Sample preparation for arsenic speciation in terrestrial plants—A review

• Published in: Talanta (Oxford) Vol. 115; pp. 291 - 299
• Main Authors: Amaral, Clarice D.B., Nóbrega, Joaquim A., Nogueira, Ana R.A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 15-10-2013
• Subjects: Acids; Analytical methods; Arsenic; Arsenic - isolation & purification; Arsenic - metabolism; Arsenic speciation; Biological Transport; chemical speciation; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Conservation of Natural Resources; conservation plants; Extraction; Fish; human food chain; Liquid Phase Microextraction - methods; Mass Spectrometry; Mathematical analysis; Plants - chemistry; Plants - metabolism; Sample preparation; Solid Phase Microextraction - methods; Solvents; Speciation; Species stability; Specimen Handling; Spectrophotometry, Atomic; Strategy; Terrestrial plant; Urine; Water; Wildlife conservation; TMAO; Arsenic speciation; Analytical methods; RT; MPE; XANES; PLE; HR; FAAS; XRF; AFS; TFA; Terrestrial plant; As; Sample preparation; Species stability; ESI–MS; ETAAS; DMA; IC; PCn; ICP–MS; HPLC; LOD; MMA; PCs; UV; TMA; o-APAA; AsC; MAE; SEC; AsB; PAA; AAS; SON; LA; LC; ICP–OES; ESI-MS/MS; p-APAA; GFAAS; ESI–TOF–MS; CRM; HG; PAO; phytochelatins; flame atomic absorption spectrometry; modified protein extraction; arsenocholine; inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry; sonication solvent extraction; (γ-Glu-Cys)n-Gly (n=2–11); atomic florescence spectrometry; electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry; ion chromatography; p-aminophenylarsonic acid; pressurized liquid extraction; arsenobetaine; electrospray ionization mass spectrometry; graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry; hydride generation; size exclusion chromatography; tetramethylarsonium ion; microwave-assisted extraction; arsenic; limit of detection; trimethylarsine oxide; phenylarsine oxide; X-ray fluorescence; phenylarsonic acid; room temperature; electrospray time-of-flight mass spectrometry; inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry; o-aminophenylarsonic acid; laser ablation; dimethylarsinic acid; high-performance liquid chromatography; electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry; high resolution; monomethylarsonic acid; X-ray absorption near edge structure spectroscopy; atomic absorption spectrometry; liquid chromatography; certified reference material; trifluoroacetic acid; ultraviolet
• DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2013.04.072
• EISSN: 1873-3573
• ISSN: 0039-9140

Arsenic is an element widely present in nature. Additionally, it may be found as different species in several matrices and therefore it is one of the target elements in chemical speciation. Although the number of studies in terrestrial plants is low, compared to matrices such as fish or urine, this number is raising due to the fact that this type of matrix are closely related to the human food chain. In speciation analysis, sample preparation is a critical step and several extraction procedures present drawbacks. In this review, papers dealing with extraction procedures, analytical methods, and studies of species conservation in plants cultivated in terrestrial environment are critically discussed. Analytical procedures based on extractions using water or diluted acid solutions associated with HPLC–ICP–MS are good alternatives, owing to their versatility and sensitivity, even though less expensive strategies are shown as feasible choices.
•The ability of As methylation can be associated to each particular plant organism.•In As speciation, procedures involving water and diluted acids are good alternatives.•The most suitable speciation procedure can be tailored to the type of sample.•The time between the extraction procedure and analysis must be as short as possible.