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Updated: May 5, 2026

Atom Probe Tomography Analysis of Exsolved Mineral Phases
Published on: October 25, 2019
Influence of ashing techniques on the analysis of trace elements in animal tissue : I. Wet ashing
M S Clegg1, C L Keen, B Lönnerdal
1Department of Nutrition, University of California, 95616, Davis, CA.
Abstract:
A multitude of methods exists at present for the solubilization of biological tissues for atomic absorption analysis. We have examined several common methods of wet ashing using NBS bovine liver in order to determine which acids, acid combinations, or bases should be used as digesting agents for accurate and precise measurement of iron, copper, zinc, and manganese. Nitric acid proved to be the most effective wet ashing agent. With nitric acid, mean concentrations for iron, copper, and zinc differed from NBS certified values by less than 1.5% while those for manganese differed by 4%.
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