The extraction of arsenic from freeze-dried apples and subsequent determina
tion of individual arsenic species by HPLC-ICP-MS is described. Solvent ext
raction with sonication using various aqueous and aqueous/solvent mixtures
was initially evaluated by measuring total arsenic extracted by ICP-MS. A t
wo step procedure using overnight treatment with alpha -amylase enzyme foll
owed by sonication for 6 h with 40 : 60 acetonitrile-water was found to pro
vide good extraction efficiency. The concentration of arsenic extracted was
compared with the concentration of total arsenic in the samples determined
using ICP-MS after microwave digestion in order to calculate extraction ef
ficiency. Individual arsenic species in the extracts were measured using HP
LC-ICP-MS. The three most abundant arsenic species found were arsenite, ars
enate and dimethylarsinic acid. Total arsenic concentrations in the freeze-
dried apple samples ranged from 8.2 to 80.9 mug kg(-1) As, dry mass. By HPL
C-ICP-MS, the relative amount of inorganic arsenic in the samples ranged fr
om 73 to 90% of the sum of the arsenic species detected in each sample.