scope:

This document specifies a method for the determination of the total metal content in leather using digestion of the leather and subsequent determination with inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) or spectrometry of atomic fluorescence (SFA).

This method determines the total metal content in leather. It is not compound-specific or specific to the oxidation state of the metals.

The method is applicable for determining the following metals:

Aluminium (Al)

Antimony (Sb)

Arsenic (As)

Barium (Ba)

Cadmium (Cd)

Calcium (Ca)

Chromium (Cr) (except chromium-tanned leathers)

Cobalt (Co)

Copper (Cu)

Iron (Fe)

Lead (Pb)

Magnesium (Mg)

Manganese (Mn)

Mercury (Hg)

Molybdenum (Mo)

Nickel (Ni)

Potassium (K)

Selenium (Se)

Silicon (Si)

 Sodium (Na)

Tin (Sn)

Titanium (Ti)

Zinc (Zn)

Zirconium (Zr)

This method is also suitable for determining Boron (B) in leather.

In the case of chromium-tanned leathers, it is often more relevant to use ISO 5398-1, ISO 5398-2, ISO 5398-3 or ISO 5398-4.

Interlaboratory test results and the quantification limits possible with ICP-OES are given in Tables A.1 and A.2.

For the determination of Al and Ti in leather, a digestion procedure is given in Annex B.