Inorganic Ge Research Articles

Effects of exogenous germanium and effective microorganisms on germanium accumulation and nutritional qualities of garlic (Allium sativum L.)

Organic germanium (Ge) compounds show vital beneficial effects for our health and are widely used as medical applications and dietary supplements. Inorganic Ge can be absorbed by plants and further accumulated and transformed into organic Ge compounds in plant tissues, which can be further consumed as Ge-rich foods. Meantime, the presence of Ge can improve the physiological functions of plants such as the salt tolerance and the peroxidase activities in leaves. Therefore, improving the Ge content of Ge-rich plants by fertilizing exogenous inorganic Ge is of important and an efficient way to obtain more organic germanium. Garlic is one of the natural Ge-rich plants and possesses prodigious medicinal and nutraceutical properties. The main edible parts of garlic include bulb, scape and seedling in China. However, the effects of exogenous Ge on the Ge accumulation and nutritional qualities of garlic are not apparent, and the suitable applying concentrations and frequencies are also poorly known. Here, using garlic cultivar G024 and GeO2 as exogenous Ge, two experiments were performed to reveal the effects of exogenous Ge on garlic. Besides, a third experiment that brings in the factor of effective microorganisms (EM) inoculation was also conducted to evaluate the combined effects of exogenous Ge and EM application on garlic seedlings. Results showed that foliar spraying 6–72 mg/L GeO2 solutions significantly affects the Ge accumulation and distribution in garlic plants; foliar spraying 9–12 mg/L GeO2 at the bolting period is appropriate for producing the Ge-rich garlic scapes and bulbs; soil supplying 100 mg GeO2 together with EM inoculation are suitable for obtaining Ge-rich garlic seedlings. The present study provided useful information for the field production of Ge-rich garlic.

Orlen lets contract for Lithuanian refinery

Organic germanium (Ge) compounds show vital beneficial effects for our health and are widely used as medical applications and dietary supplements. Inorganic Ge can be absorbed by plants and further accumulated and transformed into organic Ge compounds in plant tissues, which can be further consumed as Ge-rich foods. Meantime, the presence of Ge can improve the physiological functions of plants such as the salt tolerance and the peroxidase activities in leaves. Therefore, improving the Ge content of Ge-rich plants by fertilizing exogenous inorganic Ge is of important and an efficient way to obtain more organic germanium. Garlic is one of the natural Ge-rich plants and possesses prodigious medicinal and nutraceutical properties. The main edible parts of garlic include bulb, scape and seedling in China. However, the effects of exogenous Ge on the Ge accumulation and nutritional qualities of garlic are not apparent, and the suitable applying concentrations and frequencies are also poorly known. Here, using garlic cultivar G024 and GeO2 as exogenous Ge, two experiments were performed to reveal the effects of exogenous Ge on garlic. Besides, a third experiment that brings in the factor of effective microorganisms (EM) inoculation was also conducted to evaluate the combined effects of exogenous Ge and EM application on garlic seedlings. Results showed that foliar spraying 6–72 mg/L GeO2 solutions significantly affects the Ge accumulation and distribution in garlic plants; foliar spraying 9–12 mg/L GeO2 at the bolting period is appropriate for producing the Ge-rich garlic scapes and bulbs; soil supplying 100 mg GeO2 together with EM inoculation are suitable for obtaining Ge-rich garlic seedlings. The present study provided useful information for the field production of Ge-rich garlic.

Germanium speciation using liquid chromatography-inductively coupled plasma-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry: Germanium in biological and chemical leaching solutions of fine-grained residues from copper smelting

A new method for the speciation analysis of inorganic germanium (Ge(OH)4), monomethylgermanium (MMGe) and dimethylgermanium (DMGe) in complex acidic aqueous leachates by liquid chromatography coupled to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LC-ICP-MS) was developed. The species are separated using anion exchange chromatography with tartrate added as complexing agent. When tartrate was added to the sample and the eluent chromatography was not affected by sulfate concentrations up to 100 mM. The He collision mode (MS/MS mode) removes polyatomic plasma- and matrix-based interferences, thus providing the selectivity in Ge speciation required for the complex samples. With LOQs of 62 ng L−1 (DMGe), 67 ng L−1 (MMGe) and 164 ng L−1 (Ge(OH)4) the method was sufficiently sensitive for the intended application. The developed method was applied to biological and chemical leachates of sulfidic flue dust from copper shale smelting (Theisen sludge). Only small amounts of methylated Ge species were determined next to inorganic Ge in these leachates.

