Simultaneous measurement of the trace elements Al, As, B, Be, Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Li, Mn, Mo, Ni, Rb, Se, Sr, and Zn in human serum and their reference ranges by ICP-MS

The goal of this article was to establish reference ranges of the concentra tion of trace elements in human serum and to compare these results with tho se reported by other authors. We describe the sample preparation and measur ement conditions that allow the rapid, precise, and accurate determination of Al, As, B, Be, Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Li, Mn, Mo, Ni, Rb, Se, Sr, and Zn in hum an serum samples (n = 110) by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Accuracy and precision were determined by analyzing three reconst ituted reference serum samples by comparison with other methods and by the standard addition procedure. The advantages of the ICP-MS method include short time of analysis of the e lements mentioned, low detection limit, high precision, and high accuracy. Disadventages include a high risk of contamination due to the presence of s ome of the elements of interest in the environment, the relatively delicate sample handling, and the high cost of the equipment.