钠中分离富集痕量元素的研究

在 KI-Vc-HCl 介质中,用10%氯化三烷基甲基铵-甲基异丁基酮萃取方法可同时富集岩矿土壤中痕量的 Pb、Zn、Cu、Cd、Mo、Bi、Sn,将主量元素 Si、Fe、Al、Ca、Mg、K、Na 分离,确定富集分离的最佳条件,讨论 HNO_3、CH_3COOH-H_2O_2,H_2SO_4-H_2O_2三个反萃体系对痕量元素的反萃作用,探讨萃取及反萃机理。     

A particle-size specific elemental mass balance for the apportionment of ambient aerosol

Photon and thermal neutron activation analysis were used to determine the concentrations of up to thirty elements in aerosol samples collected by cascade impactor in Toronto, Canada during the period July to December of 1985. Examination of the particle-size distributions thus obtained led to the development of a new receptor model. A size-specific elemental mass balance (SSEMB) was used to apportion the mean ambient Pb aerosol concentration amongst four contributing sources as follows: secondary lead refinery emissions (46%), refuse incineration (28%), automotive exhaust (25%) and re-entrained soil and dust (<1%). The predicted concentrations of Al, As, Br, Na, Pb, Sb, and Zn agreed with observed concentrations to within a factor of two for most elements in most particle size fractions.     

Elemental analysis of horse hair by optical emission spectroscopy

A spectrographic method is developed for the simultaneous determination of trace elements in horse hair. The quantitative estimates of elements Ag, Al, B, Ca, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Na, P, Pb, Si, Ti, v, and Zn are reported and the precision of determination for some elements is given.     

Determination of Essential and Toxic Elements in Vegetables from South Korea

This study reports the determination of trace essential (Co, Cr, Cu, Se, and Zn) and toxic (Al, As, Cd, Hg, and Pb) elements in greenhouse tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers from supermarkets of Seoul, Busan, Gangneung, Daegu, Daejeon, and Gwangju, South Korea using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy, and direct mercury analysis. The methods were validated by linearity, limits of detection and quantification, precision, accuracy, and recovery measurements that provided satisfactory results in all cases. Among the essential trace elements, Zn was found to have the highest concentrations (0.84–2.5?mg/kg) followed by Cu (0.21–0.62?mg/kg) and Cr (0.01–0.06?mg/kg). The mean concentrations (mg/kg) of the toxic elements were in the order Al?>?Pb?>?As?>?Cd?>?Hg for tomatoes and cucumbers and Al?>?Pb?>?Cd?>?As?>?Hg for peppers; all were below the permissible limits set by World Health Organization for human consumption. The estimated dietary intake, target hazard quotients (THQs), and hazard indices of the samples were within safe levels. The combined THQ values for the toxic elements in the vegetables were from 0.002 to 0.012 with significant contribution from arsenic, aluminum, cadmium, and mercury. The results of this study show that trace and toxic elements in the analyzed vegetables do not impose any serious health harmful effects for the population upon consumption.     

凤仙花植株不同部位微量元素含量的比较分析

The samples of pueraria lobata ohwi were digested by HNO3 + HClO4 .contents of the next trace elements Fe,Zn,Cu,Mn,Ca,Mg,Co,Cr,Ni,Cd,Pb and Al in the bloom,base,stem,and leaf of Impatiens balsamina have been determined by Flame Atomic Absorption method.The result show that the recovery is about 97.5%-103.2%,and the RSD<2.7%,with good accuracy and precision.The order of the content of the trace elements of high to low is as follows:leaf>stem>bloom>base.The importance of essential trace elements Zn,Fe,Mn,Cu for human each has a higher content.In addition,toxic trace elements such as lead,arsenic and cadmium are also found.     

Partitioning of metals between the aqueous phase and suspended insoluble material in fog droplets

