Trace arsenic speciation analysis of bones by high performance liquid chromatography-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

The speciation analysis of arsenic (As) has always received great attention, in which the analysis of complex matrix samples remains challenging, mainly manifested in selection of suitable sample pretreatment methods and sensitive analytical spectrometers. In this work, microwave-assisted extraction of total As and various As species in bones, with their respective determination by ICP-MS and HPLC-ICP-MS, was studied, and was successfully utilized to determine As species in panda and pig bones. The results reveal the content of As ranging from 28 to 75 μg g−1 in the panda bone samples and 0.27 μg g−1 in pig bone, in which >90% is inorganic AsV except for little AsIII and organic As. The method could be applicable to the analysis of diverse bone samples.