The Elemental Fingerprints of Different Types of Whisky as Determined by ICP-OES and ICP-MS Techniques in Relation to Their Type, Age, and Origin.

A total of 170 samples of whisky from 11 countries were analysed in terms of their elemental profiles. The levels of 31 elements were determined by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS): Ag, Al, B, Ba, Be, Bi, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Li, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, Sn, Sr, Te, Tl, U, and V, Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES) Ca, Fe, K, Mg, P, S, Ti, and Zn and Cold Vapor-Atomic Absorption (CV-AAS): Hg techniques in those alcoholic samples. A comparative analysis of elemental profiles was made on the basis of the content of chosen elements with regard to selected parameters: country of origin, type of whisky (single malt and blended) and age of products. One of the elements which clearly distinguishes single malt and blended types of whisky is copper. Single malt Scotch whisky had a uniform concentration of copper, which is significantly higher for all malt whisky samples when compared with the blended type. Analysis of samples from the USA (n = 26) and Ireland (n = 15) clearly revealed that the objects represented by the same product but originating from independent bottles (e.g., JB, JDG, BUS brands) show common elemental profiles. On the other hand, comparative analysis of Scotch whisky with respect to aging time revealed that the longer the alcohol was aged, (i.e., the longer it stayed in the barrel), the higher the content of Cu and Mn that was recorded.

Sample preparation method for metal(loid) contaminant quantitation in rodent hair collected in Yuma County, Arizona.

Yuma County, Arizona, is a large agricultural hub of the USA located in the southwestern corner of Arizona on the USA-Mexico border. Year-round use of agrichemicals at a massive scale along with the influx of aquatic contaminants in the Colorado River led to significant levels of environmental pollution and hence exposure risks for people and wildlife. Although hair is a recognized biomarker for metal exposure, there is no universal hair preparation protocol. This study evaluated two digestion methods for metal quantitation using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and three methods for mercury quantitation using cold vapor-atomic absorption spectroscopy (CV-AAS), both employing certified reference materials. The "overnight" and "heating" digestion methods were suitable for ICP-MS, while only the heating method was suitable for CV-AAS. These validated methods will be useful for a variety of human and wildlife assessments of toxic metal(loid) exposure.

Toxic metals (Al, Cd, Pb and Hg) in the most consumed edible seaweeds in Europe.

Algae are becoming increasingly common because of their importance in vegan and vegetarian diets. Although they are a source of essential minerals, vitamins and antioxidants, these marine organisms have a high absorption capacity that can lead to the accumulation of toxic metals which are dangerous in humans. The objective of this study is to determine the content of toxic metals (Al, Cd, Pb and Hg) in edible seaweed samples marketed in Spain (Europe) to assess the toxicological risk from the intake of these metals. A total of 73 European and Asian algae samples marketed in Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain) were analyzed by ICP - OES (Inductively Coupled Plasma - Optical Emission Spectrometry) and by CV-AAS (Cold Vapor - Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry). The major toxic metal was Al, whose highest level was recorded in seaweed salad (57.5 mg Al/kg dry weight). Regarding the origin, the highest concentrations of Al (38.9 mg/kg dw), Cd (0.59 mg/kg dw) and Pb (0.40 mg/kg dw) were found in Asian algae, which may be due to the high levels of industry in the Asian countries. However, the highest concentration of Hg (0.017 mg/kg dw) was found in European algae. The consumption of 5 g of dehydrated seaweed per day represents a percentage of contribution to the tolerable weekly intake of Cd of 22.7%, this percentage may entail a risk when considering total Cd intake. However, the consumption of 5 g a day of dehydrated seaweed would not, pose a risk to the health of adults.

Stability of mercury concentration measurements in archived soil and peat samples.

Archived soil samples can provide important information on the history of environmental contamination and by comparison with recently collected samples, temporal trends can be inferred. Little previous work has addressed whether mercury (Hg) concentrations in soil samples are stable with long-term storage under standard laboratory conditions. In this study, we have re-analyzed using cold vapor atomic absorption spectroscopy a set of archived soil samples that ranged from relatively pristine mountainous sites to a polluted site near a non-ferrous metal smelter with a wide range of Hg concentrations (6.7-6485 µg kg-1). Samples included organic and mineral soils and peats with a carbon content that ranged from 0.2 to 47.7%. Soil samples were stored in polyethylene bags or bottles and held in laboratory rooms where temperature was not kept to a constant value. Mercury concentrations in four subsets of samples were originally measured in 2000, 2005, 2006 and 2007, and re-analyzed in 2017, i.e. after 17, 12, 11 and 10 years of storage. Statistical analyses of either separated or lumped data yielded no significant differences between the original and current Hg concentrations. Based on these analyses, we show that archived soil and peat samples can be used to evaluate historical soil mercury contamination.

