Abstract
An efficient method for the determination of nanogram levels of heavy metals in honey is described. Honey samples obtained in the field from farms located along the coast of the province of Cap-Bon (North Tunisia) were analysed by hydride generation with an inductively coupled argon plasma polychromator after a previous treatment in a microwave acid bomb.
An apparatus for the generation of volatile hydrides, interfaced with an inductively coupled argon plasma polychromator for simultaneous determination of As, Pb, Sb, Hg and Sn, is used. The optimum conditions for generating and determining the compounds and the effect of different parameters are discussed. The parameters investigated include: the chemical nature, form and concentration of the reductant, acid concentration of the sample and the carrier gas flow rate. Detection limits range 0.05 ng/ml for Hg to 1.1 ng/ml for Sb and precision values at 10 ng/ml are less than 6% of the relative standard deviation. Analytical protocols concerning analytical stages are exposed and discussed.