Determination of urinary arsenic and impact of dietary arsenic intake

An analytical method based on microwave decomposition and flow injection analysis (FIA) coupled to hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry (HGAAS) is described. This is used to differentiate arsenite [As(III)], arsenate [As(V)], monomethylarsonic acid (MMA) and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) from organoarsenic compounds usually present in seafood. Without microwave digestion, direct analysis of urine by HGAAS gives the total concentration of As(III), As(V), MMA and DMA because organoarsenic compounds such as arsenobetaine, usually found in most seafood, are not reducible upon treatment with borohydride and therefore cannot be determined by using the hydride generation technique. The microwave oven digestion procedure with potassium persulfate and sodium hydroxide as decomposition reagents completely decomposes all arsenicals to arsenate and this can be measured by HGASS. Microwave decomposition parameters were studied to achieve efficient decomposition and quantitative recovery of arsenobetaine spiked into urine samples. The method is applied to the determination of urinary arsenic and is useful for the assessment of occupational exposure to arsenic without intereference from excess organoarsenicals due to the consumption of seafood. Analysis of urine samples collected from an individual who ingested some seafood revealed that organoarsenicals were rapidly excreted in urine. After the ingestion of a 500-g crab, a 10-fold increase of total urinary arsenic was observed, due to the excretion of organoarsenicals. The maximum arsenic concentration was found in the urine samples collected approximately between 4 to 17 hr after eating seafood. However, the ingestion of organoarsenic-containing seafoods such as crab, shrimp and salmon showed no effect on the urinary excretion of inorganic arsenic, MMA and DMA.     

Determination of urinary arsenic species using an on-line nano-TiO2 photooxidation device coupled with microbore LC and hydride generation-ICP-MS system

We have developed an on-line digestion device-based on the nano-TiO₂-catalyzed photooxidation of arsenic species—for coupling between microbore anion-exchange chromatography (μ-LC) and hydride generation (HG)-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) systems that can be used for the determination of urinary arsenic species. To maximize the signal intensities of the desired arsenic species, we optimized the photocatalytic oxidation efficiency of the analyte species and developed a rapid on-line pre-reduction process for converting the oxidized species into As(III) prior to HG-ICP-MS determination. Under the optimized conditions for the nano-TiO₂-catalyzed photooxidation-i.e., using 1 g of nano-TiO₂ per-liter, at pH 5.2, and illuminating for 3 min- As(III), monomethylarsenoic acid (MMA), and dimethylarseinic acid (DMA) can be converted quantitatively into As(V). To attain maximal hydride generation efficiency, 0.5% Na₂S₂O₄ solution, which can reduce As(V) to As(III) virtually instantaneously upon on-line mixing, was added as a pre-reductant prior to performing the HG step. In light of all the HG efficiency of tested arsenicals were improved and a segmented-flow technique was employed to avoid the loss of peak resolution when using our proposed on-line μ-LC-UV/nano-TiO₂/HG-ICP-MS, the detection limits for As(III), MMA, DMA, and As(V) were all in the range of sub-microgram-per-liter (based on 3 sigma). A series of validation experiments-analysis of neat and spiked urine samples-indicated that our proposed methods can be applied satisfactorily to the determination of As(III), MMA, DMA, and As(V) in urine samples.     

Determination of toxic and non-toxic arsenic species in urine by microwave assisted mineralization and hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry

Flow injection — microwave oven — hydride generation — atomic absorption spectroscopy (FI-MO-HG-AAS) has been optimized for the determination of the total and toxic arsenic in urine with and without persulfate, respectively. With microwave oven assisted digestion of urine with 5% (w/v) K₂S₂O₈ and 5% (w/v) NaOH all arsenicals completely can be converted to arsenate, which is determined by HG-AAS to give the total concentration of the six species present in urine. The detection limits of 4–6 g l^–1, the relative standard deviation of 3–7% and the high sample throughput make the methods suitable for rapid routine on-line determination. Application of the proposed procedures to the analysis of urine from people on a diet rich in seafood revealed a significant increase in total urinary arsenic due to the rapid excretion of organoarsenicals. Efficient decomposition and quantitative recovery of all arsenic species in spiked urine is achieved by using 5% K₂S₂O₈ in 5% NaOH at 4.6 ml min^–1, microwave power of 700 W and a 1.5 m coil.     

