Investigation of microwave assisted drying of samples and evaporation of aqueous solutions in trace element analysis

Investigations of microwave assisted drying of sample materials and microwave assisted evaporation of aqueous sample solutions and acidic digestion residues were accomplished by means of special rotors for the microwave digestion system MULTIWAVE. To check the results obtained by microwave assisted drying, the samples were also conventionally dried at 105 degrees C in an oven. The following samples have been dried: 10 g each of meat, fish, apple, cucumber, potato, mustard, yogurt, clay and marl; 1 g each of certified reference material TORT 2 (lobster hepatopancreas), BCR 278 (mussel tissue) and BCR 422 (cod muscle); 500 g garden mould. Microwave assisted drying takes 40 min for organic samples and 30 min for inorganic material. Important is a slow increase of microwave power during the first 20 min. The results agree well with conventional drying at 105 degrees C. Losses of As, Se and Hg have been investigated for 3 CRMs. Only Se shows losses in the range of 20%. Losses of As, Be, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, Se, Sr, Ti, Tl, V and Zn after evaporation of aqueous samples and acidic solutions after wet digestion, respectively, have been investigated. 50 mL aqueous solution was evaporated almost to dryness within 25 min. The recovery of Hg is 40-50%, of Se 90-95% and of the other elements 97-102%. 0.2 g each of TORT 2, BCR 278 and BCR 422 have been digested with 4 mL nitric acid and 1 mL hydrochloric acid by means of the microwave digestion system MULTIWAVE. The digestion residue was evaporated almost to dryness and dissolved again in 10 mL diluted nitric acid. In this case no element losses have been observed. The measured concentration of As, Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Hg, Pb, Mo, Ni, Se, Sr, V and Zn agree very well with the certified values. An important prerequisite for good recoveries is not to evaporate the solutions to complete dryness.     

Investigation of microwave assisted drying of samples and evaporation of aqueous solutions in trace element analysis

Investigations of microwave assisted drying of sample materials and microwave assisted evaporation of aqueous sample solutions and acidic digestion residues were accomplished by means of special rotors for the microwave digestion system MULTIWAVE. To check the results obtained by microwave assisted drying, the samples were also conventionally dried at 105?°C in an oven. The following samples have been dried: 10 g each of meat, fish, apple, cucumber, potato, mustard, yogurt, clay and marl; 1 g each of certified reference material TORT 2 (lobster hepatopancreas), BCR 278 (mussel tissue) and BCR 422 (cod muscle); 500 g garden mould. Microwave assisted drying takes 40 min for organic samples and ¶30 min for inorganic material. Important is a slow increase of microwave power during the first 20 min. The results agree well with conventional drying at 105?°C. Losses of As, Se and Hg have been investigated for ¶3 CRMs. Only Se shows losses in the range of 20%. Losses of As, Be, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, Se, Sr, Ti, Tl, V and Zn after evaporation of aqueous samples and acidic solutions after wet digestion, respectively, have been investigated. 50 mL aqueous solution was evaporated almost to dryness within 25 min. The recovery of Hg is 40–50%, of Se 90–95% and of the other elements 97–102%. 0.2 g each of TORT 2, BCR 278 and BCR 422 have been digested with 4 mL nitric acid and 1 mL hydrochloric acid by means of the microwave digestion system MULTIWAVE. The digestion residue was evaporated almost to dryness and dissolved again in 10 mL diluted nitric acid. In this case no element losses have been observed. The measured concentration of As, Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Hg, Pb, Mo, Ni, Se, Sr, V and Zn agree very well with the certified values. An important prerequisite for good recoveries is not to evaporate the solutions to complete dryness.     

