DETERMINATION OF COPPER LEVELS IN SERUM OF HEALTHY-SUBJECTS BY ATOMIC-ABSORPTION SPECTROMETRY

Copper levels in serum samples of 84 healthy subjects living in southe astern Spain were determined using the flame atomic absorption spectro metry technique. Mineralization of samples was carried out with an HNO 3/HClO4 (4:1) mixture in a thermostated mineralization block. The accu racy of the method was tested by using a standard reference material. A mean recovery percentage of 104.70% was obtained. The relative stand ard deviation (R.S.D.) as a measurement of the precision of the method was lower than 5% in the concentration range considered. Mean copper concentrations were 1.092 +/- 0.365 mg/l (with the range 0.304-2.000 m g/l) and 1.113 +/- 0.253 mg/l (corresponding to an interval of 0.648-1 .760 mg/l) for women and men, respectively. There are no significant d ifferences between the copper levels in serum according to either sex or geography zone (P > 0.05). For example, there were no differences o f copper levels in serum of subjects from coastal and mountainous zone s. Estimated daily dietary intakes on copper in women and men were 1.3 8 and 2.10 mg Cu/day respectively. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.