Determination of Cd, Pb and Se in beef samples using aerosol dilution by ICP-MS

An analytical method for sample preparation and subsequent determination of Cd, Pb and Se in beef using aerosol dilution by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry was developed. The use of high matrix introduction technology allowed the introduction of a complex sample into the plasma with higher content of total dissolved solids a residual acidity of 4% and better tolerance to matrix effects. Trueness was verified by the analysis of two reference materials. At the 95% significance level, results were statistically equivalent to the certified or informed values. Analytical precision expressed as relative standard deviation was less than 9% in all cases. After validation, a total of 12 beef samples from Uruguay were analyzed. Obtained levels for Cd and Pb were far below the maximum limits established by international regulations in all samples. Also, results showed that beef from this region is a good source of Se in the range 0.120–0.870 mg kg−1 with an interesting contribution to the daily intake of this essential element.