Microwave assisted digestion of atmospheric aerosol samples followed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry determination of trace elements

A microwave digestion method in a closed vessel was developed for the determination of trace metals in atmospheric aerosols using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). A recovery study for the elements V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Cd, Sb, and Pb was conducted using multi-elemental standard solutions, NIST 1633b Trace Elements in Coal Fly Ash, and NIST 1648 Urban Particulate Matter. A simple digestion method using only HNO₃/H₂O₂ gave good recoveries (90%–108%) for all elements except Cr in SRM 1648, but yielded low recoveries for SRM 1633b. A more robust method using HNO₃/H₂O₂/HF/H₃BO₃ yielded higher recoveries (82%–¶103%) for the lighter elements (V – Zn) in SRM 1633b, and improved the Cr recovery in SRM 1648, but decreased the Se recovery in both SRMs. A comparative analysis of aerosol samples obtained at a remote mountain location Nathiagali, Pakistan (2.5 km above mean sea level), and Mayville, New York, downwind from the highly industrialized Midwestern United States, was carried out using Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) for the elements Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Zn, As, Se, and Sb. The simple digestion method yielded excellent agreement for Cr, Fe, Zn, As, Se, and Sb, with slopes of the ICP-MS vs. INAA regressions of 0.90–1.00 and R² values of 0.96–1.00. The regressions for Mn and Co had slopes of 0.82 and 0.84 with R² values of 0.83 and 0.82, respectively. Addition of HF/H₃BO₃ did not improve the correlation for any of the elements and degraded the precision somewhat. The technique provides sensitivity and accuracy for trace elements in relatively small aerosol samples used in atmospheric chemistry studies related to SO₂ oxidation in cloud droplets. The ability to determine concentrations of a very large number of elements from a single analysis will permit source apportionment of various trace pollutants and hence strategies to control the sources of air pollution. This is particularly important as the health effects of particulate matter are increasingly recognized.     

Microwave assisted digestion of atmospheric aerosol samples followed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry determination of trace elements

A microwave digestion method in a closed vessel was developed for the determination of trace metals in atmospheric aerosols using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). A recovery study for the elements V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Cd, Sb, and Pb was conducted using multi-elemental standard solutions, NIST 1633b Trace Elements in Coal Fly Ash, and NIST 1648 Urban Particulate Matter. A simple digestion method using only HNO3/H2O2 gave good recoveries (90%-108%) for all elements except Cr in SRM 1648, but yielded low recoveries for SRM 1633b. A more robust method using HNO3/H2O2/HF/H3BO3 yielded higher recoveries (82%-103%) for the lighter elements (V-Zn) in SRM 1633b, and improved the Cr recovery in SRM 1648, but decreased the Se recovery in both SRMs. A comparative analysis of aerosol samples obtained at a remote mountain location Nathiagali, Pakistan (2.5 km above mean sea level), and Mayville, New York, downwind from the highly industrialized Midwestern United States, was carried out using Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) for the elements Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Zn, As, Se, and Sb. The simple digestion method yielded excellent agreement for Cr, Fe, Zn, As, Se, and Sb, with slopes of the ICP-MS vs. INAA regressions of 0.90-1.00 and R2 values of 0.96-1.00. The regressions for Mn and Co had slopes of 0.82 and 0.84 with R2 values of 0.83 and 0.82, respectively. Addition of HF/H3BO3 did not improve the correlation for any of the elements and degraded the precision somewhat. The technique provides sensitivity and accuracy for trace elements in relatively small aerosol samples used in atmospheric chemistry studies related to SO2 oxidation in cloud droplets. The ability to determine concentrations of a very large number of elements from a single analysis will permit source apportionment of various trace pollutants and hence strategies to control the sources of air pollution. This is particularly important as the health effects of particulate matter are increasingly recognized.     

微波消解-ICP/MS测定烤烟中微量元素含量

以3 mL HNO3和2 mL H2O2的混合消解液对烟草样品进行微波消解,采用电感耦合等离子体质谱测定了烤烟中的Mn、Zn、Cu、Se、N i、Co、Cr、As、Cd、Pb 10种微量元素的含量.结果表明：方法的检出限均低于0.02μg/g,各元素测定的RSD（n=5）均小于3%,样品加标回收率为97.35%-101.30%.方法消耗试剂少,快速准确,适合烟草中多种微量元素的同时测定.     

