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Heavy Metal Index

Spectrophotometric Method for Cadmium(II) Determination: Validation and Application

Source

Nassar et al.

Page snapshot
Cited by2 pages
Metals measured1
Evidence tierA
Year2025

Overview

Nassar et al. (2025) develop and validate a spectrophotometric method for the determination of cadmium(II) (Cd2+) using a chromogenic reagent. The method provides LOD and LOQ data for Cd in reagent-grade and potentially environmental matrices.

Key numbers

LOD: 0.245 µg/mL (245 µg/L = 245 ppb) in the measured solution.

LOQ: 0.817 µg/mL (817 µg/L = 817 ppb) in the measured solution.

These values are high relative to food matrix requirements: EU maximum levels for Cd in most foods range from 0.05 to 1 mg/kg (50 to 1000 ppb wet weight), and analytical methods for regulatory compliance need LODs well below the lowest maximum level. The spectrophotometric LOD of 245 ppb (in solution after extraction/dilution) is at the borderline of food compliance applications and would be adequate only for the highest-Cd food matrices (kidneys, cocoa, offal) not for infant formula or cereals where Cd MRLs are 0.05–0.10 mg/kg.

CC BY license.

Methods (brief)

UV-vis spectrophotometry with chromogenic complexation reagent for Cd2+. Method validation per standard protocols (linearity, accuracy, precision, LOD, LOQ). Spectrophotometric methods for Cd are generally less sensitive than ICP-MS (LOD typically 0.001–0.01 µg/L) but offer lower instrument cost and simpler operation.

Implications

Testing: The LOD of 245 ppb in solution is adequate for industrial process water or heavily contaminated environmental samples but would require significant preconcentration (e.g., solid-phase extraction) before it could be applied to food matrices near regulatory limits. ICP-MS remains the preferred method for food Cd analysis at sub-50 ppb levels.

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Update history

The five most recent substantive edits to this page, classified major (evidence or structure moved), correction (a published value or statement was wrong and has been fixed), or minor (narrative rewritten without changing the underlying evidence). Each description is derived from what the edit did to this page; the linked commit is the authoritative record, routine regeneration passes are excluded, and the full version history lives in git. When DOI minting comes online (see schema docs), each entry below will also link to a version-pinned DataCite DOI.

CommitDateChangeDescription
b01ec52c32026-08-04major1 section added
3171d069e2026-08-02major1 section added
90a2f9a382026-07-30major1 section added and 1 removed
eaa8eeeed2026-07-27major1 section added and 1 removed
10eef01a02026-05-28correction1 section added