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The present review surveys original works published in the last decade on unique properties of dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) and atmospheric pressure glow discharge (APGD) operated in contact with solutions for plasma-assisted chemical vapor generation (CVG) of selected elements and their transport to spectrometric detectors like quartz tube atomic fluorescence (QT-AFS), inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) and mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Designs of different systems are reviewed in addition to achievable analytical performance for certain elements (Ag, As, Cd, Hg, In, I, Os, Pb, Sb, Se, Te and Zn) and applications of this novel sample introduction in trace analysis. Several important aspects for plasma-induced CVG were treated in this paper in details, including the effect of operating parameters and low molecular weight organic compounds on analytical response, possible mechanisms of generation of vapors and other volatile species of analytes as well as their chemical nature and generation efficiency.

Consumption of honey cannot raise any concern about its wholesomeness, safety and quality in reference to the content of different contaminants, particularly trace and hazardous elements. Element analysis of honey by atomic and mass spectrometry methods is an important part of its quality and safety. The present paper comprehensively reviews recent achievements in element analysis of honey that have been reported since 2012. The survey is focused on different research aspects of such analysis, including assessment of biological and geographical origin of honey by using chemometric methods, quality and safety of honey, and sample preparation of honey prior to element analysis by atomic and mass spectrometry methods. Calibration strategies and ways of quality assurance and control of the results are surveyed as well.

This review article presents 20 years of achievements made in the element analysis of bee pollen and bee bread. Special attention is paid to the sample pre-treatment and preparation procedures of the collected samples before such analyses carried out by different atomic and mass spectrometry methods. This includes the ways of wet and dry digestions, calibration strategies applied, and the validation of the results of these measurements. The role of different elements determined at levels of major, minor and trace elements in bee pollen and bee bread is also surveyed, focusing on their nutrition implications as well as benefits in the control and monitoring of the environmental pollution in the areas where the both bee products are collected.

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is a bio-accumulative plant for arsenic (As), particularly the most toxic inorganic As species (i-As), and the main contributor to i-As intake among agricultural products. The analytical process for determination and speciation of As in rice is complex. Different aspects have to be considered, including detection method, calibration strategy, sample-treatment and preparation procedures, and quality assurance and quality control of results. It is well known that sample preparation is a critical step in the whole analytical chain, so this review surveys achievements in analysis of rice for the content of total As and the species of As reported in the past 15 years using spectrochemical techniques. We discuss different sample-preparation procedures, with their advantages and drawbacks. We highlight common strategies and alternative approaches to speciation analysis of As.

We overview the literature available in the past 10 years relevant to chemical-vapor generation (CVG) of transition metals in analytical atomic spectrometry. We focus attention on chemical and physical parameters facilitating reaction efficiency, and other experimental conditions affecting efficient separation and transportation of the volatile species generated. We discuss the overall efficiency of the process and the susceptibility to interferences in the liquid and gaseous phases with respect to the two-step mechanism of the generation of volatile species and the chemical nature of analyte vapors. We highlight the role of reaction enhancers, such as complexing reagents, surfactants, dispersed metals and ionic liquids. Finally, we give examples of analytical figures of merit and analytical applications of CVG with different methods of atomic spectrometry.

Information on the concentration of major, minor and trace elements in fruit juices is very important because the popularity of these beverages and the rate of their consumption have rapidly increased in the past 20 years. For the overwhelming majority of cases, the elemental analysis of fruit juices is carried out using spectrochemical analytical methods, which normally require samples of fruit juices to be prepared by decomposing their organic matrix and releasing elements in a form suitable for measurement. This review covers different aspects of the elemental analysis of fruit juices and the societal implications related to the presence of various elements in these beverages. We review in detail sample-preparation procedures executed before the elemental analysis together with calibration strategies used, and quality assurance and quality control of results.

A non-alcoholic beverage, tea made from leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant is a potentially rich source of dietary important elements and is consumed by nearly half the worlds population. Of the types of tea, black, oolong and green teas are the most popular, so knowledge about their elemental characteristics is especially important. Habitual drinking of tea infusions may significantly contribute to daily dietary requirements of elements or lead to accumulation of elements and intoxication under overdose conditions. It is especially important that toxic and/or heavy metals, which may be retained by tea plants to a great degree, can have adverse effects on human well-being and health. Accordingly, accurate, precise determination of the mineral content of tea leaves from which tea is made, teas available commercially and their infusions allows us to assess exposure to non-essential elements and to judge the nutritional value of tea reliably. Different instrumental techniques are used for elemental analysis, but atomic and mass spectrometries are preferred most. This review surveys the elemental analysis of teas and their infusions, and the consequences of the presence of various elements in this beverage. We also consider sample-preparation procedures before analysis, the results of analysis and the manner of controlling and assuring the quality of those results. a 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.