Skip to main content
ARS Home » Northeast Area » Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania » Eastern Regional Research Center » Microbial and Chemical Food Safety » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #421289
Research Project: Technology Development, Evaluation and Validation for the Detection and Characterization of Chemical Contaminants in Foods

Location: Microbial and Chemical Food Safety

Title: Correction of matrix effects in multielement analysis of ready-to-drink tea by dilute-and-shoot ICP-MS

Author
item Chen, Guoying
item Lai, Bun Hong

Submitted to: Journal of Food Composition and Analysis
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/12/2025
Publication Date: 5/13/2025
Citation: Chen, G., Lai, B. 2025. Correction of matrix effects in multielement analysis of ready-to-drink tea by dilute-and-shoot ICP-MS. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis. 145. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfca.2025.107768.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfca.2025.107768

Interpretive Summary: Ready-to-drink (RTD) tea is becoming popular to meet fast-paced lifestyles and to promote long-term health. In this work, multielement analysis was fulfilled by dilute-and-shoot (DS) inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Matrix interferences were corrected by matrix overcompensation calibration (MOC). A single calibration curve constructed from a likewise prepared standard series was applied to sweetened and unsweetened RTD regardless of the degree of fermentation, amounts of ingredients, and brands. This method, validated by conventional methodologies, gained cost, productivity, and green chemistry advantages.

Technical Abstract: Ready-to-drink (RTD) tea, with abundant presence of antioxidants and other essential ingredients, is becoming popular to meet fast-paced lifestyles and to promote long-term health. In this work, Al, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Sr, Cd, Ba, and Pb in RTD tea were analyzed by dilute-and-shoot (DS) inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Matrix effects of residual concomitants were corrected by matrix overcompensation calibration (MOC). All RTD tea samples were diluted 20 fold in 1.5% (v/v) HNO3-0.5% (v/v) HCl-5% (v/v) ethanol before nebulization. A single calibration curve constructed from a likewise prepared standard series was applied to sweetened and unsweetened RTD tea regardless of the degree of fermentation, amounts of additives, and brands. This method was validated by spike-recovery study and comparison to microwave assisted digestion (MAD) and standard addition calibration (SAC). Obviation of MAD and SAC led to cost, productivity, and green chemistry advantages.