微波消解-电感耦合等离子体发射光谱法测定染料中10种重金属元素

建立了测定染料中10种重金属元素的微波消解电感耦合等离子体发射光谱(ICP-AES)法。比较了不同样品的消解方法,并确定了消解的最佳方法和条件;优化了仪器工作条件,选择出被测元素的最佳分析谱线,合理地进行了背景扣除;各元素的检出限以及加标回收率分别为0.0024～11.42mg/kg、83.3%～110%。该方法与标准方法中的原子吸收相比,缩短了分析时间,提高了检测效率。     

Determination of major and trace elements in six herbal drugs for relieving heat and toxicity by ICP-AES with microwave digestion

ObjectiveTo establish a method to simultaneously determine major and trace element contents of Na, K, Cu, Fe, Zn, Mn, Ca, Mg, Cr, Ni, Pb, Se, As and Cd in six herbal drugs.MethodsMicrowave digestion procedure was applied under optimized conditions for digesting medicinal herbs. Concentrations of elements were determined by ICP-AES.ResultsThe results indicated that the herbal drugs were abundant in major and trace element contents which are healthy for human body. After optimizing the microwave digestion technology, the recovery of the element was 96.79–103.47% and the RSD < 5.0%.ConclusionICP-AES combined with the microwave digestion technology has a lot of merits in terms of saving time and effort, reducing environmental pollution, fast and accurate determination of results in determining major and trace elements.     

Determination of trace elements by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry of biomass and fuel oil reference materials using milligram sample sizes

Most of the analytical techniques used to quantify elements associated with solid samples suffer from high detection limits and cannot be used for trace elements in biomass samples, particularly when only 20 mg are available for analysis. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) can achieve detection limits of parts-per-trillion with liquid sample introduction by solution nebulisation. This technique was therefore tested with two standard biomass reference materials: oriental tobacco leaves and cabbage leaves. Two preparations successfully used on coal standards were used to digest the solid samples: a total digestion method (wet ashing digestion) and a partial leaching (microwave extraction). The concentrations of up to seventeen elements (As, Ba, Be, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ga, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, Se, Sn, V and Zn) were measured after the two preparations. The accuracy and sensitivity of the measurements improved when the dilution factor decreased from 5000 to 1000 and to 500. Since the proportion of mineral matter in biomass samples is small (5%), the microwave digestion extracted elements that are generally not completely extracted from coal samples (e.g. Sb). However, some trace element concentrations were below the limit of quantification after microwave extraction, even with a reduced dilution factor (As, Se and Mo) and could not be quantified. A fuel oil was also digested. The trace element concentrations were very low (between 28 and 0.1 microgram g(-1)) but acceptable results were obtained by applying a dilution factor of 100. Only six elements in the fuel oil (As, Ba, Co, Ni, Se and V) had certified or indicated values. Factors affecting the accuracy and sensitivity of the analyses are discussed. The reproducibility of analysis of the tobacco leaf standard was checked over a period of nine months by both digestion methods. The wet ashing method gave acceptable reproducibility for Ba, Cd, Co, Cu, Ga, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, V and Zn but poor precision for Cr, Se and Sn and showed evidence of residual chloride interference for As. The microwave extraction gave good reproducibility for As, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mo, Ni and Zn but poor precision for Se and low recoveries for Ga, Mn, Sn and V. In spite of the small quantities of material analysed, it proved possible to determine the trace elements at levels down to 0.1 microgram g(-1) in the reference materials.     

Comparison of microwave digestion procedures for the determination of some elements in asphaltite ash using ICP-AES

A microwave digestion procedure for asphaltite ash was developed in an attempt to facilitate routine analysis and obtain reproducible conditions or comparable results. The conditions of the most effective procedure for 0.1 g asphaltite ash samples are 1 ml of HNO3 + 3 ml of HCl + 1 ml of HF + 1 ml of deionized water as acid mixture and 15 min for digestion time. The digestion was accomplished in five stages applying continuously 90% to 20% of the microwave power and 20 to 100 psi of the pressure for 10 min of total time. Concentrations of selected elements, Cr, Co, Fe, Mn, Ni and Zn were measured using inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy. The proposed method of digestion provided precise results with relative standard deviations generally less than 3% for investigated elements. Results for fly ash as standard reference material was in good agreement with certified values.     

