prEN 13806-1

Foodstuffs - Determination of trace elements - Part 1: Determination of total mercury in foodstuffs by atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) - cold vapour technique after pressure digestion prEN 13806-1

Publication date:   Jun 22, 2023

Scope

This document specifies a method for the determination of total mercury in foodstuffs by cold vapour atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) after pressure digestion.
This method was tested in a collaborative study carried out in connection with the pressure digestion method EN 13805 on seven different materials with a mercury concentration in the range from 0,005 mg/kg to 5,06 mg/kg and successfully validated in the range from 0,015 mg/kg to 5,06 mg/kg.
The following foodstuffs were analysed:
- Saithe (dried);
- Celery (dried);
- Wheat noodle powder;
- Wild mushrooms (dried);
- Pig liver (dried);
- Cacao powder;
- Tuna fish (dried).
The lower limit of the method’s applicability varies depending on the food matrix and the water content of the foodstuff. It is a laboratory-specific value and is defined by the laboratory when calculating the limit of quantification (see 9.2).