Coupled high performance liquid chromatography-microwave digestion-hydride generation-atomic absorption spectrometry for inorganic and organic arsenic speciation in fish tissue

A high performance liquid chromatography-microwave digestion-hydride generation-atomic absorption spectrometry (HPLC-MW-HG-AAS) coupled method is described for As(III), As(V), monomethylarsonic acid (MMA), dimethylarsinic acid (DMA), arsenobetaine (AsB) and arsenocholine (AsC) determination. A Hamilton PRP-X100 anion-exchange column is used for carrying out the arsenic species separation. As mobile phase 17 mM phosphate buffer (pH 6.0) is used for As(III), As(V), MMA and DMA separation, and ultrapure water (pH 6.0) for AsB and AsC separation. Prior to injection into the HPLC system AsB and AsC are isolated from the other arsenic species using a Waters Accell Plus QMA cartridge. A microwave digestion with K(2)S(2)O(8) as oxidizing agent is used for enhancing the efficiency of conversion of AsB and AsC into arsenate. Detection limits achieved were between 0.3 and 1.1 ng for all species. The method was applied to arsenic speciation in fish samples.     

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.     

Application of fast ultrasound water-bath assisted enzymatic hydrolysis--high performance liquid chromatography-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry procedures for arsenic speciation in seafood materials

Enzymatic hydrolysis of seafood materials for isolating arsenic species (As(III), As(V), DMA and AsB) has been successfully performed by assisting the procedure with ultrasound energy (35 kHz) supplied by an ultrasound water-bath. The use of pepsin, as a proteolytic enzyme, under optimized operating conditions (pH 3.0, temperature 40 °C, enzyme to sample ratio of 0.3) led to an efficient assistance of the enzymatic process in a short period of time (from 4.0 to 30 min). The enzymatic extract was then subjected to a clean-up procedure based on ENVI-Carb™ solid phase extraction (SPE). An optimized anion exchange high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled to inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) permitted the fast separation (less than 15 min) of six different arsenic species (arsenite, As(III); arsenate, As(V); dimethylarsinic acid, DMA; and arsenobetaine, AsB; as well as monomethylarsonic acid, MMA; and arsenocholine, AsC) in a single run. Relative standard deviations (n = 11) of the over-all procedure were 7% for AsB and DMA, 11% for As(III) and 9% for MMA. HPLC–ICP-MS determinations were performed using aqueous calibrations covering arsenic concentrations of 0, 5, 10, 25, 100 and 200 μg L⁻¹ (expressed as arsenic) for As(III), As(V), MMA, DMA and AsC; and 0, 125, 250, 500, 750, 1000 and 2000 μg L⁻¹ (expressed as arsenic) for AsB. Germanium (5 μg L⁻¹) was used as an internal standard. Analytical recoveries from the anion exchange column varied from 96 to 105% (enzymatic digests spiked with low target concentrations), from 97 to 104% (enzymatic digests spiked with intermediate target concentrations), and from 98 to 103% (enzymatic digests spiked with high target concentrations). The developed method was successfully applied to two certified reference materials (CRMs), DORM-2 and BCR 627, which offer certified AsB and DMA contents, and also to different seafood samples (mollusks, white fish and cold water fish). Good agreement between certified and found AsB concentrations was achieved when analyzing both CRMs; and also, between certified and found DMA concentrations in BCR 627. In addition, the sum of the different arsenic species concentrations found in most of the analyzed samples was statistically similar to the assessed total arsenic concentrations after a total sample matrix decomposition treatment.     

Arsenic speciation in Chinese brake fern by ion-pair high-performance liquid chromatography-inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy

Ion-pair reverse-phase HPLC-inductively coupled plasma (ICP) MS was employed to determine arsenite [As(III)], dimethyl arsenic acid (DMA), monomethyl arsenic (MMA) and arsenate [As(V)] in Chinese brake fern (Pteris vittata L.). The separation was performed on a reverse-phase C18 column (Haisil 100) by using a mobile phase containing 10 mM hexadecyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) as ion-pairing reagent, 20 mM ammonium phosphate buffer and 2% methanol at pH 6.0. The detection limits of arsenic species with HPLC-ICP-MS were 0.5, 0.4, 0.3 and 1.8 ppb of arsenic for As(III), DMA, MMA, and As(V), respectively. MMA has been shown for the first time to experimentally convert to DMA in the Chinese brake fern, indicating that Chinese brake fern can convert MMA to DMA by methylation.     

