Total Arsenic and Arsenic Species in Environmental Samples

Isabel Pizarro, Kelly Nunez

Abstract: A variety of extraction procedures methanol-water (1: 1, 9: 1, 1: 1-9: 1), enzymatic extraction and phosphoric acid were evaluated for the extraction of arsenic species in rice, quinoa, carrots, beet and soil samples and final determination by HPLC-ICP-MS has been developed. Presence of arsenite (As (III)), arsenate (As (V)), monomethylarsonic acid (MMA), dimethylarsinic acid (DMA), arsenobetaine (AsB) and unknown peak were detected and quantified using anionic Hamilton PRPX-100 column at pH 6 and phosphate mobile phase 10 mM. Extraction efficiencies of the different extracting solutions were evaluated by comparing the total As content in the extract after the mineralization and final determination by HG-AFS.

Keywords: Arsenic species extraction, environmental samples