Single-step microwave digestion with HNO(3) alone for determination of trace elements in coal by ICP spectrometry

A microwave digestion method with HNO₃ alone was conducted at a temperature as high as 250 °C for determination of 19 trace elements (Li, Be, V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, As, Se, Rb, Sr, Cd, Cs, Ba, Hg, and Pb) in coal jointly by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), and flow injection ICP-MS (FI-ICP-MS). The validity of determination was assessed by using three standard coals, SRM 1632c, BCR 180, and SARM 19. It was found that the high-temperature digestion led to an extensive decomposition of the organic matrix and clay in coal, and no dissolved and solid carbon remained in the final solution after evaporation. Good recoveries were observed for all trace elements in three coals, with the exception of V, Rb, and Cs in high-ash SARM 19. Additionally, FI-ICP-MS combined with the present digestion without evaporation pretreatment was proved to be a rapid and efficient approach for determination of ultra-trace elements such as Se, Cd, and Hg in coal.     

植物类中药材及饮片中18种重金属及有害元素研究

建立植物类中药材及饮片中铅、镉、总砷、总汞、铜、锑、锡、铬、镍、钡、锰、铊、银、铍、镝、铝、硒、钼共18种重金属及有害元素含量的检测方法和限量。样品经微波消解处理后,采用电感耦合等离子体质谱法(ICP-MS)对100批植物类中药材中的重金属及有害元素进行测定和方法研究。各元素线性关系良好,相关系数(r)均大于0.999 5,方法检出限为0.000 22~0.023 0 mg/kg,回收率为90.2%~108.7%,相对标准偏差为1.8%~4.9%。该方法准确、简便、灵敏,可为植物类中药材中重金属及有害元素的检测与控制提供方法参考。     

CCD-ICP-AES内标法同时测定化肥中12种有害元素

研究了采用CCD-ICP-AES同时测定化肥中As、Cd、Co、Cr、Cu、Hg、Mo、Ni、Pb、Sb、Se和Zn等12种有害元素的方法.采用微波消解法处理样品,加入Y作为内标,消除了化肥基体对测定结果的干扰效应.方法对化肥中各元素的测定回收率在81.6%～120%之间,测定精密度在0.7%～13.8%之间.用该法测定了两种国家标准物质.     

Simultaneous determination of hydride forming (As, Bi, Ge, Sb, Se, Sn) and Hg and non-hydride forming (Ca, Fe, Mg, Mn, Zn) elements in sonicate slurries of analytical samples by microwave induced plasma optical emission spectrometry with dual-mode sample introduction system

A slurry sampling method for the simultaneous determination of hydride forming (As, Bi, Ge, Sb, Se, Sn) and Hg and non-hydride forming (Ca, Fe, Mg, Mn, Zn) elements, without total sample digestion has been developed using the commercial dual-mode sample introduction system (MSIS) coupled with microwave induced plasma optical emission spectrometry (MIP-OES) from biological and environmental reference materials and real samples. The main advantage of this system is its simultaneous determination of elements that form volatile vapor species and elements that do not, without any instrumental changes. Optimization of reaction, nebulization and instrumental conditions was performed to characterize the new system. Slurry concentration up to 4% m/v (particles < 100 μm) prepared in 10% HNO₃ containing 100 μL of decanol, by application of ultrasonic agitation, was used with calibration by the standard addition technique. An ultrasonic probe was used to homogenize the slurry in the quartz cup just before its introduction into the reaction/nebulization system; the multimode sample introduction system (MSIS) combines the benefits of nebulization and vapor generation in a single device. Detection limits (LOD, 3σ_blank, peak area) of 0.07, 0.29, 0.25, 0.10, 0.12, 0.14, 0.11, 0.28, 0.42, 0.02, 0.21 and 0.34 μg g^− 1 were obtained for As, Bi, Ge, Sb, Se, Sn, Hg, Ca, Fe, Mg, Mn and Zn, respectively. The relative standard deviations were ca. 10%, adequate for slurry analysis. To test the accuracy, six certified reference materials were analyzed with the analyte concentrations mostly in the μg g^− 1 level. Measured concentrations are in satisfactory agreement with certified values for the biological reference materials (LUTS-1, DOLT-2) and environmental reference materials (PACS-1, GWB 07302, NIST 2710, NBS 1633b), all adequate for slurry sampling. The method was successfully applied to the determination of the elements in real samples (coal fly ash, lake sediment, sewage). The method requires small amounts of reagents and reduces contamination and losses.     

