Flame Absorption Spectroscopic Determination of Cadmium, Copper, Iron, Lead, and Zinc in Mussels

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Abstract
A rapid method is proposed for determination of Cd, Cu, Fe, Pb, and Zn in mussel samples. The elements are extracted with concentrated nitric acid in borosilicate glass tubes at 90°C for 1 h, and determined by flame atomic absorption spectroscopy. Detection limits for a 300 mg sample corresponded to 0.3 μg Cd/g, 0.7 μg Cu/g, 33 μg Fe/g, 0.7 μg Pb/g, and 6 μg Zn/g. The coefficient of variation for 20 independent analyses was 7% for Cd, 7% for Cu, 6% for Fe, 14% for Pb, and 8% for Zn. Recoveries were 107 ± 3% for Cd, 90 ± 3% for Cu, 94 ± 1% for Fe, 90 ± 5% for Pb, and 96 ± 3% for Zn. The accuracy of the method was determined by analyzing NBS Oyster Tissues.