ABSTRACT
Baby foods, from the Spanish market and prepared from meat, fish, vegetables, cereals, legumes, and fruits, were analyzed to obtain the concentration of antimony (Sb), arsenic (As), bismuth (Bi), and tellurium (Te) as toxic elements and selenium (Se) as essential element. An analytical procedure was employed based on atomic fluorescence spectroscopy which allowed to obtain accurate data at low levels of concentration. Values of 14 commercial samples, expressed in nanograms per gram fresh weight, ranged for Sb 0.66-6.9, As 4.5-242, Te 1.35-2.94, Bi 2.18-4.79, and Se 5.4-109. Additionally, speciation studies were performed based on data from a non-chromatographic screening method. It was concluded that tellurium and bismuth were mainly present as inorganic forms and selenium as organic form, and antimony and arsenic species depend on the ingredients of each baby food. Risk assessment considerations were made by comparing dietary intake of the aforementioned elements through the consumption of one baby food portion a day and recommended or tolerable guideline values.
Subject(s)
Antimony/analysis , Arsenic/analysis , Bismuth/analysis , Food Contamination , Infant Food/analysis , Selenium/analysis , Tellurium/analysis , Animals , Antimony/chemistry , Antimony/toxicity , Arsenic/chemistry , Arsenic/toxicity , Arsenicals/adverse effects , Arsenicals/analysis , Arsenicals/chemistry , Bismuth/chemistry , Bismuth/toxicity , Dietary Exposure , Environmental Pollutants/analysis , Environmental Pollutants/chemistry , Environmental Pollutants/toxicity , Fishes , Humans , Infant , Infant Food/adverse effects , Infant Food/economics , Infant Food/standards , Molecular Structure , No-Observed-Adverse-Effect Level , Nutritive Value , Organometallic Compounds/analysis , Organometallic Compounds/chemistry , Organometallic Compounds/toxicity , Organoselenium Compounds/analysis , Organoselenium Compounds/chemistry , Risk Assessment , Seafood/adverse effects , Seafood/analysis , Seafood/economics , Seafood/standards , Selenium/chemistry , Selenium/poisoning , Spain , Tellurium/chemistry , Tellurium/toxicityABSTRACT
A methodology, based on inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry after microwave-assisted digestion with HNO3/H2O2, was developed to determine the mineral profile of panga fish samples imported from Vietnam. A total of 42 essential and toxic elements were studied in seven samples taken from the local market. Preliminary studies were focused on selecting the best wavelength and the required dilution of samples in order to provide the highest sensitivity to maximize the number of analytes to be determined without spectral or matrix interferences. Adequate accuracy was assured by the analysis of certified reference material TORT-2. Mercury was also determined by a direct method based on atomic absorption spectrometry. Results obtained indicated a low mineral profile, fourteen elements were found at quantitatively levels, Na (6000 µg g(-1)) K (1800 µg g(-1)) Mg (173 µg g(-1)), Ca (80 µg g(-1)), Zn (2.44 µg g(-1)), Fe (1.6 µg g(-1)), Al (1.1 µg g(-1)), Sr (0.4 µg g(-1)) and B, Ba, Hg, Mn, V (under 0.1 µg g(-1)). Additionally data were compared with those previously reported in literature and an estimation of daily intake was calculated and compared with recommended or tolerable guidelines values. Levels of As, Cd, Pb and Hg were far below the established values by the European Community.
