Metal Content Estimation... - (Jul/10/2007 )

Hello,

Is there any chemical methods / protocols to test for metals (particularly Heavy Metals like lead, arsenic or even mercury) in a plant ?
(ie. Without using some atomic spectrum) say perhaps just using a spectrophotometer ?

Please Advise, Thank you..

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I've never tested for heavy metals in a plant but only in organic raw materials for pharmaceuticals. Most of the time this was done by releasing the complexed metals from organic material with either hot sulphuric and nitric acid or combustion in a 800 degree C furnace in platinum dishes. There are colorimetric tests for heavy metals, and to find out how to conduct these I would pick up a copy of the US Pharmacopeia at your library.
These are nasty tests so if I were you, I would just send out your samples to a local lab, have them run the combustion and test for heavy metals via inductively couple plasma-mass spec (ICP-MS).
Good luck.

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Thank you..

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