Screening for vanadium in urine and blood serum by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry and D.C. plasma atomic emission spectrometry

Practical detection limits were 2 and 10 μg l^?1 vanadium for pyrolyte graphite-furnace a.a.s. and d.c.p.-a.e.s., respectively, which allowed screening for urinary vanadium (? 10 μg ?in ? subjects, by direct measurements. Extraction of vanadium with ammonium 1?inecarbodithioate into 4-methylpentan-2-one gave detection limits of 0.5 and ? μg l^?1 vanadium, respectively, for the two techniques.