SOME SPECIATION STUDIES IN FOODSTUFF BY ATOMIC ABSORPTION SPECTROMETRY

Abstract

There has been increasing interest in speciation studies of essential elements in foods. The main limitation of this studies, their levels in food samples and the difficulties for the determination in their own different forms without any changes in their original forms. Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS) coupled with separation methods would be outline in this presentation. Analytical scheme was given for tea, olive and garlic samples for Manganese, Magnesium and Selenium respectively. Activated carbon, solvent extraction, solid phase extraction as well as co-precipitation methods will be discussed for speciation studies. Because its sensitivity Electro-thermal AAS is the preferable technique if the levels in ppb range. Some of the interference problems would be given for the accuracy of the total element determinations.