Optimization and validation of arsenic determination in foods by hydride generation flame atomic absorption spectrometry

A hydride generation flame atomic absorption spectrometric method was developed and optimized to quantitate arsenic (As) in foods. A wet digestion of the samples with HNO3 + H2O2 was performed and excess oxidants were eliminated by addition of hydrochloric acid and urea. As5+ in As3+ was then reduced by potassium iodide. The As3+ solution was analyzed by generation of arsine with sodium tetrahydroborate. As determination ranged from 2.5 to 20 μg/L, with a determination coefficient of 0.997. The limits of detection (LOD) and quantitation (LOQ) were 0.6 and 2.1 μg/L, respectively. The method was validated and good results were obtained for recovery, precision, accuracy, LOD, and LOQ. This method is now used to analyze foods from Rwanda.