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Among the most consumed foods in the world is potato, which occupies the first place as a non-grain commodity, demonstrating the importance of its assessment concerning the population's food safety. In this study, the nutrients Ca, Mg, K, P, Cu, Mn, Fe, and Zn and the potentially toxic trace elements Cd, Cr, and Pb were evaluated considering their total contents, bioaccessible and bioavailable fractions in different potato cultivars, in an unpublished approach in the literature. The in vitro standard gastrointestinal digestion method (INFOGEST) and a model of the intestinal epithelial barrier using the Caco-2 cell line were applied for investigate the presence of metals in potato. For the macroelements, the bioaccessibility (% w/w) varied in the ranges: K (57-72 %), P (59-76 %), Mg (83-103 %), and Ca (30-123 %), whereas for the microelements were: Cu (27-74 %) and Mn (4.22-12.02, 60-119 %). The potentially of trace toxic elements, Cd and Pb, were found in 75 % of the samples, however, all the concentration values were below the maximum levels allowed of 0.10 µg/g. Chromium was determined only in potato peels and has no maximum established level. The bioaccessible and bioavailable fractions of Cd, Cr, and Pb were below the limits of quantification of the spectrometric methods (LOQ - µg/L: 0.063 Cd, 0.65 Cr, and 0.44 Pb). The potato samples were considered safe for consumption regarding the presence of potentially toxic trace elements, with a remarkable nutritional contribution.

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The contents of 24 elements were determined in seven species of macroalgae collected in Ceara-Brazil, in the rainy and dry seasons of 2022. The samples were digested, and the analytes were quantified by ICP-OES and Hg by direct analyzer. The CRM CD-200 was analyzed for accuracy and obtained recoveries were higher than 95 %. The seaweed species have different inorganic element profiles with predominant elements being: Ca, K, Na, Mg and P. The Sargassum vulgare species stood out for its Hg and As contents (1.479 ± 0.005 mg kg-1 and 172 ± 6 mg kg-1, both in the rainy seasons). Ulva lactuca attracted attention for its high concentration of V (46.4 ± 3.4 mg kg-1, rainy season). In general, the elemental content levels in the macroalgae samples were higher in the rainy season. Long-term studies to comprehend the effect of seasonality on the elemental composition of seaweed must be carried out.

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Garlic (Allium sativum) is an important cash food crop, and the biotechnology industry has considerable interest in the plant because of its medicinal importance. These medicinal properties are attributed to organosulphur compounds as the accumulation of these compounds varies according to genotype, locality, light quality, and cultivation practices. In this study, we compared a newly developed garlic variety NARC-G1 by National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC), Islamabad, Pakistan with three different garlic cultivars and highlighted the distinctive attributes like phenotypic characteristics, the content of allicin, elemental profile, and gene polymorphism. Phenotypic analysis showed NARC-G1 has significantly higher bulb weight (66.36g ± 18.58), single clove weight (5.87g ± 1.041), and clove width (17.41mm ± 0.95) which directly correlates to the size of the garlic. The analytical analysis showed the highest allicin content (4.82 ± 0.001) in NARC-G1. Genotyping of the alliinase in all four cultivars showed indels in the gene resulting in distinguishable changes in organosulphur compounds' profile. NARC-G1 is unique from other garlic cultivars and could be the best choice for mass production with proper cultivation and irrigation management. Moreover, for Pakistan NARC-G1 could be a potential contender to earn the industrial benefits with inland cultivation instead of importing garlic alleviating the economic burden.

O alho (Allium sativum) é uma importante cultura alimentar de rendimento e a indústria biotecnológica tem um interesse considerável na planta devido à sua importância medicinal. As propriedades medicinais são atribuídas aos compostos organossulfurados, enquanto o acúmulo de sulfóxidos de cisteína (CSOs) varia de acordo com genótipo, localidade, qualidade da luz e práticas de cultivo. Neste estudo, comparamos uma variedade de alho recém-desenvolvida NARC-G1 pelo Centro Nacional de Pesquisa Agropecuária (NARC), Islamabade, Paquistão, com três diferentes cultivares de alho, e destacamos os atributos distintivos, como características fenotípicas, conteúdo de alicina, perfil elementar e gene polimorfismo. A análise fenotípica mostrou que o NARC-G1 tem peso de bulbo significativamente maior (66.36g ± 18.58), peso de um único dente (5.87g ± 1.041) e largura do dente (17.41mm ± 0.95), o que se correlaciona diretamente com o tamanho do alho. A análise analítica indicou maior teor de alicina (4.82 ± 0.001) no NARC-G1. A genotipagem do gene da aliinase em todas as quatro cultivares mostrou indels no gene, resultando em mudanças distinguíveis no perfil das CSOs. O NARC-G1 é único em relação a outras cultivares de alho e pode ser a melhor escolha para produção em massa com cultivo adequado e manejo de irrigação. Além disso, para o Paquistão, o NARC-G1 pode ser um potencial candidato para obter os benefícios industriais com o cultivo no interior, em vez de importar alho, aliviando o ônus econômico.

