Determination of lead in medicinal plants by high-resolution continuum source graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry using direct solid sampling

A procedure is proposed for Pb determination in medicinal plants by high-resolution continuum source graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (HR-CS GF AAS) using direct solid sampling. Among Pd(NO3)2, Pd/Mg(NO3)2, NH4H2PO4 and the W-coated platform tested as chemical modifiers, Pd(NO3)2 presented the best performance. Calibration plots (10–1000 pg Pb) with regression coefficients better than 0.999 were typically obtained. Accuracy was checked for Pb determination in five plant certified reference materials. Results were in agreement with reference values at a 95% confidence level (paired t-test). Medicinal plant samples were analyzed by the proposed procedure and line-source GF AAS using slurry sampling as a comparative technique. The RSD was 10% (n=3) for a sample containing 0.88 μg g−1 Pb. The limit of quantification (dry mass) was 0.024 μg g−1. The contents of Pb in medicinal plant samples varied in the 0.30–1.94 μg g−1 range.