Simultaneous pressurized enzymatic hydrolysis extraction and clean up for arsenic speciation in seafood samples before high performance liquid chromatography-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry determination

The feasibility of pressurized conditions to assist enzymatic hydrolysis of seafood tissues for arsenic speciation was novelty studied. A simultaneous in situ (in cell) clean-up procedure was also optimized, which speeds up the whole sample treatment. Arsenic species (As(III), MMA, DMA, As(V), AsB and AsC) were released from dried seafood tissues using pepsin as a protease, and the arsenic species were separated/quantified by anion exchange high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled to inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Variables inherent to the enzymatic activity (pH, temperature and ionic strength), the amount of enzyme (pepsin), and factors affecting pressurization (pressure, static time, number of cycles and amount of dispersing agent, C-18) were fully evaluated. Pressurized assisted enzymatic hydrolysis (PAEH) with pepsin can be finished after few minutes (two cycles of 2 min each one plus 3 min to reach the hydrolysis temperature of 50 °C). A total sample solubilisation is not achieved after the procedure, however it is efficient enough for breaking down certain bonds of bio-molecules and for releasing arsenic species. The developed method has been found to be precise (RSDs lower than 6% for As(III), DMA and As(V); and 3% for AsB) and sensitive (LOQs of 18.1, 36.2, 35.7, 28.6, 20.6 and 22.5 ng/g for As(III), MMA, DMA, As(V), AsB and AsC, respectively). The optimized methodology was successfully applied to different certified reference materials (DORM-2 and BCR 627) which offer certified AsB and DMA contents, and also to different seafood products (mollusks, white fishes and cold water fishes).     

Determination of arsenic compounds in beverages by high-performance liquid chromatography-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

Arsenic compounds including arsenous acid (As(III)), arsenic acid (As(V)), dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) and monomethylarsonic acid (MMA) were separated by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and detected by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). A Hamilton PRX-100 anionic-exchange column and a pH 8.5 K₂HPO₄/KH₂PO₄ 5.0 × 10⁻³ mol L⁻¹ mobile phase were used to achieve arsenic speciation. The separation of arsenic species provided peaks of As(III) at 2.75 min, DMA at 3.33 min, MMA at 5.17 min and As(V) at 12.5 min. The detection limits, defined as three times the standard deviation of the lowest standard measurements, were found to be 0.2, 0.2, 0.3 and 0.5 ng mL⁻¹ for As(III), DMA, MMA and As(V), respectively. The relative standard deviation values for a solution containing 5.0 μg L⁻¹ of As(III), DMA, MMA and As(V) were 1.2, 2.1, 2.5 and 3.0%, respectively. This analytical procedure was applied to the speciation of arsenic compounds in drinking (soft drink, beer, juice) samples. The validation of the procedure was achieved through the analysis of arsenic compounds in water and sediment certified reference materials.     

Arsenic speciation by gradient anion exchange narrow bore ion chromatography and high resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry detection

Based on gradient anion exchange chromatography (AEC), a new strategy in As-speciation was evaluated. A narrow bore chromatographic system with lower flow rates (≤300 μL) well suitable for the low flow requirements of higher efficiency nebulizers was splitless coupled to a high resolution sector field ICP MS. The AEC system takes full advantage of the detector sensitivity allowing more diluted samples (50–100 times) to be injected, delivering substantially less sample matrix to the column and a lower eluent load to the plasma. The unique plasma compatibility of the NH₄NO₃-eluent salt used in this study enabled high linear salt ramps in gradient applications, highly reproducible retention times (±1%) and detection limits in the low ng/L range. The separation conditions were applied on two different polymeric anion-exchangers: a low capacity, weakly hydrophobic material (AS11, Dionex) and a more frequently used higher capacity, higher hydrophobic material (AS7, Dionex). On both columns, As-species (As(III/V), MMA, DMA, AsB) and Cl⁻ were separated in less than nine minutes and co-elution was circumvented by adapting the separation pH to the optimal column selectivity. The key-advantage of the NH₄NO₃-eluent is that it can adopt any separation pH without compromising the eluent strength which is not possible with all other eluents used so far. The influences of chloride and methanol were investigated and found not to affect the chromatographic performance. Column deposits caused strong reversible As(v) adsorption which reduced As(v) to As(III). A corresponding phosphate excess in the injected sample eliminated the adsorption and prevented artefacts in As(v)/As(III) ratios. The method applied to ground water samples provided robust separations and is compatible with any sample preservation procedure.     