Determination of metal concentrations in lichen samples by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy technique after applying different digestion procedures

Three digestion procedures have been tested on lichen samples for application in the determination of major, minor and trace elements (Al, Ca, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, Pb, V and Zn) in lichen samples collected in Aegean Region of Turkey by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometer (ICP-AES). The acid mixture of concentrated HNO₃, H₂O₂ and HF were used. The instrument was optimized using lichen matrix considering RF power, nebulizer pressure, auxiliary flow rate and pump rate. The accuracy of the overall analyses was first estimated by analysis of two certified reference materials. Good agreement between measured and reference values were found for almost all elements. As the second way of determining the accuracy, results obtained from independent analytical techniques (ICP-AES and instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA)) were compared for all elements by analyzing real samples. Correlation coefficients of two techniques for the elements ranged between 0.70 (Mg) and 0.96 (Fe). Among the three digestion systems, namely microwave, open vessel and acid bomb, microwave digestion system gave the best recovery results. The method detection limit (MDL) was computed using reagent blanks of microwave digestion system since it provides cleaner sample preparation. Detection limit is adequate for all elements to determine the elements in lichen samples. The precision was assessed from the replicate analyses of reagent blanks of microwave digestion system and was found to be less than 1.5% relative standard deviation (R.S.D.).     

秦巴山区钮子根茎、叶中微量元素的研究

为研究秦巴山区钮子根茎、叶中微量元素的含量,采用微波消解的方法处理样品,用火焰原子吸收分光光度法分别测定了其K、Na、Mg、Fe、Cu、Mn、Zn、Co、Ni、Pd 10种金属元素的含量,确立了样品消解试剂、微波消解条件,并对样品进行了精密度和回收率试验。结果表明,相对标准偏差在0.772 8%~6.813 7%之间,回收率在94.0%~109.9%之间,钮子根茎、叶中均含有丰富的K、Na、Mg、Fe、Cu、Mn、Zn等金属元素,Co、Ni等有益微量元素的含量次之,Pd的含量最低。     

New application of microwave digestion-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry for multi-element analysis in komatiites

A new method using microwave digestion combined with inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was studied to analyze the elemental composition of a variety of komatiites samples. Microwave digestion consisted in two-stage heating and pressurizing acid treatments for maximum dissolution of the samples. We report here different quality control measurements (external and internal calibration, monitoring of reference materials) which involve standard deviation calculations and recovery examinations in order to test the precision and accuracy of the analytical procedure. Data for 17 elements (Na, P, K, T, V Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Zr, Pb, Al, F, Ca and Mg) in eight komatiite samples and two USGS basalt reference samples (BCR-2 and BHVO-2) are presented. We evaluate our new digestion and instrumental procedure. The element concentration obtained for BCR-2 and BHVO-2 agreed well with the certified values, the relative standard deviations were lower than 5% and recoveries were good. Our analytical results demonstrate that it reproduces accurately the concentrations of minor and trace elements in komatiites. The ease of digestion of the samples and the speed (less than 12 h) to digest the komatiite material makes this technique an efficient method to be used easily and routinely for preparing and analyzing komatiites samples for multiple elements determination.     