The isotope composition of inorganic germanium in seawater and deep sea sponges

Although dissolved concentrations of germanium (Ge) and silicon (Si) in modern seawater are tightly correlated, uncertainties still exist in the modern marine Ge cycle. Germanium stable isotope systematics in marine systems should provide additional constraints on marine Ge sources and sinks, however the low concentration of Ge in seawater presents an analytical challenge for isotopic measurement. Here, we present a new method of pre-concentration of inorganic Ge from seawater which was applied to measure three Ge isotope profiles in the Southern Ocean and deep seawater from the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Germanium isotopic measurements were performed on Ge amounts as low as 2.6ng using a double-spike approach and a hydride generation system coupled to a MC-ICP-MS. Germanium was co-precipitated with iron hydroxide and then purified through anion-exchange chromatography. Results for the deep (i.e. >1000m depth) Pacific Ocean off Hawaii (nearby Loihi Seamount) and the deep Atlantic off Bermuda (BATS station) showed nearly identical δ74/70Ge values at 3.19±0.31‰ (2SD, n=9) and 2.93±0.10‰ (2SD, n=2), respectively. Vertical distributions of Ge concentration and isotope composition in the deep Southern Ocean for water depth>1300m yielded an average δ74/70Ge=3.13±0.25‰ (2SD, n=14) and Ge/Si=0.80±0.09μmol/mol (2SD, n=12). Significant variations in δ74/70Ge, from 2.62 to 3.71‰, were measured in the first 1000m in one station of the Southern Ocean near Sars Seamount in the Drake Passage, with the heaviest values measured in surface waters. Isotope fractionation by diatoms during opal biomineralization may explain the enrichment in heavy isotopes for both Ge and Si in surface seawater. However, examination of both oceanographic parameters and δ74/70Ge values suggest also that water mass mixing and potential contribution of shelf-derived Ge also could contribute to the variations. Combining these results with new Ge isotope data for deep-sea sponges sampled nearby allowed us to determine a Ge isotope fractionation factor of −0.87±0.37‰ (2SD, n=12) during Ge uptake by sponges. Although Ge has long been considered as a geochemical twin of Si, this work underpins fundamental differences in their isotopic behaviors both during biomineralization processes and in their oceanic distributions. This suggests that combined with Si isotopes, Ge isotopes hold significant promise as a complementary proxy for delineating biological versus source effects in the evolution of the marine silicon cycle through time.

게르마늄 종류별 양액재배시 갓의 생육특성 및 게르마늄 흡수

To investigate the effect of inorganic () and organic (Ge-132) germanium treatment on Brasica juncea C. plant, growth characteristics and Ge contents were examined with various inorganic or organic germanium treatments (0, 5, 10, 25, 50, 75 and ), respectively. Brasica juncea C. growth did not much inhibited until Ge concentration under both Ge-132 and treatments as compared to control. On the other hand, at Ge concentration higher than concentration, Brasica juncea C. growth was inhibited under both Ge-132 and treatments. Under treatment of , length of root and shoot slightly increased until concentration and dry weight slightly increased until concentration. Under treatment of Ge-132, length of root and shoot slightly increased until concentration and dry weight slightly increased until concentration. Total Ge contents in Brasica juncea C. early seedlings with treatment were a bit higher than those with Ge-132 treatment. Germanium was primarily accumulated in the roots (77%) with organic Ge (Ge-132) treatments, whereas Ge was primarily accumulated in the leaf (70%, respectively) with treatments. The Ge uptake rates in inorganic Ge treatments were slightly high than those in organic Ge treatments. Under inorganic Ge treatment with , about 3% of Ge was accumulated into plant and distribution in leaf and root was 84.8% and 15.2%, respectively. Under organic Ge treatment with , about 2.6% of Ge was accumulated into plant and distribution in leaf and root was 66.4% and 33.6%, respectively.

Metal−Organogermanate Frameworks Built by Two Kinds of Infinite Ge−O Chains with High Thermostability and Luminescent Properties

A bifunctional metalloligand with metal-C (Ge-C) bonds, bis(carboxyethylgermanium) sesquioxide (H(2)E(2)Ge(2)O(3), where E = -CH(2)CH(2)COO(-)), has been used to make metal-organometallic frameworks (MOMFs) Cd(1.5)(E(3)Ge(3)O(5)) (1) and Pb(E(2)Ge(2)O(3)) (2). In the structures, the inorganic Ge(2)O(3) cores of the metalloligands polymerize to form two kinds of infinite Ge-O chains, and the organic carboxyls induce the Cd and Pb ions to produce Cd-O and Pb-O chains. Further, the Ge-O chains link the Cd-O/Pb-O chains via -CH(2)CH(2)- groups to result in two novel MOMFs, showing high thermostability and blue-violet emission.

