Babies and small children are an especially sensitive population to exposure to environmental contaminants. Food, infant formula, milk, and water provide significant exposure routes for metal contaminants. For example, Canada has a specific tolerance level for arsenic of 0.1 ppm in ready-to-serve fruit juices, nectars, and beverages (1). The toxic nature of arsenic is such that chronic exposure to the element can lead to internal cancers of the bladder, and kidney, skin cancer, neurological effects, and cardiovascular disease.
Other metals such as lead are also of concern and we will describe measurements of a variety of toxic metals at low concentrations. Sample preparation and the effect on detection limits will be described. Graphite furnace atomic absorption (GFAA) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) will be compared and an overall approach to analysis described.
1. Department of Justice Canada, http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/showdoc/cr/C.R.C.-c.870
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