Simultaneous determination of cadmium and lead in wine by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

A method has been developed for the direct simultaneous determination of Cd and Pb in white and red wine by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ET-AAS) using a transversely heated graphite tube atomizer (THGA) with longitudinal Zeeman-effect background correction. The thermal behavior of both analytes during pyrolysis and atomization stages were investigated in 0.028 mol l⁻¹ HNO₃ and in 1+1 v/v diluted wine using mixtures of Pd(NO₃)₂+Mg(NO₃)₂ and NH₄H₂PO₄+Mg(NO₃)₂ as chemical modifiers. With 5 μg Pd+3 μg Mg as the modifiers and a two-step pyrolysis (10 s at 400°C and 10 s at 600°C), the formation of carbonaceous residues inside the atomizer was avoided. For 20 μl of sample (wine+0.056 mol l⁻¹ HNO₃, 1+1, v/v) dispensed into the graphite tube, analytical curves in the 0.10–1.0 μg l⁻¹ Cd and 5.0–50 μg l⁻¹ Pb ranges were established. The characteristic mass was approximately 0.6 pg for Cd and 33 pg for Pb, and the lifetime of the tube was approximately 400 firings. The limits of detection (LOD) based on integrated absorbance (0.03 μg l⁻¹ for Cd, 0.8 μg l⁻¹ for Pb) exceeded the requirements of Brazilian Food Regulations (decree #55871 from Health Department), which establish the maximum permissible level for Cd at 200 μg l⁻¹ and for Pb at 500 μg l⁻¹. The relative standard deviations (n=12) were typically <8% for Cd and <6% for Pb. The recoveries of Cd and Pb added to wine samples varied from 88 to 107% and 93 to 103%, respectively. The accuracy of the direct determination of Cd and Pb was checked for 10 table wines by comparing the results with those obtained for digested wine using single-element ET-AAS, which were in agreement at the 95% confidence level.     

Iridium as permanent modifier in the determination of lead in whole blood and urine by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

The behavior of Iridium as a thermally deposited permanent modifier for the determination of lead by GFAAS was studied. The iridium coating procedure was optimized using a two-level factorial design. Using the optimized coating procedure, up to 1100 firings were possible with the same coating without sensitivity losses. The system was used in the determination of lead in whole blood and urine. A mixture of 0.1% Triton X-100 and 0.2% nitric acid was used as diluent. Pyrolysis temperature was 800°C for both matrices. Spiked, low-level samples were used for calibration. Under these conditions, no significant difference was found in comparison to the results obtained using a validated conventional modification procedure employing phosphate as modifier. Also, good agreement between found and certified/reference values were observed in the analysis of certified and commercial quality control materials, respectively. Such agreement was observed even using a 1100 times fired Ir coated platform–graphite tube assembly.     

Multielement determination of cadmium and lead in urine by simultaneous electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry with an end-capped graphite tube.

A method for the multielement determination of cadmium and lead in urine is proposed by simultaneous electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (SIMAAS) with an end-capped transversely heated graphite atomizer (EC-THGA). The best conditions for cadmium and lead determination were obtained in the presence of NH4H2PO4 as a chemical modifier, using 500 degrees C and 1800 degrees C as the pyrolysis and atomization temperatures, respectively. Urine samples were diluted 1 + 4 directly in autosampler cups with a mixture of 0.125% (w/v) Triton X-100 + 2.5% (v/v) HNO3 + 0.31% (w/v) NH4H2PO4. The optimized heating program was carried out in 57 s, and the instrument calibration was done with aqueous reference solutions. The use of EC-THGA increased the sensitivity of cadmium and lead by 14% and 25%, respectively. The detection limits (n = 20, 3delta) were 0.03 microg L(-1) (0.36 pg) for cadmium and 0.57 microg L(-1) (6.8 pg) for lead. The performance of EC-THGA was acceptable up to 500 heating cycles. The reliability of the entire procedure was checked with the analysis of a lyophilized urine certified reference material. The found concentrations were in agreement with the recommended values (95% confidence level).     