Biovolatilization of Metal(loid)s by Intestinal Microorganisms in the Simulator of the Human Intestinal Microbial Ecosystem

Methylation and hydrogenation of metal(loid)s by microorganisms are widespread and well-known processes in the environment by which mobility and in most cases toxicity are significantly enhanced in comparison to inorganic species. The human gut contains highly diverse and active microbiocenosis, yet little is known about the occurrence and importance of microbial metal(loid) methylation and hydrogenation. In this study, an in vitro gastrointestinal model, the Simulator of the Human Intestinal Microbial Ecosystem (SHIME),was used for investigating volatilization of metal(loid)s by intestinal microbiota. Suspensions from different compartments of the SHIME system analogous to different parts of the human intestinal tract were incubated with different concentrations of inorganic Ge, As, Se, Sn, Sb, Te, Hg, Pb, and Bi and analyzed by gas chromatography and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (GC-ICP-MS). Significant volatilization was found for Se, As, and Te (maximal hourly production rates relative to the amount spiked; 0.6, 2, and 9 ng/mg/h, respectively). In addition, volatile species of Sb and Bi were detected. The occurrence of AsH3 and (CH3)2Te was toxicologically important. Furthermore, mixed Se/S and mixed As/S metabolites were detected in significant amounts in the gas phase of the incubation experiments of which two metabolites, (CH3)2AsSSCH3 and CH3As(SCH3)2, are described for the first time in environmental matrices. The toxicology of these species is unknown. These data show that the intestinal microbiota may increase the mobility of metal(loid)s, suggesting a significant modulation of their toxicity. Our research warrants further studies to investigate the extent of this process as well as the availability of metal(loid)s from different sources for microbial transformations.