Routine clinical determination of lead,arsenic, cadmium,and thallium in urine and whole blood by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

For the measurement of As, Cd, Pb, and Tl in urine or whole blood, judicious choices of internal standard elements for matrix correction and the development of a refined isobaric arsenic correction are necessary to produce accurate ICP-MS results. Ga and Rh are chosen as internal standards for As and Cd respectively. Bi is better for the correction of Pb and Tl than Re. An empirically derived equation relating the measurement of ¹⁶O³⁵Cl to the ⁴⁰Ar³⁵Cl contribution to the arsenic signal at mass 75 is refined by measuring the responses at mass 51 and 75 for urines with added hydrochloric acid. Overall, ICP-MS results for blood and urine are within 6% of Zeeman GFAAS results for patient samples. For surveys, the overall average of ICP-MS results is within 3% of target.     

Determination of inorganic arsenic species As(III) and As(V) by high performance liquid chromatography with hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry detection

The paper presents the principles and advantages of a technique combining high performance liquid chromatography and hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry (HPLC-HGAAS) applied to speciation analysis of inorganic species of arsenic As(III) and As(V) in ground water samples. With separation of the arsenic species on an ion-exchange column in the chromatographic system and their detection by the hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry, the separation of the analytical signals of the arsenic species was excellent at the limits of determination of 1.5 ng/ml As(III) and 2.2 ng/ml As(V) and RSD of 4.3% and 7.8% for the concentration of 25 ng/ml. The hyphenated technique has been applied for determination of arsenic in polluted ground water in the course of the study on migration of micropollutants. For total arsenic concentration two independent methods: HGICP-OES and HGAAS were used for comparison of results of real samples analysis.     

Minimization of volatile nitrogen oxides interference in the determination of arsenic by hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry

In this study emphasis was given to minimize the interference of volatile nitrogen oxides from digestion procedures with nitric acid on the determination of arsenic by hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry (HG AAS). Sulfamic acid (SA) is proposed to minimize this interference by employing three procedures for the digestion of hair in closed systems: conventional and microwave (MW) heating in polytetrafluorethylene (PTFE) vessels and by MW heating in glass vials. Hair samples were digested with H₂SO₄+HNO₃ or HNO₃+H₂O₂ mixtures. Concentrated hydrochloric acid was added for the digestion for the procedure in glass vials. The accuracy of the procedures with PTFE vessels was verified by the spike recoveries of organic (p-aminobenzenearsonic acid and dimethyl arsinic acid, from 92 to 101%) and inorganic (sodium arsenate, from 98 to 102%) arsenic compounds. For the procedure in glass vials the recovery was from 86 to 97% for organic As and from 97 to 102% for inorganic As. The results obtained for a certified hair reference material using the three digestion procedures were well within the 95% confidence interval of the certificate when SA was added to the solutions. However, when SA was not added, recoveries were low and non-reproducible signals and high background levels were observed. Urea, benzoic acid and hydroxylamine hydrochloride were also studied (maximum As recovery of 90% using hydroxylamine hydrochloride) but the best results were obtained with use of SA.     

Comparison of sample digestion procedures for the determination of arsenic in certified marine samples using the FI-HG-AAS-technique

 High-pressure digestion and a closed-vessel microwave heated system, both employing a mixture of nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide as digesting agent, were tested for decomposing the certified samples of BCR 278 mussel tissue (Mytilus edulis) and of BCR 422 cod muscle to determine arsenic by use of FI-HG-AAS. While the microwave system is insufficient to mineralize arsenic in marine samples (arsenic recoveries of 13±10% in BCR 278, 2±1% in BCR 422; n=4), high-pressure ashing at 300 °C results in recovery percentages of 56±15% (n=4) in mussel tissue (BCR 278) and of 25±10% (n=4) in cod muscle (BCR 422). A dry ashing procedure is given as a reference digestion, yielding complete recoveries of arsenic for both materials. The nitrite interference arising during measurement can be entirely overcome by using an amino sulfuric acid concentration of about 350 mmol/L in the solutions for measurement. Received: 30 April 1996/Revised: 12 July 1996/Accepted: 16 July 1996     