Determination of lead and cadmium in urine by electrothermal atomization atomic absorption spectrometry

The applicability of a DETATA sorbent to the preconcentration of lead and cadmium followed by the determination of these elements in urine using atomic absorption spectrometry with electrothermal atomization was demonstrated. After preconcentration by a factor of 10, the limits of detection were 0.01 and 0.2 μg/L for cadmium and lead, respectively. The accuracy of the results was supported by the analysis of Seronorm Trace Elements Urine (Batch no. 101021).     

On the determination of lead in wine by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

The parameters of analytical procedures developed for direct ETAAS determination of Pb in wine are discussed. Atomic absorption spectrometers based on transversal and longitudinal Zeeman effect, wall and integrated platform atomization with two main approaches: (i) measurements in the presence of modifier and (ii) measurements without using any modifier are compared. The optimal temperature programs are defined according to the pre-treatment and atomization curves constructed in the presence of different types of wines. For all investigated instrumental systems, 1:1 dilution of wine sample with 0.2 mol L⁻¹ HNO₃ is recommended. Matrix interferences observed, call for standard addition calibration method for Pb quantification in wines. The detection limit (3σ) achieved for wine diluted in the ratio of 1:1 varied from 0.8 to 1.9 μg L⁻¹ depending on the instrument used. The relative standard deviation for the concentration range of 10 to 80 μg L⁻¹ Pb in wine is typically between 4–8%. The accuracy of the analytical procedures recommended was confirmed by comparing the results obtained with those found for wine samples previously digested with HNO₃-H₂O₂ mixture, by added/found method and by parallel analysis using different instruments. A total of 66 wine samples from different regions of Macedonia were analyzed.      

Slurry procedures for the determination of cadmium and lead in cereal-based products using electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

Simple and rapid methods for the determination of cadmium and lead in biscuits, bread and cereal-based products using the slurry-ETAAS approach are discussed. Suspensions were prepared in a 20% v/v ethanol medium. Phosphate was used as a chemical modifier for lead determination. For cadmium determination both palladium and a copper plus ammonia mixture were used. In both cases platform atomization was used and calibration was performed using aqueous standards. Results for two reference materials confirmed the reliability of the procedures. Relative standard deviations were in the range of 2.5–6.5% for cadmium and 4.5–14% for lead. Detection limits were, respectively, 0.5 and 8 ng/g.     

Rapid determination of lead and cadmium in biological fluids by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry using Zeeman correction

Procedures for the electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometric determination of lead and cadmium in urine, serum and blood are developed. For serum and blood, the samples are diluted by incorporating 0.015% (w/v) Triton X-100 and 0.1% (w/v) ammonium dihydrogenphosphate to the solutions, which are then introduced directly into the furnace. A solution containing 15% (w/v) hydrogen peroxide and 0.65% (w/v) nitric acid is also introduced into the atomizer by means of a separate injection. Zeeman-based correction is recommended. Both conventional and fast-heating programs are discussed. Calibration is carried out using the standard additions method. The reliability of the procedures is checked by analyzing three certified reference materials and by recovery studies.     

石墨炉原子吸收法快速测定血液中铅和镉

建立了快速测定血液中铅和镉的石墨炉原子吸收光谱法。使用5%硝酸溶液对样品进行脱蛋白处理,然后在旋涡混合器上振摇,离心后取上清液上石墨炉原子吸收进行测定。 结果表明,Pb、Cd工作曲线线性关系良好,相关系数均大于0.9994;方法检出限分别为4.32μg/L和0.27μg/L;Pb的回收率为91.60%～97.31%,镉的回收率为97.04%～98.86%;Pb测定的RSD（n=7）为2.35%,Cd测定的RSD（n=7）为1.53%。冻干牛血铅、镉标准物质GBW09139k和GBW09140k的测定值与参考值吻合。该方法快速准确,精密度、准确度、检出限等测定结果令人满意。可以作为日常血铅、血镉的检测的方法。     

