Presence and distribution of arsenical species in beers

Abstract

The total content of arsenic and of its inorganic (As(III) and As(V)) and organic (monomethylarsonic acid, MMAA, and dimethylarsinic acid, DMAA) species were determined in a set of 21 alcoholic and alcohol-free beer samples using the technique of Hydride Generation Atomic Absorption Spectrometry. For total arsenic analysis, beer samples were dried and then microwave digested with nitric acid in polytetrafluoroethylene containers. For the speciation analysis, beers were previously subjected to ion exchange chromatography to elute the mentioned inorganic and organic arsenical species. Both microwave digestion and chromatographic separation methods were validated from certified reference materials and prepared standard solutions, respectively. The results obtained are presented in terms of the distribution and occurrence of arsenical species in the samples. The As levels of the beer samples were in the range of 1.5-12.4 micrograms/l. The influence of the production process for the alcohol-free beers in the speciation of arsenic is discussed. In alcoholic beers MMAA was the most abundant species, and for non-alcoholic beers inorganic As(III) was similar to the organic species. An estimated intake of total As of 0.47 microgram/person/day and 11.4 micrograms/person/day was obtained for average consumers and for heavy drinkers, respectively.

Presence of Arsenic in Commercial Beverages

“…These beverages include Chinese tea [17] , mineral water [18] , breast milk [19,20] and alcoholic beverages [21][22][23] , specifically wine and beer.…”

Arsenic, Cadmium and Lead in Beers from the Italian Market

“…15 These metals have been extensively studied and their effects on human health regularly reviewed by international bodies such as the WHO. Some heavy metals have nutritional functions and are essential to maintain the metabolism of the human body 7,12,23,39 . Others can cause serious illnesses.…”

Arsenic in Wines and Beers from European Markets

“…BEVERAGES 45 wines and 21 beers from Spain are also low with a median of around 8 ppb (Herce-Pagliai et al, 1999, 2002. BEVERAGES 45 wines and 21 beers from Spain are also low with a median of around 8 ppb (Herce-Pagliai et al, 1999, 2002.…”

“…Herce-Pagliai et al (1999, 2002 pointed out the predominance of either monomethylarsonate or dimethylarsinate among different arsenic species in beers and wines from Spain. Herce-Pagliai et al (1999, 2002 pointed out the predominance of either monomethylarsonate or dimethylarsinate among different arsenic species in beers and wines from Spain.…”

“…Speciation of inorganic and organic arsenic in wines and beers is frequently performed with hyphenation techniques consistent with chromatographic separation of arsenic species and subsequent detection using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (Huang et al, 2012;Moreira et al, 2011), atomic fluorescence spectrometry (Coelho et al, 2003) or atomic absorption spectroscopy (Herce-Pagliai et al, 1999, 2002. Different strategies were developed to minimize the potential impact of wine and beer matrix on the analytical accuracy including dilution (Moreira et al, 2011), hydride generation (Martinez et al, 2001), and standard addition (Herce-Pagliai et al, 1999, 2002.…”