Arsenic speciation analysis in apple juice using HPLC - ICP - MS with the Agilent 8800 ICP - QQQ Application note

The presence of potentially toxic elements and compounds in foodstuffs is of intense public interest, and so food producers as well as regulators require rapid, reliable screening methods to accurately determine the levels of such contaminants in food and drink. In the case of arsenic (As), concentration levels in foods may be increased through the historical use of As-containing agrochemicals such as lead hydrogen arsenate (lead arsenate) or calcium arsenate. These compounds were used for much of the 20th century as a pre-harvest pesticide to control pests of fruit crops (primarily apples), such as coddling moth, apple maggots, and fruit fl y. While widespread use of these pesticides ceased in 1970, lead and calcium arsenate are stable and persist in soil, so may still affect crops grown in contaminated soil long after application has ceased. Arsenic speciation analysis in apple juice using HPLC-ICP-MS with the Agilent 8800 ICP-QQQ