Development and validation of an SPE HG-AAS method for determination of inorganic arsenic in samples of marine origin

The present paper describes a novel method for the quantitative determination of inorganic arsenic (iAs) in food and feed of marine origin. The samples were subjected to microwave-assisted extraction using diluted hydrochloric acid and hydrogen peroxide, which solubilised the analytes and oxidised arsenite (As(III)) to arsenate (As(V)). Subsequently, a pH buffering of the sample extract at pH 6 enabled selective elution of As(V) from a strong anion exchange solid-phase extraction (SPE) cartridge. Hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry (HG-AAS) was applied to quantify the concentration of iAs (sum of As(III) and As(V)) as the total arsenic (As) in the SPE eluate. The results of the in-house validation showed that mean recoveries of 101-104% were achieved for samples spiked with iAs at 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 mg·kg(-1), respectively. The limit of detection was 0.08 mg kg(-1), and the repeatability (RSD(r)) and intra-laboratory reproducibility (RSD(IR)) were less than 8% and 13%, respectively, for samples containing 0.2 to 1.5 mg kg(-1) iAs. The trueness of the SPE HG-AAS method was verified by confirming results obtained by parallel analysis using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. It was demonstrated that the two sets of results were not significantly different (P < 0.05). The SPE HG-AAS method was applied to 20 marine food and feed samples, and concentrations of up to 0.14 mg kg(-1) of iAs were detected.     

SPE HG-AAS method for the determination of inorganic arsenic in rice—results from method validation studies and a survey on rice products

The present paper describes the development, validation and application of a method for inorganic arsenic (iAs) determination in rice samples. The separation of iAs from organoarsenic compounds was done by off-line solid-phase extraction (SPE) followed by hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry (HG-AAS) detection. This approach was earlier developed for seafood samples (Rasmussen et al., Anal Bioanal Chem 403:2825–2834, 2012) and has in the present work been tailored for rice products and further optimised for a higher sample throughput and a lower detection limit. Water bath heating (90 °C, 60 min) of samples with dilute HNO₃ and H₂O₂ solubilised and oxidised all iAs to arsenate (As^V). Loading of buffered sample extracts (pH 6?±?1) followed by selective elution of arsenate from a strong anion exchange SPE cartridge enabled the selective iAs quantification by HG-AAS, measuring total arsenic (As) in the SPE eluate. The in-house validation gave mean recoveries of 101–106 % for spiked rice samples and in two reference samples. The limit of detection was 0.02 mg kg^?1, and repeatability and intra-laboratory reproducibility were less than 6 and 9 %, respectively. The SPE HG-AAS method produced similar results compared to parallel high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) analysis. The SPE separation step was tested collaboratively, where the laboratories (N?=?10) used either HG-AAS or ICP-MS for iAs determination in a wholemeal rice powder. The trial gave satisfactory results (HorRat value of 1.6) and did not reveal significant difference (t test, p?>?0.05) between HG-AAS and ICP-MS quantification. The iAs concentration in 36 rice samples purchased on the Danish retail market varied (0.03–0.60 mg kg^?1), with the highest concentration found in a red rice sample.      

Flow analysis-hydride generation-Fourier transform infrared spectrometry. A new analytical technique for the simultaneous determination of antimony,arsenic and tin

The combination of flow analysis (FA), hydride generation (HG) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometry is proposed as a novel and powerful analytical technique for the individual and simultaneous determination of antimony, arsenic and tin in aqueous samples. The analytes were transformed into the volatile hydride form by on-line reaction with sodium tetrahydroborate in acidic medium. The gaseous analyte hydrides [M(n)H(m), (g)] generated, were transported by means of a carrier gas stream inside the IR gas cell and the corresponding FTIR spectrum was acquired in a continuous mode. The 1893, 1904 and 2115 cm(-1) bands of the SbH3, SnH4, and AsH3 were selected for the determination of antimony, tin and arsenic, respectively. The limit of detection (3sigma) obtained by using a short-path (10 cm) IR gas cell were 0.25, 0.30 and 1.2 mg l(-1) for the determination of antimony, tin and arsenic, respectively; while the precision (relative standard deviation, RSD, n 5) found from a standard solution containing 50 mg l(-1) of each element was, in all cases, less than 0.3%. However, the use of a long-path (7.25 m) IR gas cell improved the figures of merit (sensitivity, limits of detection and quantification) nearly 60-fold. The effect of the main experimental and instrumental variables, such as acidic media, sodium tetraborohydrate concentration, nitrogen flow rate, nominal resolution and the scan accumulation on the analytical signals of the antimony, tin and arsenic hydrides, were studied. Further, the potential of the proposed technique for the simultaneous determination of these elements was tested, analyzing synthetic samples containing different amounts of Sb, Sn and As.     

