Fast extraction methodologies for the determination of toxic arsenic in meat

Summary A nonchromatographic analytical procedure has been developed for the determination of arsenic in meat samples including the major toxic arsenic species arsenite, arsenate, monomethylarsonic acid (MMA) and dimetylarsinic acid (DMA). The method is based on the extraction of arsenic species in mild conditions, selective trivalent hydride formation and final determination by hydride generation atomic fluorescence spectroscopy (HG-AFS). Different extractant agents and two different procedures, microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) and ultrasound assisted extraction at room temperature, were evaluated for As species extraction. The method provided a limit of detection of 0.013 ng mL−1 and a mean relative standard deviation in actual samples of 0.3%. Data found for toxic As in meat samples varied from 0.42 ng g−1 in chicken muscle to 68 ng g−1 in pork liver. Percentage of toxic As respect to total As varied in the 9–46% range depending on the meat product.