An assisted liquid-liquid extraction of copper, iron, nickel and zinc from vegetable oil samples with subsequent determination by high-resolution continuum source flame atomic absorption spectrometry (HR-CS FAAS) was optimized by applying a full factorial design in two levels and the response surface methodology, Box-Behnken. The effects of the acid concentration and the amplitude, cycle and time of sonication on the extraction of the analytes, as well as their interactions, were assessed. In the selected condition (sonication amplitude = 66%, sonication time = 79 s, sonication cycle = 74%), using 0.5 mol L(-1) HCl as the extractant, the limits of quantification were 0.14, 0.20, 0.21 and 0.04 μg g(-1) for Cu, Fe, Ni and Zn, respectively, with R.S.D. ranging from 1.4% to 3.6%. The proposed method was applied for the determination of the analytes in soybean, canola and sunflower oils.

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In the present work, we propose a method for the determination of nitrite based on the chemical generation of nitric oxide (NO) and its detection by high-resolution continuum source molecular absorption spectrometry. NO is generated by the reduction of nitrite in acidic media with ascorbic acid as the reducing agent and then transferred into a quartz cell by a stream of argon carrier gas. The conditions under which the NO is generated are as follows: 0.4 mol L(-1) hydrochloric acid, 1.5%(w/v) ascorbic acid, an argon gas pressure of 0.03 MPa and an injection time of the reducing agent of 4s. All measurements of molecular absorption were performed using the NO line at 215.360 nm, and the signal was measured by peak height. Under these conditions, the method described has limits of detection and quantification of 0.045 and 0.150 μg mL(-1) of nitrite, respectively. The calibration curve is linear for nitrite concentrations in the range 0.15-15 μg mL(-1). The precision, estimated as the relative standard deviation (RSD), was 3.5% and 4.4% for solutions with nitrite concentrations of 0.5 and 5.0 μg mL(-1), respectively. This method was applied to the analysis of different water samples (well water, drinking water and river water) collected in Cachoeira City, Bahia State, Brazil. The results were in agreement with those obtained by a spectrophotometric method using the Griess reaction. Addition/recovery tests were also performed to check the validity of the proposed method. Recoveries of 93-106% were achieved.

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