“…Over the past two or three decades, the most commonly applied decomposition procedures for foods and related biological materials have been conventional wet ashing (digestion) and dry ashing, with increased current interest in microwaveassisted wet digestion and slurry preparation. Subsets of these and other techniques used for specific applications, of more limited applicability and used more sporadically include: no treatment or direct use of liquid Ihnat (2003); based on the classification scheme of Sansoni and Panday (1983) with additions from their text and other sources: (Bock 1979, Laporte et al 1975, Ihnat 2000b, Taylor et al 1997, Lamble and Hill 1998, de Bono and Velosa 1991Van Loon 1985, Williams 1978, Baruthio et al 1988, Smith and Arsenault 1996, Ure et al 1988, Gorsuch 1967, Koch and Koch-Dedic 1964, Joslyn 1970, Tölg 1983, Bendicho and de Loos-Vollebregt 1991, Hoenig 2001, Jacobs 1978, Carey and Caruso 1992, FAO 1980, Krause et al 1995, Gorsuch 1965, Langmyhr and Wibetoe 1985, Dunlop 1961, Gorsuch 1959, Gustin and Ogg 1965, Stoeppler 1997a, Totland et al 1992, Burguera and Burguera 1998a, Ure 1975, DeMenna 1994, Shamberger 1983, Watson 1994, Boyer and Horwitz 1986, Olson et al 1973, M...…”