Determination of cadmium and lead in mussels by tungsten coil electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

In this work it was evaluated the determination of Cd and Pb in mussels by tungsten coil electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (TCA-AAS). A critical and comprehensive study of the effects caused by Pd, Mg, ascorbic acid, and binary mixtures of these compounds on the atomization of Cd and Pb in acid digested solutions of mussels was performed. Palladium and mixtures containing it were useful to increase sensitivity and thermal stability of Cd and Pb. Additionally, the coil lifetime was increased and the background signals were decreased in these modifiers. All these favorable effects were analytically exploited to determine Cd and Pb in samples of mussels. The proposed methodology was validated using two certified reference materials (oyster tissue and mussel). No statistical difference was observed between determined and certified values at a 95% confidence level. Cadmium and Pb in Chilean bivalve mussels were determined by TCA and by graphite furnace-AAS. Again, the results showed statistical agreement.     

Determination of lead in whole blood by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry using Zeeman correction and sample stability

Summary A simple, selective and sensitive method was developed based on electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry using Zeeman correction for quantitation of lead, in 100 ml of whole blood sample, as biological indicator for occupational exposure. Confidence parameters and stability of samples were considered. Ashing and atomization temperatures, considered critical, were 700 °C and 1,700 °C, respectively. The levels found during the validation process showed good sensitivity linearity, recovery, precision and accuracy. The stability results presented levels remaining constant for a 15 months period. The variations were not higher than 15% when comparing concentrations in zero time to those obtained after storage period.     

Flow injection micelle-mediated methodology for determination of lead by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

A simple and sensitive flow injection micelle-mediated method was developed for the determination of trace Pb by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometric (ET-AAS). The formation of the analyte-entrapped surfactant micelles by online merging of the analyte solution with O,O-diethyldithiophosphate solution and Triton X-114 solution sequentially, the adsorption of the resultant analyte-entrapped surfactant micelles onto a microcolumn packed with silica gel. The adsorbed analyte was then eluted with methanol and determined by ET-AAS. With consumption of 6.0 mL sample solution, a detection limit of 0.016 μg L⁻¹, and a concentration factor of 21.6 were obtained at a sample throughput of 20 h⁻¹. The relative standard deviation was 5.1% (c = 2.0 ng mL⁻¹, n = 7). The method has been successfully applied to the analysis of trace Pb in water sample with recoveries ranging from 94.0 to 99.0%. The certified reference material was also analyzed for validation, and the determined value obtained was in good agreement with the certified value.     

Hydrogen peroxide in basic media for whole blood sample dissolution for determination of its lead content by electrothermal atomization atomic absorption spectrometry

Hydrogen peroxide in basic media is proposed as a means for dissolving whole blood samples to be analyzed by electrothermal atomization atomic absorption spectrometry, ET AAS. Approximately 2 g of the whole blood sample were directly weighed in a 150 mL volumetric flask; 3 mL of a NaOH 0.2 mol L⁻¹ solution, two drops of 1-octanol, as an antifoaming agent, and 1 mL of 30% volume hydrogen peroxide were added to the flask to promote oxidation. The solution was then manually shaken and after approximately three minutes of shaking, a clear solution, with no apparent suspended solids or greasy layers, was obtained. Distilled-deionized water was used to complete the volume. Ten μL of the resulting solution along with 10 μL of a solution containing 5000 mg L⁻¹ of NH₄H₂PO₄ and 300 mg L⁻¹ of Mg(NO₃)₂ as a modifier, were injected into transversely heated graphite tubes for lead determination. Both aqueous standards and standard addition calibration curves produced results not significantly different at a 95% confidence limit level. Accuracy of the measurements was assessed by analysis of the IAEA A-13 (concentration of trace and minor elements in freeze dried animal blood) standard reference material containing 0.18 mg L⁻¹ lead on a dry basis and by means of recovery tests. Analysis of the IAEA A-13 standard produced 0.17 ± 0.02 mg L⁻¹ lead on a dry basis; recovery tests afforded values from 95 to 105%. Ten consecutive measurements of a 5 ppb lead solution gave a characteristic mass of 47.2 pg and a (3S) detection limit of 1.77 μg L⁻¹ Pb. Results obtained from analysis of whole blood samples of volunteer donors covered a lead concentration range between 8 and 21 μg L⁻¹ with a mean value of 11.9 ± 4.7 μg L⁻¹.     

