Trace element levels in some kinds of dates

Trace elements, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na Ni, Pb and Zn were determined in 18 date samples purchased from different localities of Saudi Arabia (Madinah, Al-Laith, Yanbu, Al-Ahsaa Najran, Besha, Riyadh and Al-Kasseem). The dried powdered samples were digested in HNO3–HClO4 acid mixture, and element concentrations were determined with a recording atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The results were in the ppm range 1413–4340 (Ca), 0.05–0.74 (Cd), 0.06–0.11 (Co), 0.02–1.45 (Cr), 0.11–0.65 (Cu), 0.44–7.94 (Fe), 8872–19000 (K), 925–2800 (Mg), 0.10–0.51 (Mn), 5–184 (Na), and 0.22–2.02 (Zn). However, Ni reached 0.21, 0.19 pp for Succari and Safawi only, and Pb was not detected. Ni and Pb may not be present in the date samples or may need a more sensitive method for measurement.