Determination of arsenic species and arsenosugars in marine samples by HPLC-ICP-MS

Arsenic speciation analysis in marine samples was performed using high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) with ICP-MS detection. The separation of eight arsenic species, viz. As-III, MMA, DMA, As-v, AB, TMAO, AC and TeMAs+, was achieved on a Shiseido Capcell Pak C-18 column using an isocratic eluent (pH 3.0), in which conditions As-III and MMA were co-eluted. The method was successfully applied to several marine samples, e.g. oyster, fish, shrimp and marine algae. For the extraction of arsenic from seafood products, low-power microwave digestion was employed, and for the extraction of arsenic from marine algae, sonicated extraction was employed. The separation of arsenosugars in the extracts from marine algae was achieved on an anion exchange column, Hamilton PRP X-100, using ammonium hydrogen carbonate solution (pH 8.4). The concentrations of arsenosugar-2, -3 and -4 in the extracts from the marine algae were analyzed to test the use of a Fucus sample as a reference standard material and were in the range 3.6-27.5 mu g g(-1), which accounted for 6.0-34.9% of total arsenic. Copyright (c) 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.