%0 Journal Article
%T Direct Zinc Determination in Brazilian Sugar Cane Spirit by Solid-Phase Extraction Using Moringa oleifera Husks in a Flow System with Detection by FAAS
%A Vanessa N. Alves
%A Simone S. O. Borges
%A Nivia M. M. Coelho
%J International Journal of Analytical Chemistry
%D 2011
%I Hindawi Publishing Corporation
%R 10.1155/2011/765746
%X This paper reports a method for the determination of zinc in Brazilian sugar cane spirit, (cacha£¿a in Portuguese), using solid-phase extraction with a flow injection analysis system and detection by FAAS. The sorbent material used was activated carbon obtained from Moringa oleifera husks. Flow and chemical variables of the proposed system were optimized through multivariate designs. The factors selected were sorbent mass, sample pH, sample flow rate, and eluent concentration. The optimum extraction conditions were obtained using a sample pH of 4.0, a sample flow rate of 6.0£¿mL£¿min£¿1, 30.0£¿mg of sorbent mass, and 1.0£¿mol£¿L£¿1 HNO3 as the eluent at a flow rate of 4.0£¿mL£¿min£¿1. The limit of detection for zinc was 1.9£¿¦Ìg£¿L£¿1, and the precision was below 0.82% (20.0£¿¦Ìg£¿L£¿1, ). The analytical curve was linear from 2 to 50£¿¦Ìg£¿L£¿1, with a correlation coefficient of 0.9996. The method developed was successfully applied to spiked Brazilian sugar cane spirit, and accuracy was assessed through recovery tests, with results ranging from 83% to 100%. 1. Introduction Brazilian sugar cane spirit (cacha£¿a in Portuguese) has received growing attention since it is increasingly being appreciated worldwide [1]. This alcoholic beverage is obtained from the distillation of the sugar cane fermented must (wine) employing basically two types of apparatus homemade copper pot stills (alembics) or industrial stainless steel columns. Minas Gerais State is by far the largest producer of high-quality artisanal cacha£¿a in Brazil, and the exportation of this product has reached significant levels of economic importance. The production of artisanal cacha£¿a is also directly related to other important economic activities such as the production of cow¡¯s milk, beef, and organic fertilizer, since the sugar cane residues (leaves and tips), as well as the tail distillation fraction (known as vinhoto), can be used as cattle feed in the dry season, when appropriate pasture land becomes scarce [2]. However, less than 1% of the volume produced is exported. Efforts have been made to increase the export volume and qualify cacha£¿a as an international Brazilian beverage [3]. Great improvements have been made regarding the determination of the chemical composition of cacha£¿a in the past decade [4¨C8]. Consequently, quality control has been improved, and producers are also able to successfully control the chemical composition and sensory profile. Metal elements in distilled beverages come from the raw materials, crop treatment, or manufacturing processes [9]. Thus, knowledge of the inorganic profile of
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijac/2011/765746/