A field deployable method for a rapid screening analysis of inorganic arsenic in seaweed

Inorganic arsenic (iAs) in 13 store-bought edible seaweed samples and 34 dried kelp (Laminaria digitata) samples was determined by a newly developed, field-deployable method (FDM) with the aid of a field test kit for arsenic in water. Results from the FDM were compared to results from speciation analysis achieved by using high performance liquid chromatography coupled to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (HPLC-ICP-MS). The FDM consisted of a simple extraction method using diluted HNO₃ to quantitatively extract iAs without decomposing the organoarsenicals to iAs followed by the selective volatilisation of iAs as arsine (AsH₃) and subsequent chemo-trapping on a filter paper soaked in mercury bromide (HgBr₂) solution. Method optimization with a sub-set of samples showed 80–94% iAs recovery with the FDM with no matrix effect from organo-arsenic species in the form of dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) on the iAs concentration. The method displayed good reproducibility with an average error of ±19% and validation by HPLC-ICP-MS showed that the results from the FDM were comparable (slope = 1.03, R² = 0.70) to those from speciation analysis with no bias. The FDM can be conducted within an hour and the observed limit of quantification was around 0.05 mg kg^?1 (dry weight). This method is well suited for on-site monitoring of iAs in seaweed before it is harvested and can thus be recommended for use as a screening method for iAs in seaweed.

Open image in new window

Graphical abstract Screening seaweed for their inorganic arsenic concentration within one hour without bias has been made possible in the field by using a field deployable arsenic kit. Its accuracy and precision was compared to HPLC-ICPMS.

     

Determination of tridemorph and other fungicide residues in fruit samples by liquid chromatography-electrospray tandem mass spectrometry

A rapid and sensitive liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS-MS) method for the determination of tridemorph and other pre- and post-harvest fungicides (carbendazim, thiabendazole, imazalil, propiconazole and bitertanol) in banana and orange samples has been developed and validated. The sample preparation was a simple extraction step with acetone using a high-speed blender prior to the injection of the five-fold diluted extract into the LC system with no other previous sample pre-treatment. Quantification was carried out using a matrix matched calibration curve which was linear in the range of 1-100 ng ml(-1) for all the compounds. The limit of quantification was 0.05 mg kg(-1) for all studied compounds, whereas limits of detection ranged between 0.005 and 0.025 mg kg(-1) (0.01 mg kg(-1) for tridemorph). Recoveries for tridemorph from spiked banana and orange samples at 0.05 and 1 mg kg(-1) were satisfactory, with values between 83 and 99% and relative standard deviations (R.S.D.s) lower than 13% (n = 5). For the other fungicides, recoveries between 75 and 95% with R.S.D.s lower than 12% were obtained. The developed method has been applied to the determination of selected fungicides in real samples of bananas and oranges from different origin. Thiabendazole and imazalil have been detected in almost all orange samples analyzed, and in around of 30% of banana samples. Bitertanol residues exceeded the maximum residue level (0.05 mg kg(-1)) in three banana samples while tridemorph was only detected in one sample.     

Determination of inorganic arsenic species in natural waters—Benefits of separation and preconcentration on ion exchange and hybrid resins

