Rapid multi-element analysis of Chinese vinegar by sector field inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

An analytical method for simultaneous determination of 20 trace elements in vinegar including Na, Mg, K, Ca, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Sr, Mo, Cd, Sn, Sb, Ba and Pb by sector field inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (SF-ICP-MS) with microwave digestion has been established. Sample first underwent microwave digestion with HNO₃ + H₂O₂ followed by dilution with ultrapure water, and then, the as-obtained solution was analyzed directly by SF-ICP-MS. The matrix effects were studied in details and corrected by Sc, In and Re as the internal standard elements. Data accuracy was improved by measuring in medium-resolution mode and high-resolution mode. The applicability of the proposed method has also been validated by the analysis of reference material (NIST SRM 1643e). These results showed that the detection limit of this method is in the range of 0.002–0.34 μg/L with good precision (RSD < 3 %).