Determination of Inorganic and Total Arsenic in Wines by Hydride Generation Atomic Absorption Spectrometry

A method is described for the determination of inorganic arsenic species and total arsenic in wines by means of hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry (HGAAS). Simple ethanol evaporation is the only pretreatment procedure proposed for wine samples prior to direct measurement of inorganic arsenic (AsIII) and As(V) species by HGAAS. The total arsenic content is determined after microwave digestion of the wine samples. The optimal parameters for the microwave digestion procedure and the next HGAAS measurement of arsenic are established. The detection limits achieved are 0.1µgL^–1 for inorganic and total arsenic determination. The relative standard deviation for both procedures and for ten independent determinations varied between 8 and 15% for arsenic species in the range of 1–30µgL^–1. The accuracy of the procedure for total arsenic determination was proved by comparative analysis using electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry.     

Influence of EDTA,carboxylic acids,amino- and hydroxocarboxylic acids and monosaccharides on the generation of arsines in hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry

The influence of EDTA, carboxylic acids, amino-and hydroxocarboxylic acids, monosaccharides and humic substances on the generation of arsines in hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry (HGAAS) was investigated. EDTA (0.02 mol L⁻¹), ascorbic acid (0.02 mol L⁻¹) and glucose or fructose (0.2 mol L⁻¹) are useful additives for levelling sensitivities for As(III), monomethylarsonate (MMA) and dimethylarsinate (DMA). The presence of glycine, malonic, tartaric acids, BICIN and soil humin extracts leads to differences in analytical signal response between these arsenic species. An analytical application to the determination of the sum of As(III), monomethylarsonate (MMA) and dimethylarsinate (DMA) as well as the sum of toxicologically relevant hydride forming arsenic fraction As(III) + As(V) + MMA + DMA in EDTA soil/sediment extracts using continuous flow HGAAS was demonstrated. The limit of detection was 0.2 mg kg⁻¹ As. Within-day and between-day precision were in the range 3–7% and 4–10%, respectively, for arsenic contents of 0.7–25 mg kg⁻¹, with recoveries 95–103%.      

Arsenic speciation based on ion exchange high-performance liquid chromatography hyphenated with hydride generation atomic fluorescence and on-line UV photo oxidation

An on-line method capable of the separation of arsenic species was developed for the speciation of arsenite As(III), arsenate As(V), monomethylarsenic (MMA) and dimethylarsenic acid (DMA) in biological samples. The method is based on the combination of high-performance liquid chromatograph (HPLC) for separation, UV photo oxidation for sample digestion and hydride generation atomic fluorescence spectrometry (HGAFS) for sensitive detection. The best separation results were obtained with an anion-exchange AS11 column protected by an AG11 guard column, and gradient elution with NaH₂PO₄ and water as mobile phase. The on-line UV photo oxidation with 1.5% K₂S₂O₈ in 0.2 mol L^–1 NaOH in an 8 m PTFE coil for 40 s ensures the digestion of organoarsenic compounds. Detection limits for the four species were in the range of 0.11–0.15 ng (20 μL injected). Procedures were validated by analysis of the certified reference materials GBW09103 freeze-dried human urine and the results were in good agreement with the certified values of total arsenic concentration. The method has been successfully applied to speciation studies of blood arsenic species with no need of sample pretreatment. Speciation of arsenic in blood samples collected from two patients after the ingestion of realgar-containing drug reveals slight increase of arsenite and DMA, resulting from the digestion of realgar.     

Can sample treatments based on advanced oxidation processes assisted by high-intensity focused ultrasound be used for toxic arsenic determination in human urine by flow-injection hydride-generation atomic absorption spectrometry?

Two advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), based on high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), namely, KMnO₄/HCl/HIFU and H₂O₂/HCl/HIFU are studied and compared for the determination of toxic arsenic in human urine [As(III) + As(V) + MMA + DMA] by flow-injection hydride-generation atomic absorption spectrometry (FI-HG-AAS). The KMnO₄/HCl/HIFU procedure was found to be adequate for organic matter degradation in human urine. l-cysteine (letra minuscula) was used for As reduction to the trivalent state. The new procedure was assessed with seven urines certified in different As species. Results revealed that with KMnO₄/HCl/HIFU plus l-cysteine the toxic arsenic can be accurately measured in human urine whilst the H₂O₂/HCl/HIFU procedure underestimates toxic As. DMA and MMA degradation in urine were observed, due to the effects of the ultrasonic field. Recoveries for As(III), As(V), MMA and DMA were within the certified ranges. Arsenobetaine was not degraded by the AOPs. The new procedure adheres well to the principles of analytical minimalism: (i) low reagent consumption, (ii) low reagent concentration, (iii) low waste production and (iv) low amount of time required for sample preparation and analysis.     

