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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Anal. Sci.
Sec. Environmental Analysis
Volume 5 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/frans.2025.1527110
This article is part of the Research Topic Thought Leaders in Analytical Science Research View all 11 articles

Multi-Energy Calibration in Plasma Emission Spectrometry: Elemental Analysis of Animal Feeds

Provisionally accepted
Florencia Cora Jofre Florencia Cora Jofre 1,2Ariane Isis Barros Ariane Isis Barros 3Joaquim Araujo Nóbrega Joaquim Araujo Nóbrega 4Marianela Savio Marianela Savio 1,2*
  • 1 The Institute of Earth and Environmental Sciences of La Pampa (INCITAP), National University of La Pampa (CONICET), Santa Rosa, Argentina
  • 2 National University of La Pampa, Santa Rosa, La Pampa, Argentina
  • 3 Study Group on Soil Residues and Organic Matter, Department of Rural and Soil Engineering, Faculty of Agronomy and Zootechnics, Federal University of Mato Grosso, MT, Brazil, Mato Grosso, Brazil
  • 4 Group for Applied Instrumental Analysis, Department of Chemistry, Federal University of São Carlos, São Carlos, SP Brazil., São Carlos, Brazil

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    This study evaluates the effectiveness of Multi-Energy Calibration (MEC) for multielemental analysis in animal feeds using plasma-based optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES and MIP-OES). The aim was to improve accuracy in detecting essential minerals by overcoming matrix interferences that affect instrumental techniques. Swine feed samples from different growth stages were analyzed, focusing on essential minerals for animal health and productivity, such as Ca, Co, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, P, and Zn. The MEC strategy utilizes multiple wavelengths per element, reducing calibration complexity and enhancing accuracy by using only two calibration solutions per sample. Results demonstrate that MEC improves recoveries (80 to 105%) when compared to traditional external calibration (EC). The limits of quantification (LOQs) ranged from 0.09 mg kg⁻¹ for Mn to 31 mg kg⁻¹ for Ca and Na using MEC-ICP-OES, and from 0.08 mg kg⁻¹ for Mn to 354 mg kg⁻¹ for P using MEC-MIP-OES. For EC, they ranged from 0.4 mg kg⁻¹ for Co to 195 mg kg⁻¹ for K with ICP-OES and from 2.0 mg kg⁻¹ for Mg to 607 mg kg⁻¹ for Fe with MIP-OES. MEC provides high precision and matrix-matching capabilities. This makes MEC a reliable method for complex feed matrices, supporting more accurate feed formulations to ensure optimal livestock nutrition.

    Keywords: Multi-energy calibration, Animal Feed, Multielemental determination, icp-oes, MIP-OES

    Received: 12 Nov 2024; Accepted: 03 Feb 2025.

    Copyright: © 2025 Cora Jofre, Barros, Nóbrega and Savio. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Marianela Savio, The Institute of Earth and Environmental Sciences of La Pampa (INCITAP), National University of La Pampa (CONICET), Santa Rosa, Argentina

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.