Aluminium levels in wine, beer and other alcoholic beverages consumed in Spain

A reliable and rapid method is presented for the determination of Al by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) in wine, beer and other alcoholic beverages. The temperature-time program for the graphite furnace was optimized. Samples were digested with nitric acid and vanadium pentoxide. The results obtained were validated against microwave acid sample digestion. The analytical detection limit was 4.0 pg. The mean recovery of 98.2% and the relative standard deviation of 5.2% were obtained. The method was applied to determine Al in 70 different samples of alcoholic beverages widely consumed in Spain. The mean values ranged from 94.8 to 1682.6 micrograms/l in wine, from 36.5 to 795.2 micrograms/l in beer, and from 15.7 to 739.6 micrograms/l in other alcoholic beverages (cider, brandy, rum, whisky, gin, anisette and liquor). The influence of packaging and containers on Al contamination of alcoholic beverages and their contribution to Al dietary intake were estimated.