scholarly journals Effectiveness of Different Sample Treatments for the Elemental Characterization of Bees and Beehive Products

Molecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (18) ◽  
pp. 4263
Author(s):  
Maria Luisa Astolfi ◽  
Marcelo Enrique Conti ◽  
Elisabetta Marconi ◽  
Lorenzo Massimi ◽  
Silvia Canepari

Bee health and beehive products’ quality are compromised by complex interactions between multiple stressors, among which toxic elements play an important role. The aim of this study is to optimize and validate sensible and reliable analytical methods for biomonitoring studies and the quality control of beehive products. Four digestion procedures, including two systems (microwave oven and water bath) and different mixture reagents, were evaluated for the determination of the total content of 40 elements in bees and five beehive products (beeswax, honey, pollen, propolis and royal jelly) by using inductively coupled plasma mass and optical emission spectrometry. Method validation was performed by measuring a standard reference material and the recoveries for each selected matrix. The water bath-assisted digestion of bees and beehive products is proposed as a fast alternative to microwave-assisted digestion for all elements in biomonitoring studies. The present study highlights the possible drawbacks that may be encountered during the elemental analysis of these biological matrices and aims to be a valuable aid for the analytical chemist. Total elemental concentrations, determined in commercially available beehive products, are presented.

Author(s):  
Masoud Aghahoseini ◽  
Gholamhassan Azimi ◽  
M. K. Amini

Determination of traces of Cd, Co, Cu, Mn and Pb elements in zirconium and its alloys by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP OES) suffers from severe spectral interferences...


2014 ◽  
Vol 97 (3) ◽  
pp. 687-699 ◽  
Author(s):  
James M Bartos ◽  
Barton L Boggs ◽  
J Harold Falls ◽  
Sanford A Siegel

Abstract A two-part single-laboratory validation study was conducted for determination of the P and K content in commercial fertilizer materials by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP- OES). While several methods exist for determination of P and K in fertilizer products, the main focus of this study was on ICP-OES determination, which offers several unique advantages. Fertilizer samples with consensus P and K values from the Magruder and Association of Fertilizer and Phosphate Chemists (AFPC) check sample programs were selected for this study. Validation materials ranging from 4.4 to 52.4% P2O5 (1.7 to 22.7% P) and 3 to 62% K2O (2.5 to 51.5% K) were utilized. Because all P and K compounds contained in fertilizer materials are not "available" for plants to use, this study was conducted in two parts. Part A focused on ammonium citrate–disodium EDTA as the extraction solvent, as it estimates the pool of fertilizer P and K that is considered available to plants. Part B focused on hydrochloric acid as the digestion solvent, as it estimates the total P and K content of the fertilizer product. Selectivity studies indicated that this method can have a high bias for fertilizer products containing sources of phosphite or organic P compared to gravimetric or colorimetric methods that measure just orthophosphate. Provided the analytical challenges outlined in this study are addressed, this method offers the potential for a quick, accurate, and safe alternative for determining the P and K content of commercial inorganic fertilizer materials.


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