A study of sample mineralization methods for arsenic analysis of blood and urine by hydride generation and graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry

Mineralization procedures for blood and urine suitable for the determination of arsenic by Hydride Generation Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (HGAAS) are studied on model samples, and the results are utilized in biological monitoring investigations. The objective of this work is to obtain good total As recoveries for both matrices regardless of added As species (As(III), As(V), DMA, MMA, AsB, or AsC). Prior to the HGAAS analyses, preparation procedures were controlled under optimised conditions by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS). Two preparation procedures for urine give As recoveries close to 100% by HGAAS: a) dry ashing at 420°C with Mg(NO₃)₂ on a hot plate, and b) microwave oven decomposition with (NH₄)₂S₂O₈. For blood samples, As recoveries by HGAAS range between 95 and 108% for all species when using dry ashing after a pretreatment of samples with HNO₃ and H₂O₂ in a microwave oven. Wet digestion with (NH₄)₂S₂O₈ in a microwave oven gives recoveries very near 100% for As _inorg. and MMA. For other As species in spiked blood samples, recoveries of less than 20% As are found. Precision and detection limits obtained by both techniques are evaluated as well. For arsenic concentrations of 20 μg dm⁻³ or more in blood and urine, a chemical modifier is recommended for GFAAS analysis; it may or may not be proceeded by a mineralization step. For low As levels encountered in the unexposed population, the HGAAS technique provides reliable results only if a very complete mineralization procedure is used.     

Evaluation of stability of arsenic species in rice

Although most edible vegetables do not accumulate As at a high rate, rice, carrots and certain others are exceptions. In addition to nutritional or toxicological considerations, the relatively high level and variety of As species present in rice make it a very suitable matrix for a candidate reference material representative of terrestrial biological samples.An analytical procedure was developed for As speciation in rice based on the use of a 1:1 methanol-water mixture for species extraction, an anion Hamilton PRPX-100 column (at pH 6, and phosphate mobile phase 10 mM), and a cation Hamilton PRP-X200 column (at pH 2.8 in pyridine formiate 4 mM) for species separation and final determination by HPLC-ICP-MS.The detection limits for dry flour rice expressed as As were 2 and 3 ng g(-1) for As(III) and AsB on the cation column and 3, 6 and 5 ng g(-1) for As(V), MMA and DMA, respectively, on the anion column.The methodology developed was applied to check the stability of As species in the water-methanol extract and also under different processing steps and storage time and temperature conditions.It was demonstrated that the As species in the water-methanol extracts stored at +4 degrees C remained stable for at least one month. Once the rice grains are ground, the MMA and As(V) species are not stable under any storage conditions probably due to microbiological activity. When ground rice is gamma-irradiated species remain stable although the AsB does not appear.     

Speciation of arsenic in natural waters by HPLC-NAA

Neutron activation analysis (NAA) in combination with mainly high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) has been developed for the determination of low levels of five arsenic species, namely As(III), As(V), monomethylarsonic acid (MMA), dimethylarsinic acid (DMA), and arsenobetaine (AsB) in water samples. Organically bound arsenic (OBAs) and total arsenic have also been determined. In addition to anion-exchange HPLC, solid phase extraction and open-column cation-exchange chromatographic methods have also been used. The detection limits of the method have been found to be 0.005 ng·cm⁻³ for OBAs, 0.02 ng·cm⁻³ for AsB, DMA, MMA, As(III), and As(V) and 0.12 ng·cm⁻³ for total arsenic. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Complementary chromatography separation combined with hydride generation-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for arsenic speciation in human urine

This study aimed to establish complementary high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) methods including three modes of separation: ion pairing, cation exchange, and anion exchange chromatography, with detection by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS). The ion pairing mode enabled the separation of inorganic arsenate (As(V)), monomethylarsonic acid (MMA(V)), and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA(V)). However, the ion pair mode was unable to differentiate inorganic arsenite (As(III)) from arsenobetaine (AsB); instead, cation exchange chromatography was used to isolate and quantify AsB. Anion exchange chromatography was able to speciate all of the aforementioned arsenic species. Potential inaccurate quantification problem with urine sample containing elevated concentration of AsB, which eluted immediately after As(III) in anion exchange or ion pairing mode, was overcame by introducing a post-column hydride generation (HG) derivatization step. Incorporating HG between HPLC and ICPMS improved sensitivity and specificity by differentiating AsB from hydride-forming arsenic species. This paper emphasizes the usefulness of complementary chromatographic separations in combination with HG-ICPMS to quantitatively determine concentrations of As(III), DMA(V), MMA(V), As(V), and AsB in the sub-microgram per liter range in human urine.     