Determination of lead in blood by tungsten coil electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

A method for the determination of lead in blood using a tungsten coil atomizer is described. A 100 μl volume of the whole blood sample is transferred to a sampler cup containing 100 μl of water plus 300 μl of 0.25% v/v Triton X-100. After lysis of blood cells, 500 μl of 10% w/v trichloroacetic acid is added for protein precipitation and 10 μl of the supernatant solution is automatically delivered into the tungsten coil. The furnace heating program is implemented in 41 s. It is shown by the paired t-test that there is no significant difference at the 5% probability level between results obtained by the proposed method and by using a transversely heated graphite atomizer with a longitudinal Zeeman background correction. Accuracy is also assessed by employing reference materials. The proposed tungsten coil procedure presents a characteristic mass of 15 pg Pb and a detection limit of 1.9 μg Pb dl⁻¹.     

Matrix modification for the direct determination of cadmium in urine by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

Matrix modification with ammonium nitrate, ammonium dihydrogen-phosphate and Triton X-100 proved suitable. Optimization of the graphite furnace parameters allowed cadmium to be quantified at 800°C. The response was 0.1 μgl^-1 for 1% absorption, and the relative standard deviation for consecutive determinations of a urine containing 1.5 μg Cd l^-1 was 4%. Urinary cadmium levels of 0.4–1.8 μg l^-1 were found in five occupationally unexposed persons.     

Determination of cadmium in biological and environmental samples by slurry electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

The retention of cadmium by the bacteria Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas putida was optimized in order to develop a rapid and selective preconcentration method for cadmium from biological and environmental samples prior to determination by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry. Living and lyophilized cells for both bacteria were used, but the method using dead cells shows better analytical capabilities. Cadmium from aqueous solutions is easily retained on the outer membrane of both bacteria in the pH range 4-10, although the selected working pHs for E. coli and P. putida were 5 and 9, respectively. Cadmium retained by the bacteria was dispersed in 3.5 M nitric acid and the slurry was introduced directly into the graphite tube. The best sensitivity and detection limit were obtained for E. coli (0.03 ng ml(-1) and 0.04 ng ml(-1) respectively, in the absence of any chemical modifier). A strong spectral interference from nickel chloride was found and methods to overcome it were developed. The proposed extraction procedure was tested by the determination of cadmium in different standard biological and environmental samples.     

Slurry sampling for determination of lead in marine plankton by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

A slurry sampling method has been developed for the determination of Pb in marine plankton by ETAAS using a freshwater plankton certified reference material (CRM 414). Slurries were prepared in 1–3% m/v range with 1% v/v HNO₃ by ultrasonic agitation for 5 min. The effects of several chemical modifiers, including Ir(NO₃)₂, Mg(NO₃)₂, Pd(NO₃)₂, Pd(NO₃)₂ + Mg(NO₃)₂, and Mg(NO₃)₂ + NH₄H₂PO₄, were investigated for the stabilization of Pb during thermal pretreatment. Lead in slurries was effectively stabilized up to 1000 °C with Ir, Pd and Pd + Mg modifiers among which Pd + Mg provided the best results with complete atomization at 1850 °C. Firings in the presence of Ir were, problematic due to ash formation inside the atomizer. Water, dilute HNO₃ and HF were examined as suspension medium. Dilute HNO₃ (1–2% v/v) proved to be advantageous over water as it afforded extraction of Pb from plankton almost quantitatively in 5 min agitation. Hydrofluoric acid was the least suitable medium. Increasing HF concentration up to 5% v/v resulted in inaccuracy and substantial background absorption. Fast-heating furnace method provided comparable accuracy and precision to that of conventional-heating in slurries of CRM 414. Detection limits and characteristic masses were, respectively, 0.49 μg L^− 1 and 32 pg for the conventional method and 0.62 μg L^− 1 and 37 pg for the fast-heating method. However, fast-heating approach suffered from distorted peaks at high temperatures and incomplete pyrolysis of matrix at lower temperatures. Analysis of marine plankton samples for Pb was performed by using the conventional furnace program. The results showed a high correlation with those obtained by solution ICP-MS. Differences were statistically insignificant within 95% confidence interval.     

