title: Evaluation of aluminium concentrations in samples of chocolate and beverages by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry.
abstract: Samples of chocolate, cocoa, tea infusions, soft drinks and fruit juice have been examined by, electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETA-AAS) for the presence of aluminium (Al). Fruit juices and chocolate were analysed after an adequate sample preparation; the other products were evaluated directly. Sampling was performed in duplicate for 248 independent samples. The mean Al concentration in chocolate was 9.2 +/- 7.5 mg kg(-1), and individual values were correlated with the per cent of cocoa in samples (Y = 0.63 + 0.27X, r = 0.78, p < 0.0001). Al concentration in commercial tea infusions ranged from 0.9 to 3.3 mg l(-1) (mean = 1.80 +/- 65 mg l(-1), whereas in laboratory-prepared samples it was 2.7 +/- 0.93 mg l(-1). In soft drinks, the concentrations of Al were lower, ranging from 9.1 to 179 microg l(-1); the highest values were observed in samples of orange squash (mean = 114 +/- 56 microg l(-1)). Apricot juice showed the highest Al level (mean = 602 +/- 190 microg l(-1)), being statistically, different from that of pear (mean = 259 +/- 102 microg l(-1)), but not different from that of peach juice (mean = 486 +/- 269 microg kg(-1)). Toxicologically, the amount of Al deriving from the consumption of these products is far below the acceptable daily intake of 1 mg kg(-1) body weight indicated by the FAO/WHO, and it is a verv low percentage of the normal Al dietary intake.
authors.affiliation: Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Applied Toxicology Department, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sepe
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Costantini
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ciaralli
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ciprotti
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Giordano
mesh_terms: D000535:Aluminum / Q000032:analysis*; D001628:Beverages / Q000032:analysis*; D002099:Cacao / Q000737:chemistry*; D002253:Carbonated Beverages / Q000032:analysis; D002957:Citrus / Q000737:chemistry; D005506:Food Contamination; D006801:Humans; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic; D013662:Tea / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D013662:Tea; D000535:Aluminum