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.     

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.     

毛细管电泳-电感耦合等离子体质谱法测定藻类中6种不同形态的砷化合物

建立了一种利用毛细管电泳与电感耦合等离子体质谱联用技术(CE-ICP-MS)分析检测6种不同形态砷化合物的方法。详细研究了缓冲溶液的种类、pH值和浓度,分离电压以及进样时间等因素对6种砷化合物的分离度、灵敏度和重现性等的影响。结果表明,在最佳条件下,三价砷(As3+)、一甲基砷(MMA)、二甲基砷(DMA)、五价砷(As5+)、砷胆碱(AsC)和砷甜菜碱(AsB)6种化合物在25 min内得到完全分离。6次平行测定中,6种砷化合物峰面积的相对标准偏差(RSD)为3%～5%,检出限(以As计)(3倍信噪比)为0.08～0.12 μg/L。应用该方法成功地对海带中6种砷化合物进行了分析,回收率为90%～103%。该方法具有耗时短、灵敏度高、样品消耗量少、稳定性好等优点,可用于藻类样品中不同形态砷化合物的分析。     

Stability study of As(III), As(V), MMA and DMA by anion exchange chromatography and HG-AFS in wastewater samples

The stability of arsenic species (arsenate [As(V)], monomethylarsonate [MMA], dimethylarsinate [DMA] and arsenite [As(III)]) in two types of urban wastewater samples (raw and treated) was evaluated. Water samples containing a mixture of the different arsenic species were stored in the absence of light at three different temperatures: +4 degrees C, +20 degrees C and +40 degrees C. At regular time intervals, arsenic species were determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-hydride generation (HG)-atomic fluorescence spectrometry (AFS). The experimental conditions for the separation of arsenic species by HPLC and their determination by AFS were directly optimised from wastewater samples. As(III), As(V), MMA and DMA were separated on an anion exchange column using phosphate buffer (pH 6.0) as the mobile phase. Under these conditions the four arsenic species were separated in less than 10 min. The detection limits were 0.6, 0.9, 0.9 and 1.8 micro g L(-1) for As(III), DMA, MMA and As(V), respectively. As(V), MMA and DMA were found stable in the two types of urban wastewater samples over the 4-month period at the three different temperatures tested, while the concentration of As(III) in raw wastewater sample decreased after 2 weeks of storage. A greater stability of As(III) was found in the treated urban wastewater sample. As(III) remained unaltered in this matrix at pH 7.27 over the period studied, while at lower pH (1.6) losses of As(III) were detected after 1 month of storage. The results show that the decrease in As(III) concentration with time was accompanied by an increase in As(V) concentration.     

Evaluation of liquid chromatography inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for arsenic speciation in water from industrial treatment of shale

This work describes an arsenic speciation analysis in aqueous effluent from a shale industrial plant using liquid chromatography coupled to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LC–ICP–MS). Arsenic species have been separated through an anion-exchange column and several parameters investigated, such as retention time, pH, flow rate and concentration of the mobile phase (ammonium carbonate), chloride interference and column conditioning time. The best conditions have been found by fixing the pH of the mobile phase at 8.7. Keeping the mobile phase flow rate at 1.5 ml min^− 1, arsenic species were separated by varying the concentration of the mobile phase and the time of elution, as follow: 1.5 mmol l^− 1 for 10 min, 12 mmol l^− 1 for 10 min and 20 mmol l^− 1 for 10 min, respectively. Up to 13 As species present in the samples were separated under these conditions and the following species could be identified and quantified: arsenite [As(III)], dimethylarsinic acid (DMA), monomethylarsonic acid (MMA) and arsenate [As(V)]. The limits of detection of the LC–ICP–MS method were 0.02, 0.06, 0.04 and 0.10 μg l^− 1 of As(III), DMA, MMA, and As(V), respectively. The concentration of these species in the samples were from 3.7 to 6.4 μg l^− 1, 6.9 to 13.2 μg l^− 1, 100 to 142 μg l^− 1 and 808 to 1363 μg l^− 1 for As(III), DMA, MMA and As(V), respectively. The accuracy, evaluated by recovery tests, varied from 94 to 105% and the precision, evaluated by the relative standard deviation was typically lower than 10%.     

