Zinc determination in common beans by pXRF: An easy and versatile calibration strategy applied to biofortification studies

Zinc deficiency is observed in millions of individuals, especially in underdeveloped countries. Therefore, agronomical strategies have been implemented to mitigate this public health issue, mainly by the biofortification of staple food crops, e.g., common beans, one of the most consumed leguminous grains worldwide. Accurate Zn determination by an analytical method is one of the most relevant steps in these initiatives. This study evaluated three calibration methods for Zn determination by portable X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry (pXRF) in pelletized common bean samples. A Ti/Al primary filter and a 10-second irradiation time were selected as optimized operating conditions. The sample with the highest Zn content was submitted to acid extraction with diluted HCl and HNO₃ to obtain synthetic blanks. Increasing amounts of the original sample were mixed with the obtained blanks to prepare the calibration curves standards. An additional calibration model with plant-based CRMs was also evaluated. Zinc mass fractions calculated using the calibration model of HCl-extracted and mixed samples showed statistical agreement with the reference data as demonstrated by the Student t-test at a 95 % confidence level. The linear correlation factor (r) was greater than 0.99, with a detection limit as low as 2.23 mg kg⁻¹. The obtained calibration model also exhibited high prediction capability, as revealed by the low RMSEP (Root Mean Square Error of Prediction), i.e., 2.16 mg kg⁻¹. We concluded that pXRF is an attractive and cost-effective method for direct, quick, and environmentally friendly Zn determination in common beans.