Simultaneous Multielement Determination of Al, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sn, and Zn in Bulgur Wheat by ICP-OES

摘要

Bulgur is one of the oldest cereal-based foods. This study explains the simultaneous determination by the proposed method for toxic elements such as Al, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sn, and Zn in bulgur by ICP-OES following digestion in a closed-vessel microwave system. The ICP-OES method is used because it is precise, rapid, simple, and accurate for the determination of 12 metals. The technique can be considered useful for the routine analysis of multi-elements in cereals as well as for quality control purposes. The obtained results in the bulgur samples (mean in mg kg(-1)) were: Al 0.81, Cr 0.19, Cu 3.80, Fe 26.75, Mn 13.60, Ni 0.25, Pb 0.23, Sn 0.17, and Zn 14.30. The concentrations of As, Cd, and Hg were below the detection limits. A certified reference material was used to verify the accuracy of the studied method. The results were in good agreement with the certified values. The toxic metal concentrations are low and the obtained values are suitable for daily intake. The macro and micro nutrient ranges in bulgar wheat did not exceed the dietary reference intake (DRI). The bulgur produced in Turkey has very low levels of toxic metals, is safe for human consumption, and is a highly nutritional and healthy food source. Bulgur wheat is, therefore, safe for public consumption.