Aluminium leaching using chelating agents as compositions of food

In this work, we study aluminium (Al) leaching using three chelating agents (lactic acid, oxalic acid, and citric acid) that are commonly found in foods and beverages. We test acids, sodium, potassium and lithium salts of these three chelating agents. Aluminium concentrations are determined by using Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (GFAAS) after a one hour incubation of the aluminium with the chelating agent. We study three concentrations corresponding to the lower, median, and to the higher levels of these substances that are commonly found in consumable foods. We select ambient and boiling temperatures for the incubation. We found that at ambient temperature, the variation of Al leaching depends on the chemical form. Al leaching is significantly higher at 100 °C than at the ambient temperature. The salty form for the composition releases more Al than the acidic form.