Speciation of arsenobetaine in marine organisms using a selective leaching/digestion procedure and hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry
(EN)
Ochsenkuhn-Petropulu, M
(EN)
Varsamis, J
(EN)
Parissakis, G
(EN)
An analytical process has been developed based on the selective leaching of arsenobetaine from marine organisms with methanol/chloroform (2:1) and on a subsequent pressurized digestion of the methanol phase with a suitable acid combination (H2SO4/HNO3), followed by hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry for the arsenic determination. The method has been successfully applied to the speciation of arsenobetaine and the digestion procedure allows the determination of total arsenic in the reference materials, CRM-278; a mussel tissue and TORT-1, a lobster's hepatopancreas, proving its reliability. Besides, the technique developed was then applied to real marine organisms, such as the blue mussels and the marine snails, Murex trunculus, a biomarker for marine pollution studies, all collected from an industrial region near Athens, the Elevsis Bay. The main species found in all investigated marine organisms was arsenobetaine, corresponding to 87-100% of total arsenic.
(EN)
