Table 3.
Limit of detections of the main essential and toxic elements using the analytical methods: FAAS, XRF, GFAAS, ICP-AES, and ICP-MS.
| Z | Essential Elements |
FAAS (mg/L) | XRF (mg/L) |
GFAAS (µg/L) | ICP-AES (µg/L) |
ICP-MS (ng/L) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | Mg | 0.1 | 600 | 0.004 | 0.04 | 0.01 |
| 20 | Ca | 1.5 | 8 | 0.01 | 0.1 | 0.05 |
| 25 | Mn | 1.5 | 10 | 0.005 | 3 | 0.05 |
| 26 | Fe | 5 | 10 | 0.06 | 15 | 0.1 |
| 29 | Cu | 2 | 1 | 0.014 | 5 | 0.03 |
| 30 | Zn | 1 | 9 | 0.0075 | 1 | 0.1 |
| 34 | Se | 50 | 8 | 0.03 | 2 | 0.3 |
| 42 | Mo | 45 | 6 | 0.03 | 0.5 | 0.03 |
| Z | Toxic elements | FAAS (mg/L) | XRF (mg/L) |
GFAAS (µg/L) | ICP-AES (µg/L) |
ICP-MS (ng/L) |
| 33 | As | 20 | 10 | 0.05 | 15 | 0.3 |
| 46 | Pb | 20 | 4 | 0.04 | 15 | 0.01 |
| 48 | Cd | 0.8 | 20 | 0.002 | 1.5 | 0.06 |
| 80 | Hg | 300 | 5 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 1 |
FAAS = flame atomic absorption spectrometry; XRF = X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy; GFAAS = graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry; ICP-AES = inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry; ICP-MS = inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Theoretical detection limits do not take into account interferences. Values collected from several sources.