A simple method for the separation and determination of inorganic arsenic (iAs) species in natural and drinking water was developed. Procedures for sample preparation, separation of As(III) and As(V) species and preconcentration of the total iAs on fixed bed columns were defined. Two resins, a strong base anion exchange (SBAE) resin and a hybrid (HY) resin were utilized. The inductively-coupled plasma-mass spectrometry method was applied as the analytical method for the determination of the arsenic concentration in water. The governing factors for the ion exchange/sorption of arsenic on resins in a batch and a fixed bed flow system were analyzed and compared. Acidity of the water, which plays an important role in the control of the ionic or molecular forms of arsenic species, was beneficial for the separation; by adjusting the pH values to less than 8.00, the SBAE resin separated As(V) from As(III) in water by retaining As(V) and allowing As(III) to pass through. The sorption activity of the hydrated iron oxide particles integrated into the HY resin was beneficial for bonding of all iAs species over a wide range of pH values from 5.00 to 11.00. The resin capacities were calculated according to the breakthrough points in a fixed bed flow system. At pH 7.50, the SBAE resin bound more than 370 μg g⁻¹ of As(V) while the HY resin bound more than 4150 μg g⁻¹ of As(III) and more than 3500 μg g⁻¹ of As(V). The high capacities and selectivity of the resins were considered as advantageous for the development and application of two procedures, one for the separation and determination of As(III) (with SBAE) and the other for the preconcentration and determination of the total arsenic (with HY resin). Methods were established through basic analytical procedures (with external standards, certified reference materials and the standard addition method) and by the parallel analysis of some samples using the atomic absorption spectrometry-hydride generation technique. The analytical properties of both procedures were similar: the limit of detection was 0.24 μg L⁻¹, the limit of quantification was 0.80 μg L⁻¹ and the relative standard deviations for samples with a content of arsenic from 10.00 to 300.0 μg L⁻¹ ranged from 1.1 to 5.8%. The interference effects of anions commonly found in water and some organic species which can be present in water were found to be negligible. Verification with certified reference materials proved that the experimental concentrations found for model solutions and real samples were in agreement with the certified values.     

蔬菜水果中无机砷测定方法改进研究

研究改进了应用原子荧光法测定蔬菜水果中无机砷的前处理方法,用6 mol/L盐酸在70℃水浴中提取1 h,使试样充分浸提。吸取4 mL浸提液于10 mL容量瓶或具塞刻度试管中,加碘化钾-硫脲混合液1 mL,消泡剂(正辛醇)3~5滴,加水定容后测定试样中的无机砷。方法检出限为干样0.02 mg/kg,鲜样0.01 mg/kg,完全能够满足国家卫生标准限量和农产品认证指标测定的要求。     

Separation and determination of arsenic species in water by selective exchange and hybrid resins

A simple and efficient method for separation and determination of inorganic arsenic (iAs) and organic arsenic (oAs) in drinking, natural and wastewater was developed. If arsenic is present in water prevailing forms are inorganic acids of As(III) and As(V). oAs can be found in traces as monomethylarsenic acid, MMA(V), and dimethylarsenic acid, DMAs(V). Three types of resins: a strong base anion exchange (SBAE) and two hybrid (HY) resins: HY-Fe and HY-AgCl, based on the activity of hydrated iron oxides and a silver chloride were investigated. It was found that the sorption processes (ion exchange, adsorption and chemisorptions) of arsenic species on SBAE (ion exchange) and HY resins depend on pH values of water. The quantitative separation of molecular and ionic forms of iAs and oAs was achieved by SBAE and pH adjustment, the molecular form of As(III) that exists in the water at pH <8.0 was not bonded with SBAE, which was convenient for direct determination of As(III) concentration in the effluent. HY-Fe resin retained all arsenic species except DMAs(V), which makes possible direct measurements of this specie in the effluent. HY-AgCl resin retained all iAs which was convenient for direct determination of oAs species concentration in the effluent. The selective bonding of arsenic species on three types of resins makes possible the development of the procedure for measuring and calculation of all arsenic species in water. In order to determine capacity of resins the preliminary investigations were performed in batch system and fixed bed flow system. Resin capacities were calculated according to breakthrough points in a fixed bed flow system which is the first step in designing of solid phase extraction (SPE) module for arsenic speciation separation and determination. Arsenic adsorption behavior in the presence of impurities showed tolerance with the respect to potential interference of anionic compounds commonly found in natural water. Proposed method was established performing standard procedures: with external standard, certified reference material and standard addition method. Two analytical techniques: the inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and atomic absorption spectroscopy-hydride generation (AAS-GH) were comparatively applied for the determination of arsenic in all arsenic species in water. ICP-MS detection limit was 0.2 μg L⁻¹ and relative standard deviation (RSD) of all arsenic species investigated was between 3.5 and 5.1%.     