This paper discusses the partitioning of metals (K, Na, Ca, Mg, Al, Cu, Fe, Pb and Zn) between the aqueous phase and the suspended insoluble material in fog samples collected in the Po Valley during two extensive fields campaigns. Metals represent on average 11% of the mass of suspended insoluble matter, while the main component is carbon (both organic carbon, OC = 35%, and black carbon, BC = 8%). The unaccounted suspended matter mass is very high, on average 46%, and is attributable to non metallic species, such as O and N and of Si. The principal metals in the insoluble suspended fraction are Fe and Al (2-5%), while the contributions of other metals (Na, Mg, Cu, Pb and Zn) are lower than 1%. Ca and K exhibited high blank values and could not be detected above blank detection limit threshold. The main components in the aqueous phase are NO3- (34%), WSOC (23%), SO4(2-) (18%) and NH4+ (19%), while trace metals and remaining cations and anions accounted for less than 1% of solute mass. The main dissolved trace metals in fog droplets are Zn, Al and Fe, while the main metallic cations are Na and Ca. Fe and Al are the only metals preferentially distributed in the suspended insoluble matter of fog droplets (partitioning ratio respectively 37% and 33%). All other metals are mostly dissolved in the aqueous phase (mean partitioning ratios of Mg, Pb, Zn, Cu and Na are 69%, 70%, 77%, 81% and 87%). These findings are in agreement with literature data on metal speciation in cloud and rain samples. The dependence of partitioning ratios on pH is investigated for the different metals, with only Al showing a clear partitioning ratio decrease with increasing pH. Conversely, the other metals show no dependence or a complex and highly variable behaviour. The partitioning ratio of iron (mean 37%) observed in the Po Valley fog samples is much higher than the water extractable iron in aerosol particles (typically 1-2 %): this fact can be explained by differences in the aerosol sources and composition among sites and by chemical processes in the aqueous phase, such as complexation and redox reactions involving organic ligands (oxalate, or other organic acids as humic-like organic matter) which may promote Fe solubility.     

井水过滤前后微量元素的测定

为探讨广州龙洞井水过滤前后微量元素的含量,采用火焰原子吸收法测定了龙洞井水过滤前和过滤后水中Li、Ca、Mn、Zn、K、Mg、Na、Fe、Cu、Pb 10种微量元素的含量。结果表明,龙洞井水过滤前后微量元素存在一定的差异。同时对井水中各元素进行了回收实验,回收率在97%~103%之间。该法简便、快速、准确、灵敏度高、再现性好。     

Comparative instrumental multi-element analysis I: Comparison of ICP source mass spectrometry with ICP atomic emission spectrometry, ICP atomic fluorescence spectrometry and atomic absorption spectrometry for the analysis of natural waters from a granite region

Summary Multi-element analysis by ICP source mass spectrometry for practically matrix-free natural waters, coming from a granitic area and, therefore, rich in trace elements, has been compared with ICP-atomic emission, ICP atomic fluorescence and atomic absorption spectrometry. The following elements have been investigated and their concentrations are in the decreasing order: Ca, Si, Na, Mg, K, Al; Sr, Mn, Ba, Fe, Rb, Zn, B, U, Y, Li, La, Be, Cs, Co, Cr, V, Sb, Bi, Th, Cu, Cd, Ni, Se, Pb, As, Hg, Mo, Tl, Sn. The concentration ranges were between 10 ppm and <0.01 ppb.As a measure of agreement between the different methods under investigation, two criteria have been used (a) the relative variation coefficient VK (%) of the mean element concentration of an element, determined by different methods in all the 98 water samples and (b) the linear, logarithmic and Spearman rank correlation coefficients between ICP-MS and each of the other methods. Detection limits are given from literature for about 32 elements using different methods.The elements Ca, Na, Mg, K, Mn, Sr, Zn, Fe, Li, Cu have been determined with ICP-MS, ICP-AES and AAS; Al, Ba with ICP-MS and ICP-AES; Si only with ICP-AES, whereas B, Be, Bi, Co, Cr, Cs, Hg, La, Mo, Ni, Pb, Rb, Sb, Sn, Th, Tl, U, V, Y only with ICP-MS. In all 34 of the investigated 36 elements could be analysed by ICP-MS, 14 (from about 20 possible) by AAS, 13 by ICP-AES and 12 by ICP-AFS.The agreement between ICP-MS and ICP-AES as well as between ICP-MS and AAS in most cases is remarkably good according to (a). VK (%) for each element in 98 water samples is in the range from ±2.6 to 10% for Na, Mg, Ca, K, Fe, Sr, Ba, Cu, Li (increasing order). Cd and Zn have unexpectedly higher values (±17.3 and ±20.5%); Cd concentrations are, however, near the detection limit.Comparing the different methods on the basis of correlation coefficients according to (b), gives for the Spearman rank correlation coefficient over the whole range of concentrations, respectively for ICP-MS/ICP-AES, AAS, ICP-AFS in case of Ca: 0.998; 0.984; 0.899; Na: 0.993; 0.991; 0.978; Mg: 0.997; 0.993; 0.959; K: 0.986; 0.942; 0.677; Al: 0.987; -; -; Fe: 0.864; 0.974; 0.701; Mn: 0.989; 0.990; 0.198; Sr: 0.988; 0.992; -; Zn: 0.894; 0.819; 0.300; Cu: -; 0.977; 0.202; Li: -; 0.907; 0.586.It is evident from these trace element concentrations as well as the electrical conductivities, that only about three fourths of the investigated samples are typical granitic waters and the remaining ones are associated with different geological background. The samples have been mainly radon waters with more than 18 nCi/l of Rn-222.

