Inorganic arsenic speciation analysis in food using HPLC/ICP-MS: Method development and validation

Authors

Yu-Cheng Lai, Division of Research and Analysis, Taiwan Food and Drug Administration, Ministry of Health and Welfare
Yi-Chen Tsai, Division of Research and Analysis, Taiwan Food and Drug Administration, Ministry of Health and Welfare
Yu-Ning Shin, Division of Research and Analysis, Taiwan Food and Drug Administration, Ministry of Health and Welfare
Ya-Chun Chou, Division of Research and Analysis, Taiwan Food and Drug Administration, Ministry of Health and WelfareFollow
Ying-Ru Shen, Division of Research and Analysis, Taiwan Food and Drug Administration, Ministry of Health and Welfare
Nu-Ching Lin, Division of Research and Analysis, Taiwan Food and Drug Administration, Ministry of Health and Welfare
Shu-Han Chang, Division of Research and Analysis, Taiwan Food and Drug Administration, Ministry of Health and Welfare
Ya-Min Kao, Division of Research and Analysis, Taiwan Food and Drug Administration, Ministry of Health and Welfare
Su-Hsiang Tseng, Division of Research and Analysis, Taiwan Food and Drug Administration, Ministry of Health and Welfare
Der-Yuan Wang, Division of Research and Analysis, Taiwan Food and Drug Administration, Ministry of Health and Welfare

Keywords

Arsenic speciation, HPLC/ICP-MS, Inorganic arsenic in food

Abstract

Arsenic (As) compounds can be classified as organic or inorganic, with inorganic arsenic (iAs) having significantly higher toxicity than organic As. As may accumulate in food materials that have been exposed to As-contaminated environments. Thus, the “Sanitation Standard for Contaminants and Toxins in Foods” published by the Ministry of Health and Welfare set the standard limits for iAs content in rice, seaweed, seafood, and marine oils to safeguard public health. Therefore, a robust analytical method must be developed to selectively and quantitatively determine iAs content in rice, seaweed, seafood, and marine oils. Herein, we reported and verified the method of combined high-performance liquid chromatography/inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (HPLC/ICP-MS) to determine iAs content in a wide variety of food. The fish oil samples were spiked with different concentrations of the As(III) standard solution, and their iAs analyzes were obtained via extraction procedures using the 1% (w/w) nitric acid (HNO3) solution containing 0.2 M hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) under sonication. The extracts were subsequently analyzed for their As(V) contents using HPLC/ICP-MS with aqueous ammonium carbonate as the mobile phase. The As(III) species had completely oxidized into the As(V) species, which prevented interferences between organic and iAs during chromatography. The method showed good extraction efficiencies (generally >90%) for the iAs samples, and their limits of quantification in fish oil were 0.02 mg/kg. The method was verified via the iAs speciation analytes of rice, seaweed, seafood, and marine oil matrices. The average recoveries for the fortified samples of each matrix ranged from 87.5 to 112.4%, with their coefficients of variation being less than 10%. Surveillance studies were conducted on the iAs contents of food samples purchased from local Taiwanese markets. The results showed that the only Hijiki (Sargassum fusiforme) higher than the maximum limit of the sanitation standard for iAs in seaweed, whereas the remaining samples met their corresponding requirements. This method is quick and straightforward, and it can be applied for the routine analysis of iAs content in a wide variety of food products to ensure public health safety.

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Recommended Citation

Lai, Yu-Cheng; Tsai, Yi-Chen; Shin, Yu-Ning; Chou, Ya-Chun; Shen, Ying-Ru; Lin, Nu-Ching; Chang, Shu-Han; Kao, Ya-Min; Tseng, Su-Hsiang; and Wang, Der-Yuan (2022) "Inorganic arsenic speciation analysis in food using HPLC/ICP-MS: Method development and validation," Journal of Food and Drug Analysis: Vol. 30 : Iss. 4 , Article 11.
Available at: https://doi.org/10.38212/2224-6614.3432

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