Speciation analysis of inorganic and organic arsenic in Canadian seafoods by chemical separation and neutron activation

A new method consisting of methanol-methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK)-water extraction and open-column cation exchange chromatography followed by HPLC was developed for the separation of total, residual, lipid-soluble, and five water soluble arsenic species including AsB, MMA, DMA, As(III), and As(V) in selected Canadian seafood samples. The mass fractions of arsenic were determined by neutron activation analysis with a detection limit of less than 20 mu g kg(-1). The method was validated by analyzing reference materials. The MIBK phase contained most of the lipid-soluble arsenic and indicated a linear relationship between the lipid content and lipid-soluble arsenic.