Determination of selected microelements in polish herbs and their infusions.

Ba, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb and Zn were determined in birch leaves (Folium Betulae), dandelion roots (Radix Taraxacae), hawthorn blossom (Inflorescentia Crataegi) and their infusions by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) after microwave digestion of plant samples. Infusions were made from herbs according to prescription for patients, provided by the producer of medicine on the package. The results obtained were compared with daily requirements for each element. Results show high content of cadmium in the medicinal plants analyzed. The highest level in infusions was observed for Ni and Zn (over 90% of the total element concentration for Ni and in most cases over 50% for Zn), and the lowest for Cd and Pb. The calculated daily intake of majority of the analyzed elements was very low (under 1% of daily requirements).

Determination of 226Ra at ultratrace level in mineral water samples by sector field inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.

An analytical procedure has been proposed for the determination of (226)Ra at the low femtogram per ml concentration level in mineral water samples using double focusing sector field ICP-MS (ICP-SFMS). For the pre-concentration and separation of radium from the matrix elements in water a tandem of a laboratory-prepared filter, based on MnO(2), and Eichrom "Sr-specific" resin was used. The recovery of the method was determined to be 70.5%. The limit of detection for (226)Ra determination was 0.02 fg ml(-1), including a pre-concentration factor of 10. In addition, uranium concentration and uranium isotope ratios were measured by ICP-SFMS. In several mineral water samples with a relatively high uranium content, (226)Ra concentrations were found between 0.7-15 fg ml(-1). The effective dose of the contribution was calculated using the radionuclide concentration and dose conversion factors from the World Health Organization, WHO (1993). Assuming a mineral water consumption of 2 l d(-1), a slightly higher calculated dose than the suggested limit for drinking water (0.1 mSv y(-1)) was found in some samples.

Determination of chromium and selected elements in multimineral and multivitamin preparations and in pharmaceutical raw material.

The content of elements in pharmaceutical preparations is one of the indispensable factors of the evaluation of their quality. In the present work, the following macro- and microelements Ca, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Mo, P, Se and Zn were determined in multimineral and multivitamin preparations and in pharmaceutical raw material. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ET AAS) were used throughout the study. The examined samples were dissolved in a high-pressure microwave system using concentrated nitric acid. The effect of the carbon residue in the digest solution on the determination result was eliminated by introducing an equation correcting the ArC+ interference with 52Cr.

Determination of selected trace elements in herbs and their infusions.

The following macro- and microelements were determined in the leaf of peppermint (Mentha piperitae folium) and nettle (Urticae folium) (as tea bags) and in their infusions: As, Ba, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, I, Li, Mg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Se, Sn, Sr, Ti, V and Zn. The determinations were performed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). From all the determined microelements the highest content found was that of iron, 244 and 107 mg/kg in the leaf of peppermint and nettle, respectively. However, the lowest content found was that of cobalt, 0.10 and 0.08 mg/kg for the leaf of mint and nettle, respectively. The most readily water eluting elements were strontium, selenium and iodine, the most difficult ones - barium and iron.