Aluminium levels in spices and aromatic herbs

We evaluated the levels of aluminium in a total of 72 samples of 17 differe nt spices and aromatic herbs that are widely consumed in Spain, and in the Mediterranean diet, in general. Aluminium was determined in the samples min eralized with HNO3 and V2O5, using electrothermal atomization atomic absorp tion spectroscopy as the analytical technique. The accuracy and precision o f the proposed method was verified against an NBS-certified reference mater ial. Precision, expressed as relative standard deviation, ranged from 1.10 to 4.07%. The results obtained from recovery studies were of 97.90 +/- 1.20 . Aluminium concentrations ranged from 3.74 to 56.50 mu g/g (dry wt.). The presence of this metal was detected in all the samples we analysed. (C) 200 0 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.