LAUSR

Background: There is increasing concern about the health effects on humans due to continuous consumption of fruit juices contaminated with metals. Objective: Quadrupole inductively coupled mass spectrometry (Q-ICP-MS) was optimized, validated, and applied in routine analysis for determination of As, Pb, Cd, Sb, Hg, Cu, Zn, Fe, Al, Cr, Sn, Co, Mn, and Ni in fruit juice beverages. Methods: Several validation parameters, such as detection limits (DLs), quantification limits, linearity, accuracy, and measurement uncertainty (MU), were studied under optimized Q-ICP-MS conditions. Results: The method showed that the DLs varied between 0.986 and 68.691 μg/kg, and the quantification limits varied between 20 μg/kg and 0.5 mg/kg. The mean recoveries ± SDs at different spiking levels varied between 74.87 ± 1.03 and 117.61 ± 1.74%. The method trueness was confirmed by using four different certified reference fruit juices purchased from Fapas, and all obtained results were within satisfactory ranges and had acceptable z-score values. The method precision, in terms of relative standard deviation, was below 4.38%. The method uncertainty expressed as expanded uncertainty was found to be ≤21.25%. Conclusions: The results obtained make the method suitable for a precise and accurate determination of these chemical elements in fruit juice beverages at low concentration values. Highlights: A Q-ICP-MS method for element determination in juices was optimized and validated. Validation was based on DL, quantification limits, linearity, accuracy, and MU. Fourteen elements were identified in the validated method.