채소종자 발아와 유묘생장에 미치는 유기 또는 무기게르마늄의 효과 및 흡수특성

식물의 종자발아와 유묘생장에 미치는 무기게르마늄과 유기게르마늄의 효과와 흡수특성을 조사하기 위하여, 대표적인 채소류인 갓, 배추 및 청경채를 이용하여 다양한 게르마늄농도(0, 10, 25, 50, 100 mg <TEX>$L^{-1}$</TEX>)를 처리하였다. 채소 종자발아는 모든 식물에서 무기게르마늄을 100 mg <TEX>$L^{-1}$</TEX> 처리한 경우에만 약간의 저해를 받았고 나머지 조건에서는 거의 영향을 받지 않았다. 식물의 유묘생장에 미치는 게르마늄의 효과는 갓과 배추의 경우에는 모든 농도의 무기게르마늄(<TEX>$10{\sim}100$</TEX> mg <TEX>$L^{-1})$</TEX>에서 뿌리의 생장에 심각한 저해를 보였고 지상부 생장은 높은 농도(50, 100 mg <TEX>$L^{-1}$</TEX>)에서는 저해를 받지만 낮은 농도(10, 25 mg <TEX>$L^{-1}$</TEX>)에서는 오히려 약간의 생장 촉진효과를 보이거나 거의 차이가 없는 것으로 보였다. 유기게르마늄의 처리시에는 뿌리와 지상부의 생육이 낮은 농도(10, 25, 50 mg <TEX>$L^{-1}$</TEX>)의 대부분 조건에서 생장을 촉진하는 결과를 보였다. 식물체내의 게르마늄의 흡수 특성은 무기 및 유기게르마늄의 모든 조건에서 대조구에 비해 처리농도가 높아짐에 따라 점진적으로 뚜렷한 증가를 보였다 특히 무기게르마늄을 처리한 경우 보다 유기 게르마늄을 처리한 경우에 같은 농도에서 전반적으로 약 <TEX>$2\sim4.5$</TEX>배까지 많이 흡수되었다. 25 mg <TEX>$L^{-1}$</TEX>농도의 게르마늄을 처리한 경우를 보면, 유기게르마늄의 처리시 게르마늄의 흡수는 갓에서는 약 4배(무기게르마늄: 0.37 mg <TEX>$g^{-1}dw$</TEX>, 유기게르마늄 : 1.47 mg <TEX>$g^{-1}dw$</TEX>), 배추에서는 약 2.2배(무기게르마늄: 0.40 mg <TEX>$g^{-1}dw$</TEX>, 유기게르마늄: 0.86 mg <TEX>$g^{-1}dw$</TEX>) 그리고 청경채의 결우 약 2.1배(무기게르마늄 : 0.33 mg <TEX>$g^{-1}dw$</TEX>, 유기게르마늄: 0.70 mg <TEX>$g^{-1}dw$</TEX>) 정도로 무기게르마늄의 처리보다 높았다. To investigate effects of inorganic <TEX>$(GeO_2)$</TEX> and organic (Ge-132) germanium (Ge) on seed germination and on early stage growth of plane and the uptake characteristics, various concentrations (0, 10, 25, 50, 100 mg <TEX>$L^{-1}$</TEX>) of Ge to popular vegetables such as leaf mustard, chinese cabbage and pak-choi, respectively, were treated. On seed germination, no significant effect was observed in both inorganic and organic Ge treatments except 100 mg <TEX>$L^{-1}$</TEX> treatment of inorganic Ge. Exogenous inorganic Ge (<TEX>$10{\sim}100$</TEX> mg <TEX>$L^{-1}$</TEX> treatments significantly inhibited the early root elongation growth of all plants. However, slight enhancement of early shoot elongation was detected in low concentrations (10 and 25 mg <TEX>$L^{-1}$</TEX>) of Ge in the leaf mustard and chinese cabbage plants. Organic Ge treatments significantly stimulated the 개ot and shoot growth at the 10, 25 and 50 mg <TEX>$L^{-1}$</TEX> treatments. Ge was accumulated linearly in the vegetables as both inorganic and organic Ge concentrations were increased. Interestingly, total contents of Ge in plants with Ge-132 treatments were <TEX>$2\sim4.5$</TEX> times more than those with inorganic Ge treatments in all concentrations. At 25 mg <TEX>$L^{-1}$</TEX> treatment of Ge, contents of Ge in vegetables are following: in leaf mustard, inorganic Ge: 0.37 mg <TEX>$g^{-1}dw$</TEX> and organic Ge: 1.47 mg <TEX>$g^{-1}dw;$</TEX> in the chinese cabbage, inorganic Ge: 0.4 mg <TEX>$g^{-1}dw$</TEX> and organic Ge: 0.86 mg <TEX>$g^{-1}dw;$</TEX> in the pak-choi, inorganic Ge: 0.33 mg <TEX>$g^{-1}dw$</TEX> and organic Ge: 0.70 mg <TEX>$g^{-1}dw$</TEX>, respectively. These results showed organic Ge is much better on early stage seedling growth and on germanium accumulation of vegetables than inorganic Ge.

동충하초를 이용한 유기게르마늄의 생산

본 연구에서는 동충하초 균주를 이용하여 SDAY 배지 액체배양과 번데기배지 배양을 이용하여 <TEX>$100{\sim}5,000\;ppm$</TEX> 농도에서 유기게르마늄 함유 동충하초 생산방법을 연구하여 게르마늄 동충하초 생산 가능성을 확인하였다. 액체배양과 번데기 배지 배양에서 게르마늄 첨가 농도를 100 ppm으로 조정했을 때, 생산되는 유기게르마늄의 양이 각각 442.4 ppm/g과 284 ppm으로 가장 높은 생산수율을 보여짐을 확인하였다. 또한 게르마늄의 양을 최대 5,000 ppm(액체배지)과 1,000 ppm(번데기배지)으로 첨가 했을때 각각 4,509.7 ppm/g과 1,058 ppm/g의 유기게르마늄이 생산 되어지는 것도 확인할 수 있었다. 이러한 결과로 비추어 볼 때, 무기게르마늄이 동충하초가 생장함에 있어 영양물질로 공급되어 양질의 유기게르마늄으로 변환 생산 되어진다는 것을 보여주는 것으로 해석할 수 있었다. 또한 본 연구 개발의 결과로 얻어진 게르마늄 함유 동충하초는 기존의 동충하초 효능에 유기게르마늄이라는 약리활성 물질이 첨가됨으로써 기능성식품, 화장품 원료 및 의약품 원료로도 사용될 수 있을 것으로 사료되어진다. In the present study, an attempt has been made to produce a high quality medicinal mushroom Cordycops militaris supplemented with organic Ge. Cordycops militaris was cultivated in SDAY liquid medium containing yeast extract 10 g, peptone 10 g, glucose 40 g per liter and chrysalis media supplemented with inorganic Ge at 100, 500, 1000, and 5000 ppm concentrations. The greatest organic Ge production of 442.4 ppm/g and 284 ppm/g were observed in SDAY liquid and Chrysalis media cultures supplemented with 100 ppm inorganic Ge respectively. Similarly, 4,509.7 ppm/g and 1,058 ppm/g of organic Ge were obtained from liquid and chrysalis media cultures supplemented with 5,000 ppm and 1,000 ppm inorganic Ge, respectively. In addition, higher concentration of organic Ge was obtained in mycelia than fruiting bodies. These results indicate that the concentration of organic Ge increase with decreasing inorganic Ge concentration in the medium. This is the first report on production of high valuable Cordyceps militaris contained with organic Ge.

