Determination of Total Chromium in Whole Blood, Blood Components, Bone, and Urine by Fast Furnace Program Electrothermal Atomization AAS and Using neither Analyte Isoformation nor Background Correction

Abstract

Fast furnace program (total furnace time < 45 s) electrothermal atomization atomic absorption spectrometric (ETA-AAS) determinations of total Cr in several clinical materials were carried out in conventional (DABC) and transverse (ZEBC) heated graphite atomizers. Before spectrometric determination, test portions of the samples were diluted at different ratios in appropriate solvents: (a) whole blood (WB), blood plasma (BP), blood serum (BS), and red blood cells (RBC), 1 + 4 in 0.1% (v/v) Triton X-100; (b) urine (U), 1 + 4 in 0.1% (v/v) Triton X-100 + 0.01 mol/L nitric acid; and (c) bone (B) specimens and the certified reference materials after microwave mineralization, 1 + 9 in 0.01 mol/L nitric acid. The refractoriness of Cr allowed pyrolysis at a high temperature (approximately 1650 degrees C). As a consequence, two facts arose: first, isoformation was unnecessary; and second, background correction, independent of use of continuum source (DABC design) or Zeeman effect (ZEBC design) correction, was not required. For these reasons, the fast furnace program ETA-AAS analyses were simply done by automatic injection of 10-microL aliquots of the diluted test portions (or aqueous Cr standards) into either pyrolytic graphite-coated graphite tubes (DABC design; wall atomization performed) or pyrolytic graphite-coated graphite tubes with integrated pyrolytic graphite platforms (ZEBC design; integrated platform atomization performed), using neither analyte isoformation nor background correction; wall atomization in coated tubes was preferred. Under these experimental conditions, the limits of detection (3 sigma, micrograms/L Cr) and the characteristic masses (pg of Cr) were 0.03 and 2.7 (DABC design) and 0.2 and 5.0 (ZEBC design), respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Trace Elements in End-Stage Renal Disease

“…Increased whole blood [8,94] and serum chromium levels were reported in uremic dialyzed patients [18,95], and also in patients after renal transplantation [20]. The important source of chromium may be chromium-rich dialysate [36,94].…”

Speciation, selective extraction and preconcentration of chromium ions via alumina-functionalized-isatin-thiosemicarbazone

“…On the other hand, trivalent chromium is known as an essential trace elemental species for stabilization and activation of a number of biologically important compounds including enzymes, proteins and nucleic acids as well as for proper metabolism of carbohydrates, lipids and proteins [4]. Moreover, trivalent chromium in moderate concentrations is an essential nutrient for good human health and the link between chromium (III) and insulin function was significantly reported in metabolic research [5,6]. In addition to its existence in two main oxidation states, chromium occurs in the aquatic environment at the nanogram per milliliter levels or lower.…”

Development of a Method for Chromium Speciation by Selective Solid Phase Extraction and Preconcentration on Alumina-Functionalized Thiosemicarbazide

“…5 This speciation technique is highly demanded for some heavy metals such as mercury, arsenic, and chromium, as well as others owing to the fact that certain oxidation states of some metals are highly toxic to humans and associated with sever health problems, while other species are less toxic or even considered as essential trace elements. 6 Generally, chromium represents a typical example of an element forming species with different oxidation states that show opposite levels of toxicity to the environments, as well as humans, animals, and plants. 7 Chromium(VI) is highly soluble in water and the major toxicity effects of Cr(VI) are well documented.…”