Determination of chromium in human lung fibroblast cells using a large bore-direct injection high-efficiency nebulizer with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

A novel method for the determination of chromium in suspensions of human lu ng fibroblast cells is described by using a large bore-direct injection hig h efficiency nebulizer (LB-DIHEN) with microscale how injection analysis an d inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometric detection, Chromium(VI)-tre ated cells were first counted and then suspended in a phosphate buffer sali ne solution, With the use of the method of standard additions, the relative concentration of Cr in similar to 100 HLF cells/peak was determined at m/z = 50. Because the cells tend to clump and can yield inhomogeneities in the total number analyzed, Mg was used as an internal standard to compensate f or the total cell mass. The level of Cr in HLF cells grown in a medium of 1 00 mu M Na2CrO4 for two hours Is on the order of 180 fg Cr/cell after corre ction for the number of cells in each injection.