Microwave digestion and ultrasonic nebulization for determination of boron in animal tissues by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry with internal standardization and addition of mannitol

Determinations of boron in animal tissues were performed by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) with an ultrasonic nebulizer. The method is based on the microwave digestion of tissues with HNO3-H2O2 and the use of mannitol as a modifier. It was found that mannitol can significantly enhance the analytical sensitivity, improve the precision and minimize the memory effect for the determination of boron. Acid effect and matrix effects were controlled by using the Be I 234.861 nm line as the internal standard. Six animal tissue samples, including two NIST standard reference materials (Oyster Tissue and Bovine Liver), were analyzed to test the reliability of the method. A limit of detection (3 sigma) of 0.7 mu g l(-1) and recoveries of added boron from selected matrices between 95.0 and 100.2% were obtained.