Direct determination of Cd, Pb and Cr in honey by slurry sampling electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

Slurry sampling electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry was used for direct determination of Cr, Pb and Cd in honey without sample pretreatment. The honey slurries were prepared in aqueous solution containing hydrogen peroxide and nitric acid. The slurries were directly introduced in the pyrolytic graphite tubes. Pd–Mg was used as a chemical modifier only for Cd determination. Analytical curves were performed with aqueous standards for Pb and Cr and with addition of fructose for Cd. The quantification limits for Cd, Pb and Cr were 2.0, 5.4 and 9.4 ng g−1, respectively. Acceptable precision of the methodology was obtained through repeatability and intermediate precision. In the accuracy study, recoveries were satisfactory (94–101%) for the three elements. The methodology was applied in honey from Paraná (Brazil). The concentrations of Pb, Cd and Cr ranged from 141 to 228 ng g−1, <2.0 to 8 ng g−1 and 83 to 94 ng g−1, respectively.