Determination of arsenic, cadmium, mercury, and lead in foods by pressure digestion and inductively coupled plasma/ mass spectrometry: first action 2013.06.

The method for the determination of As, Cd, Hg, and Pb in foods by pressure digestion and inductively coupled plasma (ICP)/MS, previously published in J. AOAC Int. 90, 844-856 (2007), was approved as First Action 2013.06 on April 9, 2013 by the Method- Centric Committee for Elemental Contaminants in Food. Digestion occurs using nitric acid in a closed vessel with elevated temperature and pressure by conventional or microwave-assisted heating. Determination occurs using ICP/MS. The elemental concentration ranges for As were 0.06-21.4, for Cd 0.03-28.3, for Hg 0.04-0.6, and for Pb 0.01-2.4 in mg/kg dry matter. The repeatability RSD (RSDr) ranged from 3.8 to 24% for As, 2.6 to 6.9% for Cd, 4.8 to 8.3% for Hg, and 2.9 to 27% for Pb. Reproducibility RSD (RSDR) ranged from 9.0 to 28% for As, 2.8 to 18% for Cd, 9.9 to 24% for Hg, and 8 to 50% for Pb.