Multielement determination in small samples of human milk by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry

Inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) was used for routine analysis of small samples of human milk. The concentrations of calcium (Ca), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), magnesium (Mg), manganese (Mn), phosphorus (P), and zinc (Zn) were determined in 203 milk samples from postpartum women at different stages of lactation after stepwise digestion in HNO3, HClO4, and H2O2 under heat. Validation of the procedure was achieved using certified reference material of bovine liver (NBS 1577) with mean recoveries of 103.5%. The concentrations of the above elements in milk matrix were comparable with previously reported values. The analytical results from breast milk will provide reference information for mineral studies of Brazilian mothers and breast-fed infants.