The Influence of the Sensitivity of the ICP-MS and AAS Method for the Determination of Cadmium, Lead and Arsenic in Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) on the Results of the Analysis

In this paper the concentrations of heavy metals such as lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd) and arsenic (As) were determined in dried lettuce leaves under greenhouse cultivation.They were determined by two methods: using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and atomic absorption spectrometer (AAS).The percentage of humidity was 10.7 %.Concentrations of heavy metals determined by the ICP-MS method were slightly higher than by AAS indicating higher sensitivity of the ICP-MS method.The highest concentration was found for cadmium (1.2 mg/kg), then for arsenic (0.186 mg/kg), and finally for lead (0.04 mg/kg).The obtained results indicate that lettuce cultivated in soil irrigated with tap water containing dissolved mineral fertilizers under commercial name starter 1, 2, and 3 can elevate the concentration of heavy metals in edible parts of the crop, affecting food safety and public health worldwide.