VANADIUM LEVELS IN FRENCH AND CALIFORNIAN WINES - INFLUENCE ON VANADIUM DIETARY-INTAKE

An accurate and reproducible method for direct determination of vanadi um (V) in wine using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry ( GFAAS) is described. This method gave results insignificantly differen t from those obtained using dry mineralization of wine samples, with a detection limit of 42 pg. A total of 68 wine samples from different r egions of France and California were analysed. vanadium levels ranged from 7.0 to 90.0 mu g/l in red and from 6.6 to 43.9 mu g/l in white wi nes. The method was also adapted to the determination of vanadium leve ls in 12 grape samples from different varieties after acid mineralizat ion. Vanadium content varied from 2 to 17 mu g/kg for white and from 5 to 11 mu g/kg for red varieties. Our data indicate that wine storage conditions may increase vanadium content. The contribution of wine con sumption to daily vanadium dietary intake of the French population was estimated to be 11 mu g/day per individual.