VOLTAMMETRIC DETERMINATION OF TRACE ELEMENTS (Cu, Pb, Zn) IN PELOID-BASED PHARMACEUTICALS

The research on the potential health risk posed to consumers by toxic elements that can be found in peloids is still lacking. Moreover, in Polish law no clinical or pharmacological tests are required to identify healing properties of peloids. The objective of this work was to determine some mineral content in selected peloids used in medical treatment. Anodic stripping voltammetry with differential pulse step was used for zinc, copper and lead determination. Decomposition of organic matrix was conducted by a simple wet digestion procedure using acid digestion vessel. Obtained results showed that proposed methods were suitable for the determination of investigated metallic elements. Lead content varied between 0.18 mg/kg (in Masc Borowinowa) and reached up to 15.5 mg/kg of dry weight for Chokrak peloid. Zinc content ranged from 0.64 to 66.87 mg/kg and copper content was between 0.57 and 7.50 mg/kg. The proposed method was validated, the recovery for peloid samples were 94 - 102%; 92 - 97%; 96 - 106% for copper, zinc and lead. respectively.