DETERMINATION OF SOME HEAVY METALS IN SOME WINES OF KOSOVO

Wine is one of the regularly consumed drinks and its control of content elements is necessary throughout the production process from the grape to the final product. The values of trace elements in wine are very important from the organoleptic point of view, as well as their nutritional value. Wine consumed in appropriate amounts, can have many health benefits, as some heavy metals are necessary for the body in very small quantities, but if taken in high doses, they become toxic. Therefore, recently it is expressed a concern regarding the exposure of heavy metals ions in wine. The heavy metal content in wine may have originated from atmospheric pollution, the presence of metal ions in the soil and most of them are originating from pesticides used to protect the wines from diseases and pests. The main purpose of this study was the identification of certain heavy metals (Zn, Fe, Cu, Mn, Hg, As) in some wines produced in Kosovo, in order to improve their nutritional quality. For this reason, wines produced from three (3) largest producers in the country are analysed. Flame atomic absorption spectrometry for the quantitative determination of the metals was used. An aliquot of 100 ml of wine sample was mixed with 1.0 mL of concentrated HNO3, and then directly nebulized in an air - acetylene flame under the optimal instrumental parameters. Moreover, because of interferences, poor reproducibility, and poor detection limits of Hg and As, with hydride generation atomic absorption spectroscopy (HGAAS) are measured.