Use of a Smartphone as a Colorimetric Analyzer in Paper-based Devices for Sensitive and Selective Determination of Mercury in Water Samples.

A smartphone application, called CAnal, was developed as a colorimetric analyzer in paper-based devices for sensitive and selective determination of mercury(II) in water samples. Measurement on the double layer of a microfluidic paper-based analytical device (µPAD) fabricated by alkyl ketene dimer (AKD)-inkjet printing technique with special design doped with unmodified silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) onto the detection zones was performed by monitoring the gray intensity in the blue channel of AgNPs, which disintegrated when exposed to mercury(II) on µPAD. Under the optimized conditions, the developed approach showed high sensitivity, low limit of detection (0.003 mg L-1, 3SD blank/slope of the calibration curve), small sample volume uptake (two times of 2 µL), and short analysis time. The linearity range of this technique ranged from 0.01 to 10 mg L-1 (r2 = 0.993). Furthermore, practical analysis of various water samples was also demonstrated to have acceptable performance that was in agreement with the data from cold vapor atomic absorption spectrophotometry (CV-AAS), a conventional method. The proposed technique allows for a rapid, simple (instant report of the final mercury(II) concentration in water samples via smartphone display), sensitive, selective, and on-site analysis with high sample throughput (48 samples h-1, n = 3) of trace mercury(II) in water samples, which is suitable for end users who are unskilled in analyzing mercury(II) in water samples.

Assessment of mercury content in Panga (Pangasius hypophthalmus).

Panga (Pangasius hypophthalmus), originating from Vietnam, is one of the most consumed fish because of its low cost, mild taste and presentation (fillets without skin and bones). Nevertheless, due to the high levels of contamination of the rivers where it lives, and to the fact that the panga is a predator, whereby it will accumulate a higher mercury concentration, the main objectives of the present study were to evaluate the toxic risk from mercury ingestion as a result of the consumption of this fish. A total of 80 frozen panga samples natural and marinade from different commercial establishments have been analyzed using cold vapour atomic absorption spectrophotometry (CV-AAS). The results obtained show a wide range of mercury concentrations between 0.10 and 0.69 mg/kg, with an average value of 0.22 mg/kg. In addition, it has been found that the average mercury concentration in the marinated presentation (0.18 mg/kg) is higher than that obtained in the natural panga (0.16 mg/kg). However, no significant differences were found between commercial establishments or in the presentation formats, with the conclusion that they did not influence the mercury content in the samples. Assuming a weekly consumption of 350 g of panga, the contribution rate to Tolerable Weekly Intake (TWI) of mercury (4 µg/kg bw/week) is 32% and 27.5% for women and men, respectively. Based on the results obtained in this study, an exhaustive control of the mercury content in this type of fish is necessary. In addition, a consumption restriction to children will be established.

Mercury contamination in facial skin lightening creams and its health risks to user.

This study aims to determine concentrations of mercury in facial skin lightening cream according to different price categories (category I:

Ultrasound-assisted dispersive micro solid-phase extraction with nano-TiO2 as adsorbent for the determination of mercury species.

The combination of ultrasound-assisted dispersive micro solid-phase extraction (USA DMSPE), with the use of TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) as adsorbent, with cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry (CV AAS) is proposed for preconcentration and determination of mercury species (Hgtotal, Hg2+ and CH3Hg+) in biological, geological and water samples. The experimental parameters including the amount of TiO2 NPs, pH of sample solution, ultrasonication and centrifugation time, TiO2 slurry solution preparation before injection to CV AAS were investigated. Effective preconcentration of trace mercury with 10mg of TiO2 was achieved in pH 7.5. After extraction, adsorbent with analytes was mixed with 500µL of 1molL-1 HNO3 to prepare slurry solution. The concentration limit of detection was 0.004ngmL-1 for Hg2+. The achieved preconcentration factor was 35. The relative standard deviations (RSDs, %) for mercury species in real samples were 4-20%. The accuracy of this method was evaluated by analyses of certified reference materials: DOLT-2 (Dogfish Liver), IAEA-085 (Human hair), SRM 2709 (San Joaquin Soil), SRM 2711 (Montana Soil) and SRM 2704 (Buffalo River Sediment). The measured mercury species contents in reference materials were in satisfactory agreement with the added amounts (according to the t-test for a 95% confidence level). The presented method has been successfully applied for the determination of mercury species in real water samples (lake and river water).

