Microwave Digestion Used To Evaluate Arsenic Levels in Rice

STOWMARKET, U.K. - March 17, 2017 - PRLog -- Arsenic occurs naturally in soils, but the content that accumulates in plant crops will vary. Rice tends to have a higher concentration, 10-20 times greater, than other grains because it is grown under flooded conditions which allows soil arsenic to be readily taken up and incorporated into rice grains. This has caused concern in recent media reports, especially when the fact that arsenic is classified as a category one carcinogen is mentioned in the same item.

As with any other dangerous food contaminant, accurate and reliable concentration assessment is obligatory. This is where microwave digestion comes in. Closed vessel acid digestion systems are an ideal method for preparing samples for further analysis by techniques such as ICP-MS, AA, GFAA or ICP-OES.

They decrease acid digestion times, while preventing cross-contamination and the loss of volatiles. CEM, specialists in microwave-based technology for the laboratory, have two state of the art closed vessel acid digestion systems.

The MARS 6 system from CEM produces comprehensive digestions for the lowest analytical detection levels. And it's easy to use as well, thanks to CEM's One Touch Technology, an innovative combination of touchscreen, sensor and software technologies that simplify the operational process with pre-programmed methods.

In addition to the MARS 6 system, CEM's Discover SP-D CEM is the world's only automated sequential microwave acid digestion system, simply load up your samples and walk away.

Rice enthusiasts can be reassured as testing has now shown that they can reduce arsenic intake by soaking their rice overnight before eating and by ensuring that it is cooked in a sufficient volume of water.

Manufacturers and producers can reduce their worries about efficient evaluation of arsenic foodstuff concentrations by using CEM's Closed Vessel Microwave Digestion instruments as part of their trace element analysis.

To find out more visit http://cem.com/iwave