Differentiation of the halogen content of peat samples using ion chromatography after combustion (TX/TOX-IC)

The proposed method for the differential AOX analysis of water samples was tested for its applicability to differentiate the halogen content of peat samples. For determination of the total and the total organic-bound chlorine, bromine and iodine, peat samples were combusted, and the combustion gases trapped and analyzed by ion chromatography (TX/TOX-IC). The total and the organically bound chlorine, bromine and iodine, respectively, can be determined by two-fold analysis with deviations of around 10%. With respect to chlorine more than a double determination could be required. The limit of quantification is 20 mg kg(-1) for chlorine, 2 mg kg(-1) for bromine and 1 mg kg(-1) for iodine, if 25 mg of peat is combusted. The most crucial step of the analysis is the inorganic halogen removal, which is necessary if the organically bound fraction is determined. However, there are some uncertainties about the complete removal of the inorganic halides from the solid samples. Thus, the values of the organically bound fraction have to be discussed as maximal concentrations. Nevertheless, we suggest that the applied method can be useful as a tool for studying the fate of halogens in soils.     

高效液相色谱法测定肉制品中甘草抗氧化物的含量

建立了测定肉制品中甘草抗氧化物含量的方法。样品经流动相提取,采用C．8色谱柱分离,以甲醇-0．2mol／L乙酸铵-冰乙酸（体积比70：29：1）为流动相,流速为1．0mL／min,波长为250nm,以保留时间进行定性,峰面积进行定量。甘草酸在1．0-80．0μg／mL范围内线性关系良好,回归方程为y=8．55×10^-5x-0．599（r=0．9997）,检出限为1．0mg／kg,定量限为3．0mg／kg,加标回收率为95．7％-103．4％,测定结果的相对标准偏差为1．57％-3．53％（n=6）。该方法适用于检验机构日常检验中大批量肉制品中甘草抗氧化物含量的测定。     

固相分散萃取与气相色谱-负化学离子源质谱联用法测定食品中三唑醇的残留量

建立了食品中三唑醇残留量的固相分散萃取-气相色谱-负化学离子源质谱联用检测方法。样品中三唑醇残留物由正己烷饱和的乙腈(含1%冰醋酸)提取,加入无水硫酸镁与无水醋酸钠振荡促使提取液分层后进行固相分散萃取净化,用气相色谱-负化学离子源质谱法进行测定与确证,外标法定量。方法具有良好的选择性和抗干扰能力,其检出限和定量限分别为0.001 mg/kg和0.003 mg/kg;线性范围为0.050～0.750 mg/L,相关系数为0.9947;在0.005,0.010,0.020 mg/kg共3个添加水平下的平均回收率为70%～110%,相对标准偏差不大于12.0%。该方法适合于多种食品中三唑醇残留量的确证分析。     

柱前衍生-高效液相色谱法测定调制乳粉中左旋肉碱的含量

建立了柱前衍生-高效液相色谱(HPLC)测定乳制品中左旋肉碱含量的方法。试样经0.1 mol/L盐酸超声提取后,采用阳离子交换固相萃取柱净化,在三乙胺和氯甲酸丁酯的催化下与L-丙酰胺-β-萘胺发生取代反应,使用配有二极管阵列检测器(DAD)的高效液相色谱仪测定,外标法定量。该方法在0.250~50.0 mg/L范围内线性关系良好,线性方程为y=164.4x-11.3,相关系数为0.9998,加标回收率为84.3%~86.0%,相对标准偏差为1.93%~3.18%。该方法的检出限为10 mg/kg,定量限为25 mg/kg。运用该方法对国内20个实际乳粉样品中的左旋肉碱含量进行测定,20个样品中均检出了左旋肉碱,含量为53~163 mg/kg。该方法快速、简便、准确,适用于乳品中左旋肉碱含量的检测。     

Arsenic and antimony determination by on-line flow hydride generation–glow discharge–optical emission detection

Hollow cathode (HC) and conventional flat cathode (FC) glow discharge (GD) optical emission spectrometry (OES) were used as detectors for the determination of arsenic and antimony by on-line hydride generation (HG) in a flow system. Both radiofrequency (rf) and direct current (dc) sources were investigated to produce the discharge. The design of the HC and FC and also the parameters governing the discharge (pressure, He flow rate, voltage, current and delivered power) and the HG (sodium borohydride concentration and reagent flow rates) were investigated using both cathodes. The analytical performance characteristics of HG–GD–OES with HC and FC were evaluated for some emission lines of arsenic (193.7, 200.3, 228.8 and 234.9 nm). The best detection limit (0.2 μg l⁻¹) was obtained when the emission line of 228.8 nm was used with FC. Under the same arsenic optimized experimental conditions, the system was evaluated to determine antimony at 259.7, 252.7 and 231.1 nm, 252.7 nm being the emission line which produced the best detection limit (0.7 μg l⁻¹). The rf-HC–GD–OES system was applied successfully to the determination of arsenic in freeze-dried urine in the standard reference material 2670 from NIST. Finally, a flow injection system was assayed to determine arsenic at 228.8 nm, using a dc-GD with both FC and HC. The results indicated that for low volumes of sample, the HC discharge allows better analytical signals than the FC.     

