Determination of aluminum in high fat content biological materials using emulsions and direct current plasma

A new sample dissolution method employing an emulsion has been developed and evaluated for the determination of aluminum (Al) in high fat content biological samples. An emulsion is used to disperse the residual fat left over from nitric acid digestion to form a stable homogeneous moiety before aspiration into the direct current plasma (DCP) source. The method eliminates the need to filter the fat or extract fat soluble Al species from the undigested fat before analysis. Comparisons were made between the present method and two conventional sample dissolution methods for the determination of Al present in spiked and certified biological samples. The results indicated that the emulsification procedure offers simplicity, speed and improved accuracy/precision for the DCP determination of Al, especially for biological materials containing high amounts of fat and fat soluble Al complex(es).