Effects of sample processing on arsenic speciation in marine macroalgae
Abstract
The stability of arsenic species in environmental samples during sampling, storage and processing is crucial for speciation studies. Losses, interconversion and degradation of arsenocompounds can occur during these steps as a result of the interaction with the container material, microbial activity and temperature or light. In order to study the possible effects of storage and processing on arsenic compounds, subsamples of alga Cystoseira mediterranea Sauvageau were stored under different conditions (non-frozen; frozen at −18 °C for 24 h and 45 days; frozen at −80 °C for 24 h and 45 days) and subjected to one of the following processing methods: chopping into fine pieces with a knife; grinding by hand in a glass mortar under N2(l); drying under an air current at room temperature (25 °C); drying in an oven at 40 °C;