Zoe A. Grosser is with PerkinElmer Life and Analytical Sciences, Shelton, Connecticut.
A Comparison of ICP-OES and ICP-MS for the Determination of Metals in Food
May 1st 2008The determination of inorganic elements in food substances is critical for assessing nutritional composition and identifying food contamination sources. The inorganic elements of interest can be divided into two classes: nutritional and toxic. It is important to determine the levels of both sets of elements accurately to assess both the nutritional and the harmful impacts of food substances. Nutritional elements such as Mg, P, and Fe are present at high levels (milligrams per kilogram), while toxic elements such as Pb, Hg, and Cd should be present only at trace levels (nanograms or micrograms per kilogram).