Abstract
The determination of trace metal contents directly from a solid sample is a trend in modern atomic spectrometry. The aim of this study was to develop an analytical method for the routine determination of Cd in lichens using solid sampling graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (SS-GF-AAS). For the determination of Cd, the temperature program of the graphite furnace was optimized using a mixed matrix modifier (Pd + Mg (NO3)2 + Triton X-100). The limit of detection and the limit of quantification were 0.9 μg/kg and 3 μg/kg, respectively. The analytical method for Cd determination in the plant matrix was verified by the analysis of certified reference materials of lichens, seaweed, and rye grass. The developed procedure was applied to the study of Cd distribution in thalli of Usnea antarctica lichen from James Ross Island, Antarctica. The SS-GF-AAS analytical method is particularly suited for use in environmental studies and plant physiology (the microanalysis of anatomical structures).
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Acar, O. (2001). Determination of cadmium and lead in biological samples by Zeeman ETAAS using various chemical modifiers. Talanta, 55, 613–622.
Belarra, M. A., Resano, M., Vanhaecke, F., & Moens, L. (2002). Direct solid sampling with electrothermal vaporization/atomization: what for and how? Trends in Analytical Chemistry, 21, 828–839.
Bendicho, C., & de Loos-Vollebregt, M. T. C. (1991). Solid sampling in electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry using commercial atomizers. Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry, 6, 353–374.
Dobrowolski, R., & Mierzwa, J. (1992). Direct solid vs. slurry analysis of tobacco leaves for some trace metals by graphite furnace AAS. Fresenius Journal of Analytical Chemistry, 344, 340–344.
Henning, W., Berndt, H., & Schaldach, G. (1990). Signal summation for the improvement of the detection performance and indirect increase of the sample quantity in direct AAS of solids. Fresenius Journal of Analytical Chemistry, 337, 275–279.
Kurfürst, U. (Ed.). (1998). Solid sample analysis: direct and slurry sampling using GF-AAS and ETV-ICP. Berlin: Springer-Verlag.
Pozzatti, M., Borges, A. R., Dessuy, M. B., Vale, M. G. R., & Welz, B. (2017). Determination of cadmium, chromium and copper in vegetables of Solanaceae family using high-resolution continuum source graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry and direct solid sample analysis. Analytical Methods, 9, 329–337.
R Core Team. (2013). R: a language and environment for statistical computing. Vienna: R Foundation for Statistical Computing URL http://www.R-project.org/.
Resano, M., Vanhaecke, F., & de Loos-Vollebregt, M. T. C. (2008). Electrothermal vaporization for sample introduction in atomic absorption, atomic emission and plasma mass spectrometry – a critical review with focus on solid sampling and slurry analysis. Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry, 23, 1450–1475.
Resano, M., Aramendía, M., & Belarra, M. A. (2014). High-resolution continuum source graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry for direct analysis of solid samples and complex materials: a tutorial review. Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry, 29, 2229–2250.
Silvestre, D. M., & Nomura, C. S. (2013). Direct determination of potentially toxic elements in rice by SS-GF-AAS: development of methods and applications. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 61, 6299–6303.
Štupar, J., & Dolinšek, F. (1996). Determination of chromium, manganese, lead and cadmium in biological samples including hair using direct electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry. Spectrochimica Acta Part B, 51, 665–683.
Török, P., & Žemberyová, M. (2012). Comparison of chemical modifiers for direct determination of Cd, Cu and Zn in food stuffs by solid-sampling-ETAAS. Food Chemistry, 132, 554–560.
Vale, M. G. R., Oleszczuk, N., & dos Santos, W. N. L. (2006). Current status of direct solid sampling for electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry – a critical review of the development between 1995 and 2005. Applied Spectroscopy Reviews, 41, 377–400.
Welz, B., Vale, M. G. R., Borges, D. L. G., & Heitmann, U. (2007). Progress in direct solid sampling analysis using line source and high-resolution continuum source electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry. Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, 389, 2085–2095.
Zvěřina, O., Láska, K., Červenka, R., Kuta, J., Coufalík, P., & Komárek, J. (2014). Analysis of mercury and other heavy metals accumulated in lichen Usnea antarctica from James Ross Island, Antarctica. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 186, 9089–9100.
Zvěřina, O., Coufalík, P., Barták, M., Petrov, M., & Komárek, J. (2018). The contents and distributions of cadmium, mercury, and lead in Usnea antarctica lichens from Solorina Valley, James Ross Island (Antarctica). Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 190, 1–9.
Acknowledgments
The authors are grateful to the J.G. Mendel Czech Antarctic Station for use its facilities.
Funding
The research was supported by Masaryk University under the MUNI/A/1375/2018 project, by the Faculty of Medicine of Masaryk University (funds to junior researcher Ondřej Zvěřina), and by the Institute of Analytical Chemistry of the CAS under the Institutional Research Plan RVO: 68081715.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Publisher’s note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Coufalík, P., Uher, A., Zvěřina, O. et al. Determination of cadmium in lichens by solid sampling graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (SS-GF-AAS). Environ Monit Assess 192, 222 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-020-8186-5
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-020-8186-5