Validation of Gold and Silver Nanoparticle Analysis in Fruit Juices by Single-Particle ICP-MS without Sample Pretreatment.

With the increasing use of nanoparticles in consumer products, the need for validated quantitation methods also rises. This becomes even more urgent because the risks of nanomaterials are still not conclusively assessed. Fast, accurate, and robust single-particle (sp) ICP-MS is a promising technique as it is capable of counting and sizing particles at very low concentrations at the same time. Another feature is the simultaneous distinction between dissolved and particulate analytes. The present study shows, for the first time to our knowledge, a method validation for the rapid analysis of silver and gold nanoparticles with sp-ICP-MS in fruit juices without sample preparation. The investigated matrices water, orange juice, and apple juice were spiked with particles and only diluted prior to measurement without using a digestion reagent. The validations regarding particle size are successful according to the German GTFCh's guideline with deviations of accuracy and precision below 15%.