Use of ultrasonic nebulizer with desolvator membrane for the determinationof titanium and zirconium in human serum by means of inductively coupled plasma-mass spectroscopy

A technique for the determination of titanium and zirconium in human blood serum, after pressurized digestion utilizing ICP-MS coupled to an ultrasoni c nebulizer (USN) and desolvating membrane is described. As no CRM for tita nium is available, zirconium has been determined in order to demonstrate th e accuracy of the technique, as the limits in blood are well known. Bone ce ment consists basically of a polymer, namely polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA). For better X-ray contrast some manufacturers use incorporated ZrO2 with a volume fraction of 10 to 15%. Thus, the zirconium present in the PMMA matri x can be used as an indicator for the PMMA particulate debris.