Malaysian Journal of Analytical Sciences Vol 26 No 2 (2022): 429 - 438

 

 

 

 

Essential Minerals and Heavy Metals Analysis of Penang Assam Laksa Using Atomic Absorption Spectrometry, Flow Injection Mercury System, And Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry

 

(Analisis Mineral Penting dan Logam Berat Asam Laksa Pulau Pinang Menggunakan Spektrometri Penyerapan Atom dan Spektrometri Pancaran Optik Induktif Gabungan Plasma)

 

Phang Hui Lee^1,2, Koo Pooi Ling², Lim Gin Keat²*, Oo Chuan Wei², Tan Kean Chye³

 

¹Jabatan Perubatan Forensik,

Hospital Pulau Pinang,

1, Jalan Tull, George Town, 10450 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia

²School of Chemical Sciences,

Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 USM, Penang, Malaysia

³Department of Family Medicine,

RCSI and UCD Malaysia Campus,

4, Jalan Sepoy Lines, 10450 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia

 

*Corresponding author: limgk@usm.my

 

 

Received: 9 November 2021; Accepted: 10 February 2022; Published: 28 April 2022

 

 

Abstract

Penang Assam Laksa is a sour, fish-based soup popular in Malaysian street food. The content of heavy metals (Cd, Hg, and Pb) as well as essential minerals (Fe, Ca, Na, and K) in ready-to-eat Penang Assam Laksa food samples collected from five stalls over three different days was determined using flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS), a Flow Injection Mercury System (FIMS), and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) after a wet-digestion procedure. Statistical analyses such as Student s t-test and an inter-day precision study were conducted on the obtained results. The wet-digestion procedure was found to be effective, with recoveries above 85%. Meanwhile, an inconsistency in element content was observed for food samples collected on different days. Based on Student s t-test, both FAAS and ICP-OES were suitable for detecting and quantifying heavy metals and essential minerals in the food samples.

 

Keywords: Penang Assam Laksa, heavy metal, essential minerals, street food

 

Abstrak

Asam Laksa Pulau Pinang adalah sup masam yang berasaskan ikan. Kandungan logam berat (Cd, Hg, Pb) serta mineral penting (Fe, Ca, Na, K) dalam Asam Laksa Pulau Pinang (makanan sedia dimakan) yang dikumpul dari lima gerai terpilih pada tiga hari berbeza telah ditentukan menggunakan FAAS (spektrometri penyerapan atom nyalaan), FIMS (sistem merkuri suntikan aliran) dan ICP-OES (spektrometri pancaran optik induktif gabungan plasma) selepas prosedur pencernaan basah. Analisis statistik seperti Ujian-t pelajar dan kajian ketepatan antara hari telah dijalankan ke atas keputusan yang diperolehi. Prosedur pencernaan basah didapati merupakan kaedah yang berkesan dalam mencerna sampel makanan dengan pemulihan lebih daripada 85%. Sementara itu, ketidakselarasan kandungan unsur diperhatikan daripada sampel makanan yang dikumpul pada hari yang berbeza. Berdasarkan Ujian-t pelajar, kedua-dua FAAS dan ICP-OES sesuai untuk pengesanan dan penentuan logam berat dan mineral penting dalam sampel makanan.

 

Kata kunci: Asam Laksa Pulau Pinang, logam berat, mineral penting, makanan jalanan

 

 

 

Graphical Abstract

 

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