Ultrasound assisted dispersive solid phase microextraction of inorganic arsenic from food and water samples using CdS nanoflowers combined with ICP-OES determination

Direct determination of arsenic species in real samples is challenging due to their trace concentration and spectral interferences by coexisting ions. Herein, we proposed an ultrasound-assisted dispersive solid phase microextraction (DSPME) procedure for the analyses of the trace inorganic arsenic. The hydrothermally synthesized cadmium sulfide nanoparticles (CdS NPs) completely adsorbed both arsenic species within 20 s at the initial arsenic concentration of 100 mu g L-1. The detection limit (3 S/m) of the proposed method was found to be 0.5 +/- 0.2 and 0.8 +/- 0.2 ng L-1 for As(III) and As(V), respectively. The accuracy of the method against the systematic and constant errors was confirmed by the analysis of the Standard Reference Material (SRM) (> 95% recovery with < 5% RSD). The Student's t-test values were found to be less than the critical Student's t value at a 95% confidence level. The method was successfully employed for the determination of arsenic in food samples.

Automated summary

A new method utilizing ultrasound-assisted dispersive solid phase microextraction was proposed for the analysis of trace inorganic arsenic, achieving low detection limits and high accuracy through the adsorption of arsenic species by hydrothermally synthesized cadmium sulfide nanoparticles within a short time frame.