Determination of zinc in food using atomic fluorescence spectrometry by hydride generation from organized media

A method was proposed for the determination of zinc by atomic fluorescence spectrometry with hydride generation from surfactant-based organized media. The ability of different nature micelles to improve hydride generation of zinc was investigated using an intermittent flow hydride generator and the possible mechanism was discussed. The advantages of hydride generation from the organized media of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) were contrasted with that from aqueous media in sensitivity and precision of the zinc determination. The micellar media of CTAB improved the hydride generation processes of zinc both thermodynamically and kinetically. In addition some transition metals, presumably metal borides, were found to catalyze the hydrogenation of zinc. The proposed method has been validated by the determination of zinc in the certified reference materials using the standard addition method with satisfactory result.