The separation of arsenic species in soils and plant tissues by anion-exchange chromatography with inductively coupled mass spectrometry using various mobile phases

Anion-exchange chromatography (Hamilton, PRP-X100) with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) is commonly used for the speciation of arsenic in environmental and biological samples. However, retentions for As species are frequently different because of the use of widely different mobile phases. In addition, chloride in matrices interferes with arsenic determination. In this study, we systematically investigated various mobile phases based on ammonium salts affecting arsenic retention to eliminate chloride interference chromatographically. Hence, various mobile phases based on ammonium salts, including NH₄H₂PO₄, NH₄HPO₄, NH₄Ac, NH₄HCO₃ and NH₄NO₃, were examined for reasonable resolution and to separate chloride from arsenic species. The best result was obtained with a mobile phase containing 30 mM NH₄H₂PO₄ at pH 5.6, where the separation of arsenic species, including arsenite [As(III)], arsenate [As(V)], dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) and monomethylarsonic acid (MMA)], was achieved within 9 minutes with reasonable resolution and free of chloride interference at its high level (500 mg L^− 1). The detection limits for the arsenic species were in the range of 0.1-0.3 μg L^− 1 with a direct injection of sample without removing matrix. Finally, the proposed method was used for the determination of arsenic species in contaminated soil and plant tissues.     

Determination of trace elements in coal and coal fly ash by joint-use of ICP-AES and atomic absorption spectrometry

Microwave-acid digestion (MW-AD) followed by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES), graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS), and hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry (HGAAS) were examined for the determination of various elements in coal and coal fly ash (CFA). Eight certified reference materials (four coal samples and four CFA samples) were tested. The 10 elements (As, Be, Cd, Co, Cr, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sb, and Se), which are described in the Clean Air Act Amendments (CAAA), were especially considered. For coal, the HF-free MW-AD followed by ICP-AES was successful in the determination of various elements except for As, Be, Cd, Sb, and Se. These elements (except for Sb) were well-determined by use of GFAAS (Be and Cd) and HGAAS (As and Se). For CFA, the addition of HF in the digestion acid mixture was needed for the determination of elements, except for As, Sb, and Se, for which the HF-free MW-AD was applicable. The use of GFAAS (Be and Cd) or HGAAS (Sb and Se) resulted in the successful determination of the elements for which ICP-AES did not work well. The protocol for the determination of the 10 elements in coal and CFA by MW-AD followed by the joint-use of ICP-AES, GFAAS, and HGAAS was established.     

Selective extraction of morphine from biological fluids by magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers and determination using UHPLC with diode array detection

The determination of morphine concentration in the blood and urine is necessary for patients and recruitment purposes. Herein, a magnetic molecularly imprinted polymer for selective and efficient extraction of morphine from biological samples was synthesized by using a core–shell method. Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles were coated with SiO₂‐NH₂. The molecularly imprinted polymer was coated on the Fe₃O₄/SiO₂‐NH₂ surface by the copolymerization of methacrylic acid and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate in the presence of morphine as the template molecule. The morphological and magnetic properties of the polymer were investigated. Field‐emission scanning electron microscopy indicated that the prepared magnetic polymer is almost uniform. The saturation magnetization values of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles, Fe₃O₄/SiO₂‐NH₂, and the magnetic polymer were 48.41, 31.69, and 13.02 emu/g, respectively, indicating that all the particles are superparamagnetic. Kinetics of the adsorption of morphine on magnetic polymer were well described by second‐order kinetic and adsorption processes and well fitted by the Langmuir adsorption isotherm, in which the maximum adsorption capacity was calculated as 28.40 mg/g. The recoveries from plasma and urine samples were in the range of 84.9–105.5 and 94.9–102.8%, respectively. By using the magnetic molecularly imprinted polymer, morphine can selectively, reliably, and in low concentration be determined in biological samples with high‐performance liquid chromatography and UV detection.     

