A direct solid sampling analysis method for the detection of silver nanoparticles in biological matrices.

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Materials Science
• Food Safety

Background:

• Engineered silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in food contact materials pose potential risks to the human food chain.
• Sensitive, rapid, and straightforward analytical methods are needed to detect AgNPs in complex biological samples.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel analytical screening method for determining AgNPs in various biological matrices.
• To differentiate AgNPs from ionic silver (Ag+) without extensive sample preparation.

Main Methods:

• Solid sampling high-resolution continuum source graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS).
• Utilizing the atomization delay (Δt(ad)) of the GFAAS signal to identify AgNPs.
• Application to diverse food samples, migration studies, and biological tissues.

Main Results:

• The GFAAS method successfully distinguished AgNPs from Ag+ across eight food types, migration studies, and mussel tissue.
• Significant differences in atomization delays (Δt(ad)) were observed, confirming the presence or absence of AgNPs.
• Initial findings suggest matrix-dependent trends in AgNP detection.

Conclusions:

• The developed GFAAS method offers a reliable and efficient approach for screening AgNPs in biological and food samples.
• The atomization delay strategy provides a robust means to differentiate AgNPs from ionic silver.
• The method's applicability is confirmed by reproducibility and homogeneity tests.