ABSTRACT
This study reports the simultaneous determination of the total concentrations of Al, Ca, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, P, and Zn in 17 samples of commercial energy drinks through inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry and multivariate methods, such as Pearson correlation and principal component analysis (PCA), in order to conduct a more thorough evaluation of the original data. The samples studied were stored in two types of containers (polyethylene terephthalate bottles and aluminum cans) and purchased in the city of Belém (State of Pará, Brazil). The results showed high Na content in energy drinks, followed by K, Ca, and Mg. The accuracy of the optimized method was evaluated with the certified reference materials to assess trace elements in water (NIST 1643e); the resultant recoveries varied from 83 to 105%. Energy drinks stored in cans presented higher levels of aluminum and magnesium, while those bottled in polyethylene terephthalate bottles had a higher K content. There were significant differences between the observed Na concentrations and the values dictated on the drink package. Furthermore, PCA explained 70.38% of the total variance, allowing for an evaluation of the degree of similarity between the energy drinks studied and showing that the main contributions to the formation of groups are related to Fe, Na, Mg, and Zn contents. These results will be used to better understand the distribution of inorganic elements contained in energy drinks.