Feasibility of using direct determination of cadmium and lead in fresh meat by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry for screening purposes

A method for the direct determination of cadmium and lead in fresh meat for screening purposes is proposed using electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry. The fresh meat samples were homogenized, weighed directly onto solid sampling platforms and introduced into a transversely heated solid sampling graphite tube. The main challenges associated with this procedure, such as weighing errors and optimization of the temperature program were investigated in detail. Calibration was performed against aqueous standards and two modifiers were investigated: 0.05% Pd + 0.03% Mg + 0.05% Triton X-100 and 0.01% Pd + 10% NH₄NO₃ + 0.05% Triton X-100. The former one is recommended due to the higher pyrolysis temperature obtained for cadmium and the better limits of detection of 1.9 μg kg^− 1 for lead and 0.13 μg kg^− 1 for cadmium, based on 10 mg of sample mass. The results obtained for cadmium and lead in two certified reference materials were statistically not different from the certified values on a 95% confidence level, indicating that calibration against aqueous standards is suitable for this application. In order to evaluate weighing errors the fresh samples were dried (at 60 °C) to constant weight; the results obtained with fresh and dried samples were in agreement, taking the loss of weight into consideration for the latter ones. The average relative standard deviation of 14% is in concordance with the results of others using fresh meat. Comparison with the digestion method adopted by the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture shows no significant differences between the results at the 95% confidence level. This study shows that direct analysis of fresh meet can be applied as a rapid routine screening procedure for residue control in products of animal origin, helping the implementation and maintenance of sanitary control.     

Direct determination of arsenic in blood serum by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

A method for the direct determination of arsenic in human blood serum is described. To suppress loss of arsenic by volatilization anal to remove chemical interferences in graphite-furnace atomic absorption spectrometry, the formation of involatile compounds with graphite, or with a matrix modifier is tested. With aqueous solutions, two sorts of interactions between graphite and arsenic are shown. But, in presence of serum, these interactions do not occur, Among 18 matrix modifiers tested, nickel gives the best sensitivity when used at high concentrations in the presence of Triton X-100. The proposed method allows direct arsenic determination, based on calibration with aqueous solutions. The method is applied to the serum of 20 normal subjects. The limit of detection is 0.4 μg l^?1 arsenic.     

Method validation for the determination of lead in raw cow's milk by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

In this study, lead in raw cow's milk has been determined by validated electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS) with Zeeman-effect background correction. Maximum pyrolysis and optimum atomization temperatures of lead were determined in the presence of modifiers. Pd + Mg(NO3)2 has been found a powerful modifier mixture for the determination of lead. The analytical parameters of the method such as limit of detection, limit of quantification and the effect of interfering ions have been investigated. The detection limit (3sigma) achieved by the method was calculated to be 0.62 ng/mL for Pb. Repeatability of the method evaluated as the relative standard deviation of 16-17 replicates using 5 ng/mL, under optimum experimental conditions were about 1.5% for synthetic sample solution and about 3% for real sample (N = 5). The described method has been validated by analyzing certified reference material (BCR-CRM 150) and by comparing the results with those obtained by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The validated method was applied to raw cow's milk samples produced in 7 different regions of Turkey in 2003-2004. Raw cow's milk contained a mean (range) of 31.4 (2.5 - 313) microg kg(-1) lead with a relative error below 2%.