Development and validation of a method for Cd, Pb and As analysis in bovine, equine and poultry liver by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.

The research article outlines the development and validation of a method using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to measure the levels of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), and lead (Pb) in the liver tissue of various animals, including cattle, horses, and poultry.

Method Development

• The study introduced a new method to measure levels of As, Cd, and Pb in the livers of bovines, equines, and poultry using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS).
• The liver samples were digested in a microwave oven using a 10% nitric acid (HNO3) solution to prepare for analysis.
• The researchers then optimized various parameters of the ICP-MS process. These adjustments were based on a central composite design (CCD) and include plasma argon flow, nebulizer argon flow, and the radio frequency power applied to the plasma.

Method Validation

• The method was validated by evaluating Rhodium (Rh) and Ruthenium (Ru) as internal standards for the analysis.
• Rhodium proved to be the best for Pb and Cd analysis, but for As, better results were achieved without an internal standard.
• The method allowed determination of As, Cd, and Pb with a 3.3% HNO3 solution permitting calibration curves ranging from 0 to 40 µg l(-1) for As and from 0 to 20 µg l(-1) for Cd and Pb.

Testing and Results

• The recovery values for As, Cd, and Pb were 100%, 106%, and 96% respectively, showing that the method effectively recovers these elements in the tested samples.
• The limits of quantification (the smallest concentration of analyte that can be reliably measured) for As, Cd, and Pb were 85 µg kg(-1), 6.5 µg kg(-1), and 12.5 µg kg(-1) respectively.
• Repeatability and within-laboratory reproducibility of the method were also tested. The metrics HORRAT(r) and HORRAT(R) were used for this, with values less than 0.30 indicating good repeatability and reproducibility.

Conclusion

• The developed method is simple, fast, and has adequate precision and accuracy for the determination of As, Cd, and Pb in bovine, equine, and poultry liver.
• The method aligns with the European Union Commission Regulation 2007/333/EC concerning the precision, recovery, uncertainties, and limits of detection and quantification for each analyte.