Abstract: A method to determine the trace elements K, Mg, Ca, Fe and Cu in potato from three different cultivars grown in Henan region was proposed using microwave digestion and atomic absorption spectrometry. Three cultivars were all rich in K, Mg, Ca, Fe and Cu and varied in the contents of the trace elements. The relative standard deviations for determination of these elements ranged from 0.5% to 4.96%. The spike recovery rates from potato Zhongshu No.5 were from 94.9% to 102.2%. The limit of detection was 0.02μg/mL for Mg and 0.20μg/mL for the other four elements. This method can provide a reliable, sensitive, selective, simple and environmentally friendly approach for determination of trace elements in potato.

Key words: potato, microwave-digestion, atomic absorption spectrometry