Determination of total arsenic in Indonesian tuna fish sample.

ABSTRACT

Indonesia contributed about 4 percent of total global fresh and frozen tuna exports, exporting about 65.5 tones in 2007, valued at US$ 150 million. The determination of total arsenic fish and fish product has not been standardized in Indonesia. To get an accurate result of total arsenic measurement in tuna fish is very difficult, it is due to the relatively low concentration of total arsenic in the sample and the characteristic of organic arsenic species (arsenobetain). Arsenobetaine in particular, are not decomposed to arsenate, which can lead to serious error in quantification when a hydride generator step is additionally used in the analysis scheme. This research covers the performance evaluation of three methods of sample preparation. Determination of total arsenic concentration is done by using hydride generator quartz furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometry (HG-QFAAS) and ICP-MS, and being validated using CRM DORM-2 and DORM-3. The sample preparation and measurement method obtained were expected to be used as an alternative method for determination of total arsenic in tuna fish sample. Abbreviations HG-QF-AAS hydride generator quartz cell flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer, ICPMS inductively coupled plasma mass spectrophotometer.