A universal method for the speciation analysis of arsenic in various seafood based on microwave-assisted extraction and ion chromatography-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

Yaohui Lin,Ying Sun,Xusheng Wang,Shilong Chen,Yongning Wu,Fengfu Fu

doi:10.1016/j.microc.2020.105592

Abstract

The speciation analysis of arsenic in seafood is of great significance for objectively and scientifically assessing arsenic health risks in seafood. In general, different types of seafood contain a variety of different arsenic species and have quite different matrix. Thus, the detection of arsenic species in different types of seafood required different extracting and analytical methods. In this study, a universal microwave-assisted extraction was developed to extract each arsenic species including As(V), As(III), monomethylarsonic acid (MMA), dimethylarsinic acid (DMA), arsenobetaine (AsB), arsenosugars and so on in various seafood with a extraction efficiency > 95% and without altering their original species, and a universal cation exchange IC-ICP-MS (ion chromatography-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry) method was developed for the detection of arsenic species in various seafood (seaweed, fish, shellfish and shrimp) with a method detection limit of 8.0 ng As/g dried seafood–12.0 ng As/g dried seafood. Especially, the extract of seafood obtained with our microwave-assisted extraction can be directly used for the following IC-ICP-MS detection without any additional pretreatment. By using the extraction method and IC-ICP-MS method, we have successfully detected each arsenic species including As(V), As(III), MMA, DMA, AsB, arsenosugars and so on in seaweed, fish, shellfish and shrimp samples with a recovery of 92%–104% and a relative standard deviation (RSD, n = 5) < 5%. The developed microwave-assisted extraction method and IC-ICP-MS detection method is simple, has broad applicability, high efficiency, excellent accuracy and strong resistibility to the complicated matrix, which promising a reliable approach for objectively and scientifically assessing arsenic health risks in various seafood to ensure the consumption safety of seafood.

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