Tetrathiolate coordination of germanium(IV) in a protein active site

The tetracysteine metal coordination site of the rubredoxins from Clostridium pasteurianum ( Cp) and Pyrococcus furiosus ( Pf) are shown to stably bind the inorganic Ge(IV) ion. This is the first characterized coordination complex of tetravalent germanium with a biological macromolecule. Zn(II), Ga(III) and Ge(IV) substitution yields differential NMR chemical shifts for the 1H and 15N amide resonances throughout much of the protein structure. The differential shifts for the six backbone amides that hydrogen bond to the metal-coordinated sulfurs indicate that the pseudo 2-fold symmetry of the active site is more closely maintained in the hyperthermophile Pf rubredoxin than in its mesophile Cp homolog. These three metal substitutions form an isoelectronic series of small diamagnetic proteins for which reference structures are known to 1 Å resolution. These series provide a promising system to analyze theoretical predictions of the effects of differential charge distribution on chemical shifts from both proximal and long range interactions.

Diagenetic fractionation of Ge and Si in reducing sediments: the missing Ge sink and a possible mechanism to cause glacial/interglacial variations in oceanic Ge/Si

The average Ge/Si ratio in the ocean is determined by the budgets for each of these elements. Previous budget formulations have assumed that the only important sink for both elements is burial as opal, based on studies of the Si cycle and the close oceanic coupling observed between inorganic Ge and Si distributions. However, these budgets implied two paradoxes: (1) hydrothermal flow through ocean ridges is smaller than predicted by other tracers, and (2) the lower Ge/Si ratio of opal deposited during glacial times compared to that deposited during interglacial times required enhanced weathering during cooler, drier climates. Both paradoxes could be resolved if a significant sedimentary sink for Ge other than opal burial could be identified, and the objective of this study was to search for one. Two pore water profiles collected in Equatorial Pacific sediments show that Ge and Si behave similarly in the upper 10 cm of sediment, indicating no evidence for a significant non-opal sink for Ge in oxic sediments. By contrast, profiles in several cores from the California Margin demonstrate that in reducing sediments, Ge diagenesis is poorly coupled to Si diagenesis: significant Ge removal is evident, both downcore and sometimes in the near-surface. Benthic flux chamber measurements at three continental slope stations, all with an oxic layer less than 1 cm thick and large iron gradients in near-surface pore waters, showed that 55 ± 9% of the Ge released by opal dissolution is sequestered. However, at two locations with anoxic sediments but little pore water Fe +2 in the upper 2 cm, flux measurements indicated little fractionation from the oceanic ratio during diagenesis, implicating the importance of iron for fractionating Ge from Si during diagenesis. If the Ge sequestration observed in the iron-rich CA margin sediments is typical of all slope sediments (using a depth range of 200–1000 m), then the Ge sink is sufficient to bring the hydrothermal budget based on Ge into concurrence with that based on other tracers. The temporal variation in oceanic Ge/Si could be explained if Ge and Si inputs remain constant and the effective diagenetic fractionation of Ge increases by a factor of 2–3 during glacial times. Increased fractionation would require that glacial periods are characterized by increased opal dissolution in iron-rich reducing sediments; this could be caused by (1) thinning of the oxygenated sediment layer in response to decreased bottom water oxygen concentrations or increased rain of organics to the sea floor, (2) increased rain of iron-rich detrital sediments in areas receiving high opal rain, (3) increased rain of opal to sediments in margin areas. If the oceanic Ge/Si ratio reflects increased rain of diatom opal or organic carbon in margin areas during glacial periods, it may indicate an increase in the efficiency of the biological pump for CO 2 during glacial times.

