Quality control in the analysis of lead and cadmium in blood

Summary An extensive quality control programme has been developed within a global UNEP/WHO project on Assessment of Exposure to Lead and Cadmium through Biological Monitoring. This project was coordinated by the Karolinska Institute (Department of Environmental Hygiene) and the National (Swedish) Institute of Environmental Medicine. The project was carried out within the framework of UNEP's Global Environmental Monitoring System (GEMS) and was initiated in 1978 on the basis of recommendations from a UNEP/WHO meeting of a Government Expert Group on Health-Related Monitoring.On termination of the project in 1981 it was decided to extend the analytical QC assurance programme on a periodic basis in order to maintain the analytical capability of the participating laboratories. A QC programme was conducted by our Institute in a follow-up study of the above mentioned UNEP/WHO programme and for a National Swedish Board of Occupational Safety and Health project, as well as for a recently concluded project in which a decrease in bloodlead levels in residents of Stockholm for the period 1980–1984 was established.In the latter project decreased blood-lead levels of about 20% were found in samples stored frozen (–20 ° C) for 4 years. This finding stimulated a study of the long-term stability of our QC samples. Results of lead and cadmium analyses performed for each QC sample during 1980–1985 were computerized. The results showed that the QC samples appeared to be stable for 2–3 years when stored at –20 °C. The losses of cadmium were 5 –10% in 5–6 years of storage at –20 ° C and seem to be less than those of lead (7–15%). Analysis of several QC sets, prepared on different occasions, but analyzed on the same day, confirmed that losses occur.     

Determination of cadmium in urine by extraction and flameless atomic-absorption spectrophotometry Comparison of urine from smokers and non-smokers of different sex and age

A method is presented for determining cadmium in urine by nameless atomic-absorption spectrophotometry after extraction. The sample is dried, ashed in the presence of nitric acid, and then the residue is dissolved in hydrochloric acid. Cadmium is extracted as its tetrahexylammonium iodide complex into methyl isobutyl ketone. The organic phase is analysed for cadmium by atomic-absorption spectrophotometry with electrothermal atomization. The median urinary excretion of cadmium for smokers aged 50-64 has been found to be 0.7 and 0.75 mug l . for males and females respectively, the values for non-smokers being 0.25 and 0.4mug l .