Analytical Scheme for the Direct Graphite-Atomizer/Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometric Determination of Fifteen Trace Elements in Toenails for Biological Monitoring

An analytical scheme for the determination of up to fifteen trace elements in nails and hair has been proposed. Samples were solubilized by means of aqueous tetraalkylammonium hydroxide (alkyl = methyl or ethyl). Cadmium, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb and Zn were determined by pulse-nebulization flame AAS, employing the Slotted Tube Atom Trap (STAT) for Cd and Pb. Suitable chemical modifiers have been applied in electrothermal AAS (ETAAS) determinations of Cd and Pb (ammonium hydrogen phosphate), As, Sb, Se and Sn (palladium), while no modifier was needed in determinations of Al, Co, Cr, Mn, Mo and Ni. Calibration was performed by means of matrix-matched standards and the technique was verified by standard additions, comparison with neutron activation and analysis of hair reference material. The usefulness of this technique for occupational exposure monitoring is briefly discussed.     

石墨炉原子吸收光谱法测定人体指甲中痕量镉

通过对氢氧化四甲胺溶解人体指甲样品分解方法的研究，建立了石墨炉原子吸收光谱法测定指甲中痕量镉的方法，方法具有试剂用量少，空白易控制，操作方便等优点，用此法对长期从事与镉接触的工作人群与普通人群指甲中镉含量的分析对比，初步揭示指甲作为样本具有代表性，长期从事接触镉的工作会引起镉在人体中的积累。     

Emergency EPR dosimetry technique using vacuum-stored dry nails

Human finger- and toenails have been tested with an X-band EPR technique for different conditions of nail storage. The main radiation-induced signal at g = 2.005 demonstrated good stability if the samples were stored in a vacuum at room temperature after nail harvesting and irradiation. On the basis of this phenomenon, a new protocol is proposed to use the nails as possible emergency EPR dosimeters. The dosimetry protocol was tested on laboratory-exposed samples and demonstrated the ability to recover doses in the region 0–10 Gy with an estimated uncertainty of approximately 0.3–0.4 Gy for doses in the range <2 Gy, increasing to 0.6–0.7 Gy for doses in the range 5–10 Gy.