A new method for quasi-reagent-free biomonitoring of mercury in human urine

Schlathauer, Maria; Reitsam, Verena; Schierl, Rudolf und Leopold, Kerstin (2017): A new method for quasi-reagent-free biomonitoring of mercury in human urine. In: Analytica Chimica Acta, Bd. 965: S. 63-71

Abstract

A novel analytical method for sampling and extraction of mercury (Hg) from human urine is presented in this work. The method is based on selective accumulation and separation of Hg from fresh urine sample onto active nanogold-coated silica material by highly efficient solid-phase extraction. After thermal desorption of Hg from the extractant, detection is performed by atomic fluorescence spectrometry (AFS). The feasibility and validity of the optimized, quasi-reagent-free approach was confirmed by recovery experiments in spiked real urine (recovery rate 96.13 +/- 5.34%) and by comparison of found Hg concentrations in real urine samples -originating from occupationally exposed persons e with values obtained from reference methods cold vapor -atomic absorption spectrometry (CVAAS) and cold vapor atomic fluorescence spectrometry (CV-AFS). A very good agreement of the found values reveals the validity of the proposed approach. The limit of detection (LOD) was found to be as low as 0.004 mu g Hg L-1 and a high reproducibility with a relative standard deviations <= 4.2% (n = 6) is given. Moreover, storage of the samples for up to one week at an ambient temperature of 30 degrees C reveals no analyte losses or contamination. In conclusion, the proposed method enables easy-to-handle on-site extraction of total Hg from human urine ensuring at the same time reagent-free sample stabilization, providing quick and safe sampling, which can be performed by untrained persons.

• Dokumententyp: Zeitschriftenartikel
• Fakultät: Medizin ; Medizin > Institut und Poliklinik für Arbeits-, Sozial- und Umweltmedizin
• Themengebiete: 600 Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften > 610 Medizin und Gesundheit
• ISSN: 0003-2670
• Sprache: Englisch