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In this study, we emphasize the critical role of sample pretreatment. We report on the behavior of NdFeB magnet samples exposed to four different acid media for digestion. NdFeB magnets are becoming a significant source of neodymium, a rare-earth element critical to many technologies and a potential substitute for traditional mining of the element. To address this, we meticulously tested nitric acid, hydrochloric acid, acetic acid, and citric acid, all at a concentration of 1.6 M, as economical and environmentally friendly alternatives to the concentrated mineral acids commonly used in the leaching of these materials. The pivotal stage involves the initial characterization of samples in the solid state using SEM-EDX and XPS analysis to obtain their initial composition. Subsequently, the samples are dissolved in the four aforementioned acids. Finally, neodymium is quantified using ICP-OES. Throughout our investigation, we evaluated some analytical parameters to determine the best candidate for performing the digestion, including time, limits of detection and quantification, accuracy, recovery of spike samples, and robustness. After careful consideration, we unequivocally conclude that 1.6 M nitric acid stands out as the optimal choice for dissolving NdFeB magnet samples, with the pretreatment of the samples being the critical aspect of this report.

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Soy-based beverages are one of the most consumed plant-based beverages, which have been used as a substitute for dairy products. Soy is a source of several nutrients (vitamins, minerals, and phenolic compounds, etc.) and its consumption is usually associated with several benefits, such as the prevention of cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and osteoporosis. However, non-essential trace elements can be found in these beverages. Thus, a comprehensive study concerning trace elements Al, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Li, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sb, Se, Sn, Sr, and Zn in soy-based beverages was proposed. In vitro digestion allowed to simulate the gastrointestinal juice (bioaccessibility) and the Caco-2 cells culture model was applied for the bioavailability assay. Trace elements measures were performed by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP OES). Multivariate analysis classified soy-based beverages according to their soy source (isolate protein, hydrosoluble extract, and beans); Al, Cu, Fe, Mn, Sr, Se, and Zn bioaccessible fractions corresponded to approximately 40%-80% of their total content, and soy-based beverages were found to be a good Fe, Se, and Zn source. However, our results showed risk exposure assessment from daily consumption of one glass of soy-based beverage can contribute to 3.5% and 0.9% of Al Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intake (PTWI) for children and adults, respectively.

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An alternative analytical method was developed for the quantification of inorganic arsenic (iAs) in rice by ICP OES. Iron nanoparticles modified with an organophosphorus compound were used as the solid phase for MSPE of iAs from the plant matrix. The MSPE procedure was performed using 4 mL of a buffer solution with pH 4.0, 20 mg of the nanomaterial, and a 15-min extraction time. The total As (tAs) by ICP OES was also quantified using the same MSPE procedure after solubilization of the samples by a block digester. The accuracy of tAs and iAs quantification was verified using CRM NIST 1568b (97 % and 101 % recovery, respectively). The precision (RSD < 15 %) and LOD and LOQ (1.08 and 3.70 µg kg-1, respectively) of the proposed method were satisfactory. The rice samples had tAs contents between 0.090 and 0.295 mg kg-1 and iAs mass fractions between 0.055 and 0.109 mg kg-1.

