Issue 16, 2023

A method for reliable quantification of mercury in occupational and environmental medical urine samples by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

Abstract

Over the last years, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) has been applied as a method for human-biomonitoring of metals in the concentration range of occupational and environmental medicine. In large scale routine monitoring, the determination of mercury (Hg) by ICP-MS remains challenging due to several reasons. Amongst others, stability of dissolved Hg and avoiding memory effects are the key facts for reliable quantification. To address these issues, we developed a robust approach for biomonitoring of mercury in human urine samples by ICP-MS. Using a solution containing HNO3, HCl and thiourea, prepared samples and calibrators were stabilized for up to 72 h. A rinse time of only 30 seconds efficiently prevented contamination of consecutive samples with Hg concentrations up to 30 μg L−1, hence significantly reducing acquisition times compared to published methods. Recovery experiments revealed iridium as an ideal internal standard to compensate matrix effects independently from creatinine concentration. Recoveries of 95.0–104.0% were obtained for Hg levels covering the range of biomonitoring guidance values established by the German Human-Biomonitoring Commission. Excellent intra-day precision and inter-day precision of ≤3.0% for two different Hg levels were achieved. The detection and quantification limit accounted for 21.7 ng L−1 and 65.6 ng L−1, respectively, enabling reliable quantification even in the range of environmental background exposures. Additionally, the method was externally validated by successful participation in the inter-laboratory comparison program G-EQUAS. With the developed method, we hence provide a sensitive and robust tool for mercury exposure assessments in future large scale human-biomonitoring studies.

Graphical abstract: A method for reliable quantification of mercury in occupational and environmental medical urine samples by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
19 Dec 2022
Accepted
16 Mar 2023
First published
14 Apr 2023
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY-NC license

Anal. Methods, 2023,15, 2030-2038

A method for reliable quantification of mercury in occupational and environmental medical urine samples by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

M. Winter, F. Lessmann and V. Harth, Anal. Methods, 2023, 15, 2030 DOI: 10.1039/D2AY02051C

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