Optimization and validation of total mercury determination in food products by cold vapor AAS: Comparison of digestion methods and with ICP-MS analysis

The aim of this work was to optimize sample preparation and measurement con ditions for the determination of mercury in food products to ensure concent rations below legal guidelines. The samples were prepared with a high-press ure asher or microwave digestion, then measured using cold vapor atomic abs orption spectrometry. The reducing reagents tin(II) chloride and sodium bor ohydride were investigated to test their ruggedness and their influence on mercury measurement. The limits of determination/quantification, repeatabil ities, reproducibilities, and recoveries were estimated on different foodst uffs. The results obtained by CV AAS were similar to those obtained by ICP- MS.