Ti (IV) modified vinyl phosphate magnetic nanoparticles for simultaneous preconcentration of multiple arsenic species from chicken samples followed by HPLC-ICP-MS analysis

Ti (IV)-modified vinyl phosphate magnetic nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄@SiO₂@KH570-PO₄-Ti (IV)) was prepared for simultaneous extraction of multiple arsenic species, followed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)– inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) analysis. Inorganic arsenic (iAs), dimethyl arsenic acid (DMA), monomethyl arsenic acid (MMA), p-amino phenyl arsenic acid (p-ASA), 4-hdroxyphenylarsenic acid (4-OH), phenyl arsenic acid (PAA), and 3-nitro-4-hydroxyphenylarsenic acid (ROX) were investigated as interest analytes. It was found that they were quantitatively adsorbed on Fe₃O₄@SiO₂@KH570-PO₄-Ti (IV) at pH 5, and desorbed completely with 0.1 mol/L sodium hydroxide solution. Enrichment factor of 100-fold was obtained by consuming 100 mL sample solution. Under the optimal conditions, the method combining MSPE with HPLC-ICP-MS presented a linear range of 1–5000 ng/L for seven arsenic species. The limits of detection were 0.39, 0.60, 0.23, 1.85, 0.54, 0.48, and 0.84 ng/L for DMA, MMA, p-ASA, iAs, 4-OH, PAA, ROX, with the relative standard deviations (c = 10 ng/L, n = 7) of 3.6, 3.9, 5.5, 12.4, 6.1, 5.8, 5.0, respectively. The accuracy of the method was validated by analyzing BCR 627 Tuna fish. The application potential of the method was further evaluated by chicken muscle and liver samples. No target arsenic species were detected in these samples, and good recoveries (80.6–123%) were obtained for the spiked samples at low, medium, and high concentration levels.     

Simultaneous separation and determination of six arsenic species in rice by anion‐exchange chromatography with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

The simultaneous separation and determination of arsenite As(III), arsenate As(V), monomethylarsonic acid (MMA), dimethylarsinic acid (DMA), arsenobetaine (AsB), and arsenocholine (AsC) in rice samples have been carried out in one single anion‐exchange column run by high‐performance liquid chromatography with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. To estimate the effect of variables on arsenic (As) speciation, the chromatographic conditions including type of competing anion, ionic strength, pH of elution buffer, and flow rate of mobile phase have been investigated by a univariate approach. Under the optimum chromatographic conditions, baseline separation of six As species has been achieved within 10 min by gradient elution program using 4 mM NH₄HCO₃ at pH 8.6 as mobile phase A and 4 mM NH₄HCO₃, 40 mM NH₄NO₃ at pH 8.6 as mobile phase B. The method detection limits for As(III), As(V), MMA, DMA, AsB, and AsC were 0.4, 0.9, 0.2, 0.4, 0.5, and 0.3 μg/kg, respectively. The proposed method has been applied to separation and quantification of As species in real rice samples collected from Hunan Province, China. The main As species detected in all samples were As(III), As(V) and DMA, with inorganic As accounting for over 80% of total As in these samples.     

Interpretation of inorganic arsenic metabolism in humans in the light of observations made in vitro and in vivo in the rat

The toxicity of inorganic trivalent arsenic for living organisms is reduced by in vivo methylation of the element. In man, this biotransformation leads to the synthesis of monomethylarsonic (MMA) and dimethylarsinic (DMA) acids, which are efficiently eliminated in urine along with the unchanged form (As_i). In order to document the methylation process in humans, the kinetics of As_i, MMA and DMA elimination were studied in volunteers given a single dose of one of these three arsenicals or repeated doses of As_i. The arsenic methylation efficiency was also assessed in subjects acutely intoxicated with arsenic trioxide (As₂O₃) and in patients with liver diseases. Several observations in humans can be explained by the properties of the enzymic systems involved in the methylation process which we have characterized in vitro and in vivo in rats as follows: (1) production of As_i metabolites is catalyzed by an enzymic system whose activity is highest in liver cytosol; (2) different enzymic activities, using the same methyl group donor (S-adenosylmethionine), lead to the production of mono- and di-methylated derivatives which are excreted in urine as MMA and DMA; (3) dimethylating activity is highly sensitive to inhibition by excess of inorganic arsenic; (4) reduced glutathione concentration in liver moderates the arsenic methylation process through several mechanisms, e.g. stimulation of the first methylation reaction leading to MMA, facilitation of As_i uptake by hepatocytes, stimulation of the biliary excretion of the element, reduction of pentavalent forms before methylation, and protection of a reducing environment in the cells necessary to maintain the activity of the enzymic systems.     