Epidemiological survey of workers exposed to inorganic germanium compounds

OBJECTIVESTo assess occupational exposure to inorganic germanium (Ge) in workers from a producing plant, and to assess the health of these workers, with a special focus on respiratory, kidney, and...

Separation and determination of trace inorganic germanium in β-carboxyethylgermanium sesquioxide by filtration chromatography and hydride generation-graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry

A method has been proposed for the determination of trace (ng) inorganic germanium in β-carboxyethylgermanium sesquioxide (Ge-132) using hydride generation-graphite furnace AAS taking the advantage that Ge-132 was in the form that did not generate volatile hydride upon reduction. The analytical results obtained for Ge were checked by that obtained after separation from Ge-132 using filtration chromatography on a cation exchange column. The method was applied to the analysis of Ge-132 oral nutrition liquor; less than μgml −1 of inorganic Ge in Ge-132 can be determined.

Nephrotoxicity in Humans by the Ultratrace Element Germanium

Acute renal failure (ARF) or renal dysfunction (RD) associated with germanium-induced nephrotoxicity has been reported in 18 patients since 1982. In 2 of these cases the patients died of acute renal and cardiogenic failure. In 17 of 18 cases biopsies showed vacuolar degeneration in renal tubular epithelial cells in the absence of glomerular changes, without proteinuria or hematuria. Accumulated elemental Ge intake in 17 patients over a period of 4 to 36 months ranged between 16 and 328 g, or more than 100 to 2000 times the average estimated dietary intake of Ge for man (1.5 mg/d; range 0.40 to 3.40 mg/d). The biological half-life of Ge is 4.5 days for kidneys, the highest retention level of any organ. The mean concentration of Ge in healthy adult kidneys is 9.0 mg/kg wet weight. In 3 patients studied with Ge-induced RD or ARF, urinary Ge excretion was 9, 15, and 60 ng/mL, compared to greater than 5 ng/mL in healthy controls, and remained elevated even 12 months after discontinuing supplemental Ge intake. The mechanism for Ge-induced nephrotoxicity remains unknown, although the suspected cause is the inorganic Ge salts, such as germanium dioxide. Sufficient evidence for a role of organogermanium compounds, such as carboxyethyl germanium sesquioxide or citrate-lactate germanate, in Ge-induced nephrotoxicity remains lacking. The recent introduction of over-the-counter Ge "nutritional" supplements in some countries increases the risk of additional cases of Ge-induced nephrotoxicity, especially if appreciable levels of inorganic Ge salts are present and consumed for long periods (greater than 3 months) at levels above the average daily estimated dietary intake for Ge.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Analysis of germanium containing health beverages by nitrous oxide-acetylene flame atomic absorption spectrometry using discrete nebulization technique.

A simple and rapid method was developed for the analysis of total germanium (Ge), inorganic Ge (GeO2) and organic Ge (β-carboxyethyl germanium oxide ; CE-Ge) in Ge-containing health beverages. In order to determine total Ge, the sample was digested with HNO3. Ge in the sample was changed to inorganic Ge, and extracted with CCl4 as chloride. The amount of Ge was determined by polarized Zeeman atomic absorption spectrometry with a nitrous oxide-acetylene flame by using the discrete nebulization technique (FZAAS). On the other hand, inorganic Ge and organic Ge in the sample were separated by organic solvent extraction and determined by FZAAS without acid digestion. Recoveries of Ge from juice fortified at the level of 25-250 μg Ge/g were more than 92%. The calibration graph was linear between 0.25 and 20μg Ge. The proposed method was recommended for the determination of Ge and differentiation of inorganic Ge and organic Ge in Ge-containing health beverages.

Hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry with in situ pre-concentration in a graphite furnace in the presence of palladium

A method is described for the determination of inorganic Ge in aqueous samples using hydride trapping and atomisation in a graphite furnace. Addition of Pd to the furnace tube surface before hydride trapping leads to large improvements in the sensitivity of the method. Extension of the procedure developed for Ge to As, Bi, Hg, Sb, Se, Sn and Te is demonstrated and the improvements in sensitivity with Pd are indicated. Analytical figures of merit including characteristic mass, precision and detection limit are given. The role of Pd is discussed.