Abstract: An analytical method for the simultaneous determination of 14 heavy metal elements (Pb, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, As, Mo, Se, Ca, Mg, Al, Mn, Fe and K) in wild grapes was proposed using microwave digestion followed by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) measurement. Sample preparation was achieved by digestion with HNO3-H2O2 in a microwave system. The recoveries of the 14 elements from a sample from Benxi region, Liaoning province were obtained between 95% and 102.8%, with a relative standard deviation (RSD) of less than 2% ranging from 0.28% to 1.88% as reliable results. The method proposed in this study has the benefits of rapidity, simplicity, safety, time saving, and high accuracy and precision and also is suitable for determining heavy metal elements in similar samples.

Key words: wild grapes, micro-wave digestion, inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES), heavy metals