Quantitative Speciation of Arsenic in Water and Sediment Samples from the Mokolo River in Limpopo Province,South Africa

The Mokolo River is disposed to environmental contaminants such as arsenic (As) due to its proximity to several anthropogenic activities. Speciation of As in water and sediment samples from Mokolo River is crucial to evaluate the level and distribution of As in the river and underlying sediment since toxicity depends on its chemical forms. In this study, As species in water and sediment were determined by developing a new method for sediment extraction. Effective microwave-assisted extraction of As species in sediment samples was achieved using 0.3?M (NH₄)₂HPO₄ and 50?mM EDTA, which showed no species interconversion during extraction. The chromatographic separation and detection of As(III), dimethylarsinic acid (DMA), monomethylarsonic acid, and As(V) in water and sediment samples were achieved by coupling to high-performance liquid chromatography to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Baseline separation of four As species was achieved in 12?min using gradient elution with 10 and 60?mM NH₄NO₃ at pH 8.7 as the mobile phase. The analytical figures of merit and validation of analytical procedures were assessed and adequate performance and percentage recoveries ranging from 81.1 to 102% for water samples and 73.0–92.0% for sediments were achieved. The As species concentration in water and sediment samples was found to be in the range of 0.304–4.99?µg?L^?1 and 74.0–92.0?ng?g^?1, respectively. DMA was not detected in both water and sediment samples.     

Oxalate-2-ethanolamine complexes of some bivalent cations (Mn,Co, Ni,Cu, Zn and Cd)

On the refluxing ofM(II) oxalate (M=Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn or Cd) and 2-ethanolamine in chloroform, the following complexes were obtained: MnC₂O₄·HOCH₂CH₂NH₂·H₂O, CoC₂O₄·2HOCH₂CH₂NH₂, Ni₂(C₂O₄)₂·5HOCH₂CH₂NH₂·3H₂O, Cu₂(C₂O₄)₂·5HOCH₂CH₂NH₂, Zn₂(C₂O₄)₂·5HOCH₂CH₂NH₂·2H₂O and Cd₂(C₂O₄)₂·HOCH₂CH₂NH₂·2H₂O. Following the reaction ofM(II) oxalate with 2-ethanolamine in the presence of ethanolammonium oxalate, a compound with the empirical formula ZnC₂O₄·HOCH₂CH₂NH₂·2H₂O¹ was isolated. The complexes were identified by using elemental analysis, X-ray powder diffraction patterns, IR spectra, and thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis. The IR spectra and X-ray powder diffraction patterns showed that the complexes obtained were not isostructural. Their thermal decompositions, in the temperature interval between 20 and about 900°C, also take place in different ways, mainly through the formation of different amine complexes. The DTA curves exhibit a number of thermal effects.     

Microwave muffle furnace assisted decomposition of vegetable samples for flame atomic spectrometric determination of Ca, Mg, K, Fe, Mn and Zn

Summary Calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, manganese and zinc can be accurately determined in vegetable samples by flame atomic absorption and flame emission spectrophotometry after a previous dry ashing of the sample in a microwave muffle furnace. This treatment is carried out in 45 min using a new accessory developed by us to obtain high temperatures on a domestic microwave oven. Sample ashes, obtained in the muffle, are diluted with nitric acid and the obtained slurry is introduced directly into an air-C₂H₂ flame for the analysis of Fe, Mn, and Zn, or injected into a double-channel FIA manifold to determine Ca, Mg and K. The obtained results agree with those certified and also with those obtained by a previous dry ashing in a conventional muffle furnace and they are more precise for all the determined elements.Presented at the XXVII CSI in Bergen (Norway), June 1991