Detection and quantification of traces of bisphenol A and bisphenol S in paper samples using analytical pyrolysis-GC/MS

In this paper a simplified method based on analytical pyrolysis gas chromatography mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) for the detection and quantification of bisphenol A and bisphenol S in paper samples is presented. The method enables a direct analysis of the samples without tedious sample preparation. As the analytes are thermally desorbed, a solvent extraction is not needed. The method is applicable to small samples of ~120 μg. The limits of detection are below 1 mg kg(-1) for bisphenol A and for bisphenol S. The limits of quantification are about 1.3 mg kg(-1). Several validation characteristics of the method developed like standard error of calibration, limit of determination, linearity, and accuracy are given. To prove the accuracy of the method, interferences and matrix dependencies were also investigated. The influence of the pyrolysis crucibles, a special effect of analytical pyrolysis, was additionally investigated. It was found that the impact of the crucibles on the results is significant and one cause for matrix effects.     

气相色谱-串联质谱法测定食用油中两种非邻苯二甲酸酯类增塑剂

建立了气相色谱-串联质谱同时测定食用油中对苯二甲酸二（2-乙基己基）酯和偏苯三甲酸三（2-乙基己基）酯两种非邻苯二甲酸酯类增塑剂的方法。样品采用乙腈提取,于-20℃冷冻除脂净化,用气相色谱-串联质谱选择反应监测模式测定。两种化合物的检出限为0.03 mg/kg,定量限为0.1 mg/kg,线性范围为0.1~10 mg/kg。3个添加水平（0.1、0.3和1.0 mg/kg）下的回收率为81.04%~108.31%,相对标准偏差为0.70%~9.91%。该方法简便、准确,适用于食用油中对苯二甲酸二（2-乙基己基）酯和偏苯三甲酸三（2-乙基己基）酯的检测。     

Determination of melamine residue in liquid milk by capillary electrophoresis with solid-phase extraction

A novel solid-phase extraction-capillary electrophoresis (SPE-CE) method was developed for the determination of melamine residue in liquid milk. The conditions of SPE and CE were investigated and optimized. A 1% trichloroacetic acid plus 2.2% lead acetate solution were used for the extraction of analyte and the removal of protein. A Cleanert PCX SPE cartridges column was used for clean up. The 50 mM sodium dihydrogenphosphate running buffer (pH adjusted to 3.2 with citric acid) was used as a running buffer. The linearity is satisfactory in the range of 0.8-100 μg/mL with a correlation coefficient of 0.9998. Under the optimal conditions, the method limit of detection (LOD) and method limit of quantification were 0.12 mg/kg and 0.37 mg/kg, respectively. The recovery of melamine from different liquid milk samples was in the range of 89.5-98.5% with a relative standard deviation of 1.8-3.5%. The intra- and inter-day assay precision was 2.8% (n = 6) and 4.1% for five days, respectively. The developed method has been applied successfully for the determination of melamine residue in liquid milk samples. The results obtained by the proposed method agree with those obtained by high-performance liquid chromatographic method. The proposed method enables the quantitative determination of melamine residues at levels as low as 0.37 mg/kg in different liquid milk.     

