Determination of Ca, Mg, Fe, Cu, and Zn in blood fractions and whole blood of humans by ICP-OES

Inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) was applied to the determination of the elements Ca, Mg, Fe, Cu, and Zn in blood plasma, erythrocytes, lymphocytes, and whole blood to obtain reliable data on their distribution in blood fractions. The samples were carefully collected to avoid contamination. Two different nebulizers (Babington and Meinhard) were tested and optimized for this analytical problem. Line selections for all elements of interest were performed (LODs were 0.8 microg/L for Ca, 1.7 microg/L for Cu, 3.0 microg/L for Fe, 1.1 microg/L for Mg, and 4.2 microg/L for Zn). Recoveries were determined as approx. 100%, and standard reference material was analyzed to obtain reliable data on element distribution. The optimized method was applied to the determination of Ca, Mg, Fe, Cu, and Zn in the course of a clinical study on blood and blood fractions of two groups of humans of differing health. The concentrations measured in blood fractions were verified by balancing with the values found in whole blood.