Comparative analysis of mineral content in conventional and organic vegetable using ICP-MS

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Giza 12613, Egypt.

2 Department of Nutritional Biochemistry and Metabolism, National Nutrition Institute, Cairo, Egypt

Abstract

Minerals are essential nutrients for plant growth and development. However, the mineral composition of agricultural produce can vary significantly due to factors such as cultivation practices, soil quality, and the use of agrochemicals. Inductively coupled plasma with mass spectrometry detectors (ICP-MS) is a reliable analytical technique for accurately measuring multiple elements in various samples. This study aimed to compare the mineral content of organic and conventional vegetables grown in Egypt using ICP-MS. In the current study samples were analyzed using a PerkinElmer NexION 1000 ICP-MS following closed-vessel microwave digestion. The results indicated excellent performance with low detection limits for Fe, Na, K, P, and Ca (0.02-0.311 mg/L), high recovery rates (97-102%), and low relative standard deviations (RSDs < 5%). Organic vegetables exhibited significantly higher levels of Fe, Na, P, and Ca compared to conventional vegetables, while K levels were comparable. It was concluded that the optimized ICP-MS method offers superior accuracy, precision, sensitivity, and multi-element capability compared to traditional techniques. The findings highlight the potential health Gains of consuming organic vegetables, particularly in terms of essential mineral content.

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