Determination of arsenic in seafood by focused microwave digestion and hydride generation-atomic fluorescence detection

A new method was developed for total arsenic determination in seafood products such as oysters, mussels, tuna fish, and algae. Matrix decomposition and oxidation to arsenate of all the arsenic compounds in the product were completed in 25 min by using a 3-step program of focused microwaves (40-120 W) with nitric and sulfuric acids. Quantitation was performed by hydride generation-atomic fluorescence detection (HG-AFS). Results of method optimization are presented and discussed. A detection limit <125 microg/kg arsenic was obtained; the quantitation limit was close to 400 microg/kg, with repeatability and reproducibility <5% relative standard deviation. Validation was performed by analyzing 4Reference Materials (arsenic concentration expressed as mg/kg): The National Institute of Standards and Technology SRM 1566a Oyster tissue (14.0 +/- 1.2); the Bureau Community of Reference (now Standard Measurements & Testing Program) CRM 278 Mussel tissue (5.9 +/- 0.2) and CRM 627 Tuna fish (4.8 +/- 0.3); and the International Atomic Energy Agency RM 140 Fucus sample (44.3 +/- 2.1).     

Simultaneous Determination of Flonicamid and its Metabolites in Tea by Liquid Chromatography–Tandem Mass Spectrometry

An analytical method was established to simultaneously quantify flonicamid and its metabolites 4-trifluoromethylnicotinic acid (TFNA), N-(4-trifluoromethylnicotinoyl) glycine (TFNG), and 4-trifluoromethylnicotinamide (TFNA-AM) in tea using orthogonal experimental design and liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). Residues were extracted from the samples with acetonitrile containing 1% acetic acid and were purified with graphitized carbon black. The linearity of the method was excellent in the concentration range of 0.01–10?µg/mL, producing correlation coefficients greater than 0.996 for the target compounds. The limits of detection and quantification of all analytes in tea were 0.0013–0.013?mg/kg and 0.004–0.040?mg/kg, respectively. The average recoveries of flonicamid, TFNA, TFNG, and TFNA-AM ranged from 75.14 to 92.72%, with intra- and interday relative standard deviations of 1.07–9.75%. The proposed method was successfully applied to the terminal residue determination of flonicamid and its metabolites in dry tea processed from three field trials’ fresh samples. The determined total terminal residue concentrations of flonicamid 10?days after the last application at all three sites were below the maximum residue limit (MRL) set by the European Union (0.1?mg/kg) and the residues in all samples were lower than the MRL established by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (8?mg/kg). This method may be used to meet the requirements for the determination of flonicamid and its metabolites that could provide guidance for establishing a MRL for flonicamid in tea in China.     

Determination of residues of endosulfan and five pyrethroid insecticides in virgin olive oil using gas chromatography with electron-capture detection

A simple, fast and economical method has been developed for the determination of endosulfan and five pyrethroid insecticides, cypermethrin, deltamethrin, fenvalerate, lambda-cyhalothrin and permethrin, in virgin olive oil. The method uses a Sep-Pak alumina-N column cleanup after a liquid-liquid extraction or low-temperature precipitation step, and gas chromatography (GC) with electron-capture detection. The matrix effect was assessed for the GC systems used. Recoveries were 71-91% with RSD values of 6-17%. The method was applied to 338 virgin olive oil samples for monitoring of residues of these pesticides. Cypermethrin and lambda-cyhalothrin were detected at the limit of quantification in one sample each, while 22% of samples contained endosulfan residues, mostly at very low levels ranging from 0.02 to 0.57 mg/kg.     

Determination of total arsenic by batch hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry in injectable drugs containing high levels of Sb(V) as N-methylglucamine antimonate

A procedure for the determination of arsenic by batch hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry (HG AAS) in commercial samples of injectable drugs, containing high concentrations of Sb(V), is described. The procedure is based on the complexing effect for Sb of citric, oxalic and acetic acids as reaction media. Aqua regia was used for sample digestion prior to As determination by HG AAS. The following experimental conditions for the determination of total As, as As(V), were evaluated: the acid medium and its concentration, sodium tetrahydroborate concentration, purge time, and influence of the different oxidation states of As. The effect of the delay time after mixing of sample and acid solution was also studied. Optimized conditions were: 10% (m/v) citric acid, 1.5% (m/v) sodium tetrahydroborate solution and 30 s for purge time. A delay time of 1 h was required after the digested sample had been mixed with citric acid, before As determination could be carried out. No interference on As(III) and As(V) signals was observed in the presence of up to 1 mg Sb(V). The tolerance limits for Ni(II), Cu(II) and Pb(II) were 1 mg, 100 μg and 100 μg, respectively. Recovery tests for As(III) and As(V) resulted in values between 97 and 101%. Characteristic mass and detection limit (3σ), using the recommended conditions, were 0.52 and 0.8 ng, respectively, for total As.