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Vergleichende Instrumentelle Multielementanalyse I: Vergleich von ICP-Massenspektrometrie mit ICP-Atomemissionsspektrometrie, ICP-Atomfluorescenzspektrometrie und Atomabsorptionsspektrometrie zur Analyse natürlicher Wässer aus einem Granitgebiet

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6th Contribution to the principles of trace analysis of elements and radionuclides

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Dedicated to Professor Dr. H. Kelker, Frankfurt, on the occasion of his 65th birthday     

Evaluation of strontium isotope abundance ratios in combination with multi-elemental analysis as a possible tool to study the geographical origin of ciders

In order to evaluate alternative analytical methodologies to study the geographical origin of ciders, both multi-elemental analysis and Sr isotope abundance ratios in combination with multivariate statistical analysis were estimated in 67 samples from England, Switzerland, France and two Spanish regions (Asturias and the Basque Country). A methodology for the precise and accurate determination of the ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr isotope abundance ratio in ciders by multicollector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS) was developed. Major elements (Na, K, Ca and Mg) were measured by ICP-AES and minor and trace elements (Li, Be, B, Al, Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, As, Se, Rb, Sr, Y, Mo, Cd, Sn, Sb, Cs, Ba, La, Ce, W, Tl, Pb, Bi, Th and U) were measured by ICP-MS using a collision cell instrument operated in multitune mode. An analysis of variance (ANOVA test) indicated that group means for B, Cr, Fe, Ni, Cu, Se, Cd, Cs, Ce, W, Pb, Bi and U did not show any significant differences at the 95% confidence level, so these elements were rejected for further statistical analysis. Another group of elements (Li, Be, Sc, Co, Ga, Y, Sn, Sb, La, Tl, Th) was removed from the data set because concentrations were close to the limits of detection for many samples. Therefore, the remaining elements (Na, Mg, Al, K, Ca, Ti, V, Mn, Zn, As, Rb, Sr, Mo, Ba) together with ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr isotope abundance ratio were considered for principal component analysis (PCA) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA). Finally, LDA was able to classify correctly 100% of cider samples coming from different Spanish regions, France, England and Switzerland when considering Na, Mg, Al, K, Ca, Ti, V, Mn, Zn, As, Rb, Sr, Mo, Ba and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr isotope abundance ratio as original variables.     

Determination of minor, trace and toxic elements in chewing tobacco products by instrumental neutron activation analysis and identification of glutamic acid

Tobacco smoking/chewing has been a cause of concern because of it being related with oral cancer. It causes stimulation and ill physiological effects. Ten different brands of spit tobacco, eight gutkaas and five paan masalas have been analyzed for seven minor (Al, Na, K, Ca, Cl, Mg, and P) and 17 trace (As, Ba, Br, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Eu, Fe, Hg, La, Mn, Rb, Sb, Sc, Th, and Zn) elements by instrumental neutron activation analysis. Also Ni and Pb were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Concentration of Cd was below detection limit (<10?mg?kg^?1) in the tobacco samples. Mg, generally added as MgCO₃ to prevent caking, is present as minor constituent in spit tobacco and gutkaas but is below detection limit (<1?g?kg^?1) in paan masalas. Most elemental concentrations vary in a wide range depending on the nature of chewing tobacco. Spit tobacco has been found to be more enriched in essential elements (Ca, K, Na, P, Mn, and Rb), whereas gutkaas contain higher concentrations of Fe, Cr, Cu, and Zn. Paan masalas contain lower contents of other elements but higher content of Hg. Gutkaas also contain higher amounts of As and Pb. Further glutamic acid has been separated from tobacco leaves and characterized as it might bind with some elements.     

藏药材白花龙胆花中微量元素的分析

对藏药材白花龙胆花中17种微量元素（Cu、Zn、Fe、Mn、Co、Ni、Se、Cr、Mg、Ca、K、Na、P、As、Hg、Pb、Cd）的含量作了测定。结果表明,白花龙胆花中含有较高的人体必需微量元素和常量元素,其中常量元素K、Ca、Na、Mg和微量元素Zn、Fe、Mn的含量均较高。     

Findings of national proficiency test exercise for the determination of trace elements in edible mushroom reference material

This paper presents the results of the proficiency test exercise conducted in Pakistan for the determination of trace elements in mushroom reference material. Thirteen laboratories from different organizations of the country submitted trace elemental data on Al, As, Br, Ca, Cd, Ce, Cl, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Fe, Hg, K, Li, Mg, Mn, Na, P, Pb, Rb Sc, Si, Sm, Sr, Th, Zn. Results for Al, As, Br, Ca, Cd, Cl, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Rb Sc, and Zn, in the mushroom material were reported by two or more participating laboratories and could be subjected to statistical evaluation. The original data of these trace elements was subjected to a computer program “Histo Version 2.1” provided by IAEA. The four outlier tests, i.e., Dixon, Grubbs, skewness and kurtosis were applied to the data sets. Consensus (overall) mean values, absolute standard deviation, relative standard deviation, standard error, median and range of values for these elements have been reported at a significance level of 0.05.     