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

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

Multi-element analysis of manganese nodules by atomic absorption spectrometry without chemical separation

Five manganese nodules, including the USGS reference nodules A-1 and P-1, were analyzed for Co, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni and Zn without prior chemical separation by using a simultaneous multi-element atomic absorption spectrometer with an air—cetylene flame. The nodules were prepared in three digestion matrices. One of these solutions was measured using sixteen different combinations of burner height and air/acetylene ratios. Results for A-1 and P-1 are compared to recommended values and results for all nodules are compared to those obtained with an inductively coupled plasma. The elements Co, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, and Zn are simultaneously determined with a composite recovery for all elements of 100 ± 7%, independent of the digestion matrices, heights in the flame, or flame stoichiometries examined. Individual recoveries for Co, K, and Ni are considerably poorer in two digests than this composite figure, however. The optimum individual recoveries of 100 ± 5% and imprecisions of 1–4%, except for zinc, are obtained when Co, K, Mn, Na and Ni are determined simultaneously in a concentrated digest, and in another analytical sequence, when Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn and Zn are measured simultaneously after dilution. Determination of manganese is equally accurate in the two sequences; its measurement in both assures internal consistency between the two measurement sequences. This approach improves analytical efficiency over that for conventional atomic absorption methods, while minimizing loss of accuracy or precision for individual elements.     

Single vessel procedure for acid vapor partial digestion of bovine liver in a focused microwave: multielement determination by ICP-OES

An acid vapor partial digestion procedure for bovine liver is proposed using a focused microwave oven and a laboratory-made PTFE support. The support is equipped with three cups of approximately 4 ml volume each one and the cups were adapted to the glass reaction vessel of the microwave oven. A mixture containing HNO₃ plus H₂SO₄ is heated to 120 °C to generate acid vapor. Bovine liver (50-90 mg) were directly weighed into the cups followed by addition of a mixture containing NaClO+H₂O₂. Samples were exposed to acid vapor during 15-25 min and then diluted with distilled and deionized water to final masses of 3.0 g. Recoveries of Al, Ca, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, and Zn were evaluated using an ICP-OES with axially-viewed configuration. The effects of both particle sizes and acid vapor exposure time were evaluated and recoveries of most elements were quantitative when using 25 min of heating and 50 mg of samples. Slightly better recoveries were reached using particles smaller than 44 μm, but this effect was mainly observed for hardly extracted elements such as Al and Fe.     

Determination of 36 elements in plant reference materials with different Si contents by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry: comparison of microwave digestions assisted by three types of digestion mixtures

Closed-vessel microwave digestion of nine standard reference plant materials (NIST, BCR, IAEA) and a laboratory standard of plant material with different Si contents assisted by HNO₃ + H₂O₂ (procedure A), HNO₃ + H₂O₂ + HF + H₃BO₃ (procedure B) and HNO₃ + H₂O₂ + HBF₄ (procedure C) were used to determine the recovery of 36 elements by ICP-MS: Ag, Al, As, Ba, Be, Bi, Cd, Ce, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Fe, Ga, Ge, In, La, Li, Mn, Mo, Nd, Ni, Pb, Pr, Rb, Sb, Se, Sn, Sr, Th, Tl, U, V, W, Y, Zn. Additions of HF + H₃BO₃ and HBF₄ in procedures B and C exceeded by 10% (B1, C1) and 100% (B2, C2) the equivalent concentrations of Si in the samples determined by ICP-OES. Most recoveries of certified elements (e.g., Al^*, Cu, Mo^*, Rb^*, Sb^*, Th) decreased significantly (^*p ≤ 0.05) with increasing Si content in plant reference materials digested by procedure A, while the recoveries from procedures B and C decreased insignificantly only for Mo and Sb. Digestions B and C gave significantly higher recoveries of Al, Sb, W and REEs, which were tighter to the reference values of these elements. A similar effect was found for Cu, Fe, Li, Ni, Sn, Th, Tl, V, Zn, Ba, Rb and Sr recoveries in samples with Si contents exceeding 2000 μg g⁻¹. If the Si content in plant samples is less than 10 mg g⁻¹, digestion of 0.5 g of plant samples through 0.05 mL of HF and 0.5 mL of 4% H₃BO₃ or 0.1 mL of HBF₄ is recommended to get satisfactory results for most of the elements. For materials with Si content exceeding 10 mg g⁻¹ the weight of the sample for digestion should be reduced to 0.25 g. However, the operation of potential interferences should be taken into account and eliminated through correction equations and adequate dilution of the samples.