Total arsenic in selected food samples from Argentina: Estimation of their contribution to inorganic arsenic dietary intake.

An optimized flow injection hydride generation atomic absorption spectroscopy (FI-HGAAS) method was used to determine total arsenic in selected food samples (beef, chicken, fish, milk, cheese, egg, rice, rice-based products, wheat flour, corn flour, oats, breakfast cereals, legumes and potatoes) and to estimate their contributions to inorganic arsenic dietary intake. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) values obtained were 6µgkg(-)(1) and 18µgkg(-)(1), respectively. The mean recovery range obtained for all food at a fortification level of 200µgkg(-)(1) was 85-110%. Accuracy was evaluated using dogfish liver certified reference material (DOLT-3 NRC) for trace metals. The highest total arsenic concentrations (in µgkg(-)(1)) were found in fish (152-439), rice (87-316) and rice-based products (52-201). The contribution to inorganic arsenic (i-As) intake was calculated from the mean i-As content of each food (calculated by applying conversion factors to total arsenic data) and the mean consumption per day. The primary contributors to inorganic arsenic intake were wheat flour, including its proportion in wheat flour-based products (breads, pasta and cookies), followed by rice; both foods account for close to 53% and 17% of the intake, respectively. The i-As dietary intake, estimated as 10.7µgday(-)(1), was significantly lower than that from drinking water in vast regions of Argentina.

Determination of selenium in selected food samples from Argentina and estimation of their contribution to the Se dietary intake.

An optimised FI-HGAAS method was applied to determine the total selenium concentrations in selected high consumption food (fish, beef, chicken, milk, rice, wheat flour, egg) and to estimate their contribution to the Argentinean dietary intake, whose information is scarce nowadays. Through several optimisation steps a suitable method was achieved showing satisfactory figures of merit for all matrices. Average recovery was 96%, RSD<5%, LODs ranged 2.0-7.0 µg kg(-1) and the accuracy was assessed using DOLT-3 NRC certified reference material. Meat and eggs showed the highest values (in µg kg(-1), beef: 42-153; chicken: 62-205; fish: 94-314; canned tuna: 272-282; eggs: 134-217), minor values were found for wheat flour (22-42), rice: (<22), pasta (47-64) and milk (<7-9). An estimated intake of 32 and 24 µg day(-1) for adult men and women, respectively, suggested a deficient Se intake, leading to further comprehensive surveys of Se occurrence in Argentina.

Synthesis, characterization and antimicrobial properties of a Co(II)-phthalylsulfathiazolate complex.

The reaction between phthalylsulfathiazole (H(2)PST), in alkaline aqueous solution, and cobalt(II) nitrate led to a pink solid, [Co(PST)(H(2)O)(4)] (1), which was characterized by elemental and thermogravimetric analysis; FT-IR, Raman and diffuse reflectance spectra. Spectroscopic data reveal that the ligand would be doubly deprotonated and that the Co(II) ion environment is a distorted octahedral one. (1) showed antibacterial activity similar to the ligand.