Determination of Trace and Major Elements in Vegan Milk and Oils by ICP-OES After Microwave Digestion

Increasing technological developments also bring about environmental pollution. Heavy metals and metallic compounds, as a result of soil, water, and air industrialization, pass through to people and animals through the food chain and have a negative impact on health. In this study, the concentrations of Na, Mg, K, Ca, P, Fe, Cu, B, Mn, Zn, Al, S, As, Bi, Cd, Co, Cr, Mo, Ni, Pb, Pt, Sb, Se, Sn, Ti, W, and Hg in commercial vegan milk (soybean milk, coconut milk, and almond milk) and oils (soybean oil, coconut oil, bitter almond oil, sweet almond oil, and walnut oil) were determinated using inductively coupled plasma–optical emission spectrometry after microwave digestion. In order to compare the efficiencies of digestion in vegan milk and oil samples, 6 mL of HNO3 (conc.), 3 mL of H2O2 (30%); 7 mL of HNO3 (conc.), 3.5 mL of H2O2 (30%), and 8 mL of HNO3 (conc.), 4 mL of H2O2 (30%) were used in microwave digestion procedures. The proposed procedures were applied to the analysis of 81 vegan milk and 125 vegan oil samples covering three different brands in Turkey. Na, Mg, K, Ca, P, S, Mn, Zn, Cu, B, Sb, and Sn concentrations in vegan milks ranged (minimum–maximum in ppm) as follows: 307.4–501.2, 1.8–15.6, 478.8–1300.4, 276.3–1189, 197–797.8, 18.7–241.4, 0.09–0.42, 0–0.58, 0.02–1.06, 0.34–1.56, 0.26–0.67, and 3.4–30.4 ppm, respectively. The results of Na, K, Ca, P, Mg, S, Mn, Zn, Se, Fe, Cu, Sb, and Sn concentrations in vegan oils (minimum–maximum in ppm) ranged as follows: 6.8–31.2, 403.5–425.2, 142.8–160.4, 71.65–149.8, 0.35–0.85, 14.2–35.2, 0.02–0.27, 0.07–0.36, 1.90–4.64, 0.92–5.36, 0.01–0.05, 1.02–1.66, and 21.2, 35.0 ppm, respectively. Vegan milk contents except for Se, Fe, Sb, and Sn in this study were higher than vegan oil contents. The methods were validated by linearity, limits of detection and quantification, precision, and analyzing certified reference material (NIST SRM-3235), soybean milk. The highest values of LOD were found Pb, P, and Bi, and the highest values of LOQ were found Mo, Pb, and Sb.