Catalytic determination of sulfide in blood

Abstract

A catalytic method, based on the iodine–azide reaction, of the determination of sulfide in whole human blood is described. The method involves generation of hydrogen sulfide in an evolution–absorption apparatus by addition of sulfuric acid and subsequent trapping of the generated hydrogen sulfide in sodium hydroxide solution. The catalytic method allows the determination of sulfide without any interference from other sulfur compounds present in blood. A linear calibration graph was obtained over the range 1 × 10^–6–5 × 10^–4 mol dm^–3 sulfide and the proposed method is compared with an ion-selective electrode method.