INDUCTIVELY-COUPLED PLASMA-MASS SPECTROMETRY FOR TRACE-ELEMENT ANALYSIS IN THE CLINICAL LABORATORY

Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) is a relatively new technique for trace element analysis. The basic operating principl es of ICP-MS are described and our experience with this technique in a clinical setting is discussed for the analysis of serum, whole blood, and urine. Advantages to ICP-MS include the favorable detection limit s (0.01 to 0.1 mu g/L for many elements), simple specimen preparation, high throughput (about 40 specimens per hour), and the ability to mea sure more than one element simultaneously. A major disadvantage is the high capital cost of the instrumentation. Heavier elements, such as l ead, are well-suited for ICP-MS analysis, whereas lighter elements are prone to more interferences. Lighter elements which are not amenable to assay by ICP-MS include chromium and iron. The ability to measure i sotopes is a major advantage for mass spectrometry methods and has the potential to expand the usefulness of trace element analysis.