Single quadrupole inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry for the measurement of fluorine in tea infusions and its health risk assessment

ICP-MS As a Contributing Tool to Nontarget Screening (NTS) Analysis for Environmental Monitoring

Due to the increasing number of chemicals released into the environment, nontarget screening (NTS) analysis is a necessary tool for providing comprehensive chemical analysis of environmental pollutants. However, NTS workflows encounter challenges in detecting both known and unknown pollutants with common chromatography high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) methods. Identification of unknowns is hindered by limited elemental composition information, and quantification without identical reference standards is prone to errors. To address these issues, we propose the use of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) as an element-specific detector. ICP-MS can enhance the confidence of compound identification and improve quantification in NTS due to its element-specific response and unambiguous chemical composition information. Additionally, mass balance calculations for individual elements (F, Br, Cl, etc.) enable assessment of total recovery of those elements and evaluation of NTS workflows. Despite its benefits, implementing ICP-MS in NTS analysis and environmental regulation requires overcoming certain shortcomings and challenges, which are discussed herein.

A simple, low cost and fast sample preparation method for fluorine determination by ISE in leguminous seeds and oilseeds

This work presents the first report of the application of microwave-induced combustion in disposable vessels (MIC-DV) as a simple and fast sample preparation step for fluoride determination by ion-selective electrode (ISE) in leguminous seeds and oilseeds samples. Several experimental conditions of MIC-DV were evaluated, such as sample mass, absorbing solution, volume of combustion igniter, purging time with oxygen, and the use of successive combustion cycles. The accuracy of MIC-DV/ISE method was evaluated by comparing the results obtained by microwave-induced combustion and determination by ion chromatography, with agreements ranged from 94 to 106%. The method allowed to achieve relatively low limits of quantification (8.3 to 16 µg g-1) comparing to AOAC method (40 µg g-1), besides the use of small amounts of reagents, less handling of digests, making the method greener and with portable features comparing to other methods.

Application of BRAFO-tiered approach for health benefit-risk assessment of dark tea consumption in China

Dark tea, a unique tea fermented primarily in China, has numerous potential beneficial effects. However, harmful substances present in dark tea have provoked significant concern. To conduct a quantitative benefit-risk assessment of dark tea for Chinese residents and provide guidance on rational consumption, a framework of Benefit-Risk Analysis for Foods (BRAFO) and meta-analysis was applied to construct a disability-adjusted life year (DALY). Based on the BRAFO-tiered approach, a reference scenario (no intake) and an alternative scenario (intake of 3 cups/day) were determined. The overall health impacts of dark tea were simulated by comparing the risks of fluoride and AF with benefits of reduced-risk to coronary heart disease (CHD) and diabetes in different scenarios. Three cups of fermented tea consumed per day decreased risks of CHD and diabetes by 8.16% and 12.77% respectively. After quantitative integration of information, the ultimate net health effect was found to be -1958.827 illustrating that the benefits of drinking three cups of dark tea per day outweigh the risks. However, considering the uncertainties in the process, decision-makers should proceed with caution, consulting additional well-conducted studies and further managing harmful substances in dark tea.

Trends towards Effective Analysis of Fluorinated Compounds Using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS)

Increased demand for monitoring and identification of novel and unknown fluorinated compounds (FCs) has demonstrated the need of sensitive fluorine-specific detectors for unknown FCs in both biological and environmental matrices. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) is a promising technique for analysis of FCs and has been rated as the most powerful tool in analytical chemistry. However, direct determination of fluorine using this technique is challenged by high ionization potential of fluorine together with spectral and nonspectral interferences which affect the quality of results. To enhance the quality of results, several studies have reported modifications of a conventional ICP-MS analysis procedure on sample preparation, introduction, analysis, and instrument optimization. Therefore, the focus of this study is to discuss different ICP-MS optimizations and future trends towards the effective analysis of FCs using ICP-MS.