title: The determination of lead in sugar and sweets without digestion by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS) with a rhodium chemical modifier.
abstract: Reference methods for determining lead in food are usually time-consuming. This paper reports a straightforward procedure using electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS), to determine lead (Pb) in fat-free sweets. Several chemical modifiers were examined and results showed that it is not necessary to digest the samples, when a rhodium (Rh) modifier was used. The samples were dissolved in nitric acid and the determination of Pb was performed by ETAAS, using Rh chemical modifier at a pyrolysis temperature of 900 degrees C and an atomization temperature of 1,500 degrees C. No ashing step was employed and aqueous standards were used, in the range 2-10 microg l(-1). The limit of quantification was 0.095 mg kg(-1), and the accuracy of the method was verified by analysing certified reference materials.
authors.affiliation: Fundacao de Ciencia e Tecnologia-- CIENTEC, Brasil. veradias@cientec.rs.gov.br
authors.forename: V M C
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Dias
authors.forename: A S B
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Cardoso
mesh_terms: D002138:Calibration; D002182:Candy / Q000032:analysis*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D006358:Hot Temperature; D007854:Lead / Q000032:analysis*; D012015:Reference Standards; D012238:Rhodium; D031786:Saccharum / Q000737:chemistry*; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D007854:Lead; D012238:Rhodium