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Goat farming is concentrated in semi-arid and tropical regions in Brazil. From 2006 to 2017, the number of goats sold in the country increased by 65.7%. The dairy products from these animals present higher digestibility, high vitamin A and B content, hypoallergenicity, and less lactose compared to dairy products from cows, in addition to having a higher sales value. Since corn and soybean meal generate an expense for feed management, crude glycerin, originating from the manufacture of biodiesel, has been studied as an energy substitute. However, this product contains heavy metals, posing risks to animal and human health. Few data are available on trace elements in biological samples and products derived from goats' milk with the dietary introduction of glycerin. The objective was to quantify aluminum (Al), cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), molybdenum (Mo), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) in the serum, urine, milk, and artisanal "coalho" cheese of dairy goats fed different levels of crude glycerin in feed management. In total, 16 Saanen goats were selected, lactating females, that were distributed in four Latin squares and randomly treated with different levels of crude glycerin (0, 5, 10, and 15%). After the end of each experiment cycle, serum, urine, milk, and artisanal "coalho" cheese samples were collected at the four moments. The samples were submitted to digestion assisted by microwave radiation. The multi-element analysis was carried out using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP OES). There was no influence of crude glycerin levels replacing corn in serum, milk, urine, and artisanal "coalho" cheese. The serum concentration of the metals Cu, Fe, Zn, and Mn; urine concentrations of Cu, Zn, Mn, Mo, and Cr; and milk and artisanal "coalho" cheese concentrations of Cu, Zn, and Mn remained within the standards found in the literature. The inclusion of 5 to 15% of crude glycerin, derived from cotton oil, in the diets of dairy goats in partial replacement of corn, does not alter the concentration of essential and toxic metals in serum, urine, milk, and artisanal "coalho" cheese and does not, therefore, present a risk factor for intoxication.

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Worldwide, cosmetics (especially eye shadows) are widely consumed and have a great impact on the economy. The aim of this study was to determine the multielement composition, focusing on essential and potentially toxic elements, in cosmetics (eye shadow) exposed to consumption in Brazil. Concentrations of 17 elements (Al, As, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, Se, Sr, Ti, V and Zn) were determined in samples (produced in China and Brazil) using a sequential optical emission spectrometer with inductively coupled plasma (ICP OES) after acid digestion, assisted by a closed digester block (6 mL of HNO3 + 2 mL of H2O2 + 1 mL of Triton ×-100 + 1 mL of ultrapure water). The method was validated by linearity, precision, accuracy, limits of detection (LoD) and quantification (LoQ). The elements were quantified (in µg g-1): Al (852-21,900), Ba (3.47-104), Cd (1.70-6.93), Cr (< 8.53-66.6), Cu (< 0.480-14.5), Mn (92.20-1,190), Ni (< 4.23-40.7), Pb (< 2.16-5.06), Sb (1.10-10.5), Sr (0.760-46.0), Ti (32.0-440), V (< 0.85-1.7) and Zn (24.90-2,600). As, Co, Mo and Se in all the investigated samples were found to be below the LoQ values of ICP OES. In this study, regardless of sample compositions and origins (Brazilian or Chinese), high levels of Al, Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sb, Ti, V and Zn were observed, exceeding the recommended maximum tolerable limits, according to Brazilian and global legislations, which may present potential risks to human health and the environment.

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The transference of metals from water irrigation and soil to plants is a possible pathway of contamination for the trophic chain. This research is focused on the distribution of 16 analytes in the water-soil-tree (Pyrus malus) interaction in an agricultural region in the state of Chihuahua in Mexico from August 2019 (first sampling) to August 2020 (second sampling). The apple variety under investigation was Golden Delicious; it was found that the trace elements of As (0.18-0.34 mg·kg-1) and Cd (0.11-0.14 mg·kg-1) in the apple were above the corresponding permissible limit, according to FAO/WHO, and Cr (0.08-0.86 mg·kg-1) was below the limit. Furthermore, the health risk implications were estimated by the Hazard Quotients (HQ) and carcinogenic risk (CR). For carcinogenic risk, As, Cd, and Cr exceeded the risk limit (CR > 10-4). This investigation as well provides a link for similar research around the globe. Major and trace elements detection was performed with the Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES) technique, along with a prior homogenization of samples and microwave acid digestion. To obtain the statistical behavior, an analysis of variance and correlation was performed.

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Antifouling paints containing Cu, Zn, organotins, and many organic booster biocides may be found in ships and watercraft hulls to avoid the fouling of marine organisms. This type of paint can be harmful to the environment, therefore, the monitoring of toxic elements and compounds in antifouling paints are of great importance to access its quality and potential toxicity to the environment. Hence, this work describes the development of microwave-assisted digestion methods for the determination of Cu and Sn in antifouling paints by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP OES). The factors: sample mass and solutions of HNO3, HF, and HCl were optimized using the central composite design (CCD). Dry ashing with a muffle furnace and laser ablation-ICP-MS were used for methodological comparison with the microwave digestion-assisted ICP-OES methods. All the mixtures of acids allowed efficient extraction of the analytes; however, the one that stood out was the use of HF, HNO3, and H2O2.

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