Photolytic oxidation of As species for determination of total As (including the ‘hidden’ As fraction) in coastal seawater by hydride generation-atomic fluorescence spectrometry

Ultraviolet irradiation (photolysis) in alkaline medium was applied for pretreatment of seawater samples so as to accurately determine total As by continuous-flow hydride generation-atomic fluorescence spectrometry. This sample pretreatment is meant to convert non-reducible As forms into inorganic As, which easily forms arsine. The optimised parameters were the treatment time and the pH of the medium. The behaviour of four hydride-reactive As species [As(III), As(V), MMA, DMA], and AsB, i.e. a typical non-hydride-reactive As species, when subjected to UV irradiation was studied. UV irradiation at pH 1 lead to conversion of all species into As(V) with the exception of AsB and DMA. Conversions of DMA and AsB into As(V) at pH 11 in less than 30 min were observed under UV irradiation. The limit of detection of As (measured as As(V)) by hydride generation-atomic fluorescence spectrometry was 0.1 μg/L and the repeatability of the oxidation procedure was about 10%. The method was applied to determination of total and directly reducible As at 11 sampling points of the Galician Coast (Atlantic Ocean, Spain). Total As concentrations were in the range 1.4-4.8 μg/L. A significant As fraction, between 20 and 44%, depending on the sampling point, corresponded to non-reducible As which was converted by UV irradiation into hydride-reactive As. This fraction should represent the sum of DMA, which yields a low sensitivity in the continuous flow-AFS system, and the hidden As fraction.     

Application of sample pre-oxidation of arsenite in human urine prior to speciation via on-line photo-oxidation with membrane hydride generation and ICP-MS detection

A pre-oxidation procedure which converts arsenite [As(III)] into arsenate [As(v)] was investigated in urinary arsenic speciation prior to on-line photo-oxidation hydride generation with ICP-MS detection. This sample pre-oxidation method eliminates As(III) and As(v) preservation concerns and simplifies the chromatographic separation. Four oxidants, Cl2, MnO2, H2O2 and I3-, were investigated. Chlorine (ClO-aq) and MnO2 selectively converted As(III) into As(v) in pure water samples, but the conversion was inefficient in the complex urine matrix. Oxidation of As(III) by H2O2 was least affected by the urine matrix, but the removal of excess H2O2 at pH 10 proved difficult. The most appropriate oxidant for the selective conversion of As(III) into As(v) with minimal interference from the urine matrix is I3- at pH 7. Unlike H2O2, excess oxidant can be easily removed by the addition of S2O3(2-). The I3-(-)S2O3(2-) treatment on a fortified sample of reconstituted NIST SRM 2670 freeze dried urine indicated that arsenobetaine (AsB), dimethlyarsinic acid (DMA), monomethylarsonic acid (MMA) and As(v) were not chemically degraded with recoveries ranging from 95 to 102% for all arsenicals. Sample clean-up involved pH adjustment prior to C18 filtration in order to achieve efficient As(III) conversion and quantitative recoveries of AsB and DMA. The concentrations determined in NIST SRM 2670 freeze dried urine were AsB 17.2 +/- 0.5, DMA 56 +/- 4 and MMA 10.3 +/- 0.3 with a combined total of 83 +/- 5 micrograms L-1 (+/- 2 sigma).     

Determination of arsenite,arsenate, monomethylarsonic acid and dimethylarsinic acid in cereals by hydride generation atomic fluorescence spectrometry

A fast, sensitive and simple non-chromatographic analytical method was developed for the speciation analysis of toxic arsenic species in cereal samples, namely rice and wheat semolina. An ultrasound-assisted extraction of the toxic arsenic species was performed with 1 mol L^− 1 H₃PO₄ and 0.1% (m/v) Triton XT-114. After extraction, As(III), As(V), dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) and monomethylarsonic acid (MMA) concentrations were determined by hydride generation atomic fluorescence spectrometry using a series of proportional equations corresponding to four different experimental reduction conditions. The detection limits of the method were 1.3, 0.9, 1.5 and 0.6 ng g^− 1 for As(III), As(V), DMA and MMA, respectively, expressed in terms of sample dry weight. Recoveries were always greater than 90%, and no species interconversion occurred. The speciation analysis of a rice flour reference material certified for total arsenic led to coherent results, which were also in agreement with other speciation studies made on the same certified reference material.