不同产地高良姜无机元素含量的比较

用等离子体发射光谱法测定了三个不同产地高良姜的元素含量，在２７种被测元素中，除Ａｓ、Ｂｅ、Ｃｒ、Ｍｏ、Ｐｂ、Ｓｂ、Ｔｌ７种元素未被检出外，三个产地的高良姜均含有Ａｇ、Ａｌ、Ｂ、Ｂａ、Ｃａ、Ｃｄ、Ｃｏ、Ｃｕ、Ｆｅ、Ｍｇ、Ｍｎ、Ｎａ、Ｎｉ、Ｓｅ、Ｓｉ、Ｖ、Ｚｎ、Ｋ、Ｐ、Ｓ２０种元素，湛江产的高良姜大多数元素的含量要高于其它两地。Ｚｎ和Ｍｎ两种人体必需微量元素的含量较丰富。     

松口蘑中微量元素的测定

采用火焰原子吸收法同时测定了松口蘑中K、Ca、Na、Mg、Fe、Pb、Cd、Co、Cr、Zn、Mn、Cu等12种元素的含量。方法的相对标准偏差在0.08％－2.32％范围,回收率在97.1%－108.3%范围。结果表明,在三种松口蘑样品中,除含有较高的K、Na、Ca、Mg和一定量的有害元素Cd、Pb外,其余6种对人体有益的微量元素较为丰富。     

Major elements as possible factors of trace element urban pedochemical anomalies

The relationship between real total contents of the major elements Na, Mg, Al, Si, P, S, K, Ca, Ti, Fe and the trace elements Ag, As, B, Ba, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, Se, Sn, V, U, Zn in topsoil from the central part of Vilnius is analysed. The amounts of most elements were determined by energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence, while amounts of Ag, B, Co were measured by optical atomic emission spectrophotometry. Two factors were distinguished according to major elements: anthropogenic (A) including Ca, Mg, Fe, P, S and clayey (C) including K, Al, Ti. Boron, Mn, Cr and U are significantly correlated with members of both factors, Sb with none of them and other trace elements either with all (Cu, Zn, Pb, Se, Ba, Ni, Co) or with separate (V, Ag, Sn, Mo, As) members of the A-factor. Only B, Mn, Cr, U (partly their additive index Z1) are influenced by the C-factor, while twelve other trace elements (also their additive index Z2) are influenced by the A-factor. The additive index Z of all 17 elements is also affected by the A-factor. Four groups of sites have been distinguished according to normal or higher contents of both factors. The majority of trace element anomalies are related to the sites affected by the A-factor.     

Assessment of trace elements characteristics and human health risk of exposure to ambient PM2.5 in Hangzhou,China

A method for simultaneously determining the trace elements in particulate matter (PM) (PM2.5) by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry was established. The PM2.5-loaded filter samples were digested under the optimised conditions including a mixture of HNO₃–HCl–HF with ultrasonication proceeding at 70°C for 2 h. Recoveries of 90.83–103.33% were achieved for 20 elements (Co, Sr, Ag, Cd, Sb, La, Ce, Sm, W etc.) in NIST standard reference material 1648a (urban PM). PM2.5 samples were collected at urban site in Hangzhou from August 2015 to November 2015. PM2.5 concentrations of 15% sampling days exceeded the daily limitation and the mean concentrations of PM2.5 from August to November reached the 66.4% of the limitation. PM2.5 concentrations in summer were higher than that in autumn. The concentration of Zn was highest, following with Al, Pb, Mn, Cu and As. Significant enrichment was observed in Mn, Zn, Pb, Ag, V, Ni, Cu, As, Se, Hg, Co, Cd and W, which was probably induced by vehicular exhaust, oil and residual fuel combustion and industrial emissions. The daily mass concentrations of PM2.5 and elements fluctuated significantly. Rainfall could significantly reduce the concentration of Ti, Mn, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Hg, Sr, Ag, Cd, Sb, La, Ce, Sm and Pb, and the risk levels of carcinogenic elements and non-carcinogenic elements in rain day were significantly lower (43.7–81.4%) than those in non-rain day. The risk levels of Co, Cd and As could lead to adverse health outcomes through the respiratory system, which should deserve more attention, while the risk levels of Ni and non-carcinogenic elements (Hg, Mn, Cu, Zn, Pb, V) were under average risk acceptance.