ICP OES and CV AAS in determination of mercury in an unusual fatal case of long-term exposure to elemental mercury in a teenager.

In this work, a case of deliberate self-poisoning is presented. A 14-year-old girl suddenly died during one of the several hospitalizations. Abdominal computer tomography showed a large number of metallic particles in the large intestine. Analysis of blood and internal organs for mercury and other toxic metals carried out by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP OES) revealed high concentrations of mercury in kidneys and liver (64,200 and 2470ng/g, respectively), less in stomach (90ng/g), and none in blood. Using cold vapor-atomic absorption spectrometry (CV AAS), high levels of mercury were confirmed in all examined materials, including blood (87ng/g), and additionally in hair. The results of analysis obtained by two techniques revealed that the exposure to mercury was considerable (some time later, it was stated that the mercury originated from thermometers that had been broken over the course of about 1 year, because of Münchausen syndrome). CV AAS is a more sensitive technique, particularly for blood samples (negative results using ICP OES), and tissue samples - with LOQ: 0.63ng/g of Hg (CV AAS) vis-à-vis 70ng/g of Hg (ICP OES). However, ICP OES may be used as a screening technique for autopsy material in acute poisoning by a heavy metal, even one as volatile as mercury.

Determinaçäo dos teores de Hg, Pb, Cd, Cu e Zn em moluscos (Crassostrea brasiliana, Perna perna e Mytella falcata) / Determination of Pb, Cd, Hg, Cu and Zn levels in molluscs (Crassostrea brasiliana, Perna perna and Mytella falcata)

Os moluscos bivalves quando ingeridos podem oferecer risco à saúde pública por serem organismos filtradores e bioacumuladores de resíduos químicos e biológicos. O objetivo deste trabalho foi determinar os teores de Hg, Pb,Cd, Cu e Zn nos bivalves C.brasiliana, P.perna e M.falcata coletados em vários bancos naturais do litoral da Baixada Santista. No período de setembro de 1996 a fevereiro de 1997, foram coletadas e analisadas 70 amostras provenientes de doze bancos naturais. As determinaçöes analíticas de Hg no tecido mole dos bivalves foram realizadas por espectrometria de absorçäo atômica com gerador de vapor frio, enquanto que o Pb, Cd, Zn e Cu foram analisados por ICP OES. Os resultados revelaram que as amostras apresentaram níveis de concentraçäo permitidas pelas normas legais vigentes com relaçäo aos teores de Pb, Cd, Hg e Cu analisados. Todas as amostras de mexilhäo e sururu analisadas apresentaram teores de zinco abaixo do valor estabelecido pela legislaçäo brasileira, que é de 50,0 mg/kg, exceto todas as amostras de ostras C. brasiliana. (AU)

Bivalves as filter-feeders and bioaccumulators of chemical and biological residues canoffer risk to public health when consumed by the population. This study aims at determining Pb, Cd, Hg,Cu and Zn levels in bivalves C. brasiliana, P. perna and Mytella falcata collected in several naturalsandbanks in the coastal Baixada Santista, São Paulo. Seventy samples from twelve natural sandbankswere collected and analyzed from September 1996 to February 1997. Mercury concentration in soft tissuesof bivalves was determined by continuos flow injection ­ flameless atomic absorption spectrometry. Pb,Cd, Zn and Cu were determined by Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP OES).The results showed that Pb, Cd, Hg and Cu levels in samples were according to Brazilian legislation. Theconcentration of Zn for all samples of oyster C. brasiliana was higher than those indicated by legal limitsfor foods in Brazil, that is 50 mg/kg; for other samples the Zn levels were below the levels established forBrazilian legislation. (AU)