Abstract

BIASI, Lic. Antonella de las Mercedes; MESSINA, Dr. German Alejandro  and  GOMEZ, Dra. Nidia Noemi. Zinc determination in river and tap water samples of San Luis province and bottled waters. Diaeta [online]. 2020, vol.38, n.173, pp.38-48. ISSN 1852-7337.

Introduction. Zinc (Zn) is an essential trace element with great nutritional importance and indispensable for normal growth and reproduction. Its deficiency produces physiological and structural abnormalities. Also, if ingested in high concentrations, it produces toxic effects; this is why its determination is very important. Water can contribute significantly to the daily intake of trace elements, including Zn. In this work, Zn concentration was analyzed in river and tap water samples of the province of San Luis and in bottled natural mineral water, by means of solid phase fluorescence (SPF).

Materials and method. The quantitative determination of Zn in water samples and standards was based on the complexation of Zn using a mixture of o-phenanthroline and eosin at pH 7.5. Then, a microzone of Blue Ribbon filter paper was impregnated with the mixture for 1 minute (n=6). After this, the filter papers were dried at room temperature and placed in a conventional quartz cell adapted for SPF. The results obtained were compared with the Inductively Coupled Plasma - Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) technique.

Results. The river water samples analyzed were found below the maximum limit of Zn recommended by National Law 24051 for the protection of aquatic life. The Zn concentrations in the analyzed drinking water samples (tap and bottled water) were also below the maximum limits allowed by the CAA and WHO. Furthermore, a good agreement was obtained between the methodologies used.

Conclusions. The Zn content in analyzed samples was below the maximum values allowed by different regulatory organizations. The water samples analyzed do not contribute to satisfying the recommended daily intake and have considerably lower values than those found in other regions. Finally, the method applied proved to be a fast and sensitive alternative for the determination of Zn in water samples.

Keywords : Zinc; SPF; water; deficiency..

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