Jatrofa Seeds; oil and biodiesel quality: nutrients and potentially toxic elements determined by mass spectroscopy inductively coupled plasma

Determination of potentially toxic elements present in biofuels is needed to ensure their quality because they can cause problems to the engine and the environment the presence of metals and sulphur, even at trace levels in biodiesel may be a source of air contamination when burned in engines. This study aimed to perform multielement analysis (Na, Mg, P, S, K, Ca, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Ba, and Pb) in jatropha (Jatropha curcas L.) seeds; oil and biodiesel for mass spectrometry with inductively coupled argon plasma (ICP-MS). Samples of seeds; oil and biodiesel from jatropha or not strengthened in multielement standard solution prior to microwave digestion were analyzed by ICP-MS. The percentage of recovery of fortified samples was between 88% and 104% in seeds; 88 % and 103% in bark; 92% and 104% in oil and 93% and 102% in biodiesel. The samples was proved the presence of higher content of B; Na; K; Ca; Cr; Mg; Ba and Pb in the bark than in the seed. The element with higher content in the oil and biodiesel was being S 6% and 5.5% respectively from those found in the seeds. The Ca found in oil and biodiesel were 0.42% of this in seeds. As K; Mg; Cr; Zn; S; Ni; Fe; P and Na in the oil, respectively, to 0.04%; 0.06%; 14.6%; 8.4%; 16.6%; 1.2%; 0.01% and 5.2% of the content present in the seed. Biodiesel in quantities of Mg; K; Ca; Mg; Ni; Cu; Zn and Pb, respectively, to 40.7%; 89.8%; 8.0%; 97.5%; 40.9%; 38.4 %; 14.7%; 34.9% and 5.4% of the content in the oil that was used for the production of biodiesel. Was found an increase the presence of Na in biodiesel of around 16 times the amount present in the oil, whereas Fe and Cr increased three times and twice in Ba. The analytical method revealed the persistence of significant amounts of various elements from the seed biodiesel.