The study of various methods of preparation of the milk sample for milk analysis by ICP-OES technique

The theoretical part of the thesis deals with the chemical composition of cow’s milk, with the description of chosen methods of sample pretreatment and with the description of the used technique ICP-OES. The practical part is aimed at individual preparations of samples and at analysis of chosen chemical elements (Ca, Na, K and Mg). Milk is a really complicated polydisperse system, that’s the reason why the preparation of samples with milk is very important step before the measurement itself. In addition to accuracy choosing the sample adjustment method, other factors such as time, work intensity, or cost need to be considered when. In the thesis a comparison of four selected methods of sample preparation was made: direct analyse of milk, dilution with addition of Triton X-100, wet microwave ashing and destruction of matrix with TMAH (tetramethylammonium hydroxide). Selected elements were analysed with the help of ICP-OES. This diploma thesis builds on the bachelor thesis, which deals with the same problem. Final concentrations were compared with certified values of skimmed powdered milk. Data showed that the most accurate are methods of preparation of wet microwave ashing and destruction of matrix with TMAH. By using these methods, the effect of the dairy matrix that caused problems in the analysis, was largely eliminated. The diluted samples with and without Triton X-100 showed a bigger anomaly of measuring than the mineralization of wet ashing which came to the loss of analyte because of fat elements contained in milk