Emulsified systems for metal determination by spectrometric methods

• Emulsified systems applied as a sample-preparation step are reviewed.
• A differentiated approach to the composition of emulsified systems is presented.
• The choice of the proper surfactant for emulsification is discussed.
• The influence of the emulsification process on systems stability is appraised.
• A review of the main variables of sample pretreatment for systems applicability.

This review summarizes and discusses the preparation and the application of emulsified systems in preparing samples prior to the analytical determination of metals by spectrometric methods. We present and discuss the experimental parameters, such as the choice of surfactant, emulsion-preparation mode and the influences on emulsification processes. We comprehensively summarize published studies covering the application of emulsification as a sample-preparation procedure for the analysis of food, cosmetics and petroleum-based samples. We also describe the main analytical techniques used for the determination of metals by spectrometric methods.