Abstract
The preparation of hair for the determination of elements is a critical component of the analysis procedure. Open-beaker, closedvessel microwave, and flowthrough microwave digestion are methods that have been used for sample preparation and are discussed. A new digestion method for use with inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) has been developed. The method uses 0.2 g of hair and 3 mL of concentrated nitric acid in an atmospheric pressurelow-temperature microwave digestion (APLTMD) system. This preparation method is useful in handling a large numbers of samples per day and may be adapted to hair sample weights ranging from 0.08 to 0.3 g. After digestion, samples are analyzed by ICP-MS to determine the concentration of Li, Be, B, Na, Mg, Al, P, S, K, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ge, As, Se, Rb, Sr, Zr, Mo, Pd, Ag, Cd, Sn, Sb, I, Cs, Ba, Pt, Au, Hg, Tl, Pb, Bi, Th, and U. Benefits of the APLTMD include reduced contamination and sample handling, and increased precision, reliability, and sample throughput.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
M. R. Werbach, Lab methