Determination of arsenic, cadmium, copper, nickel and selenium in processed meat products by ICP-MS

Abstract

This work proposes the determination of chemical elements As, Cd, Cu, Ni, and Se in processed meat using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The samples were prepared through acid digestion with nitric acid (HNO₃) and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) in a closed-system digester block. The limits of quantification (LQ) were 0.04 (As), 0.03 (Cd), 0.07 (Cu), 0.05 (Ni), and 0.21 mg kg^-1 (Se). The precision, expressed as relative standard deviation (RSD), was better than 4.8% (n = 3). The accuracy of the proposed method was evaluated using certified reference material (DORM-3, fish protein), with agreement ranging from 90 ± 10% (Cd and Cu) to 102 ± 10% (Ni). The analysis of processed meat samples collected from supermarkets in Salvador city, Bahia, revealed mean concentrations of 0.45 (As), 2.57 (Cu), and 0.58 (Ni) mg kg^-1. Instead, Cd (0.03 mg kg^-1) and Se (0.21 mg kg^-1) concentrations were below the LQs of the analytical prosed method. The results showed that the estimated levels of Cd, Cu, Ni, and Se in processed meat samples complied with the maximum limits set by Brazilian legislation. However, As levels exceeded the allowed limits in two samples. However, chemical speciation studies are required to assess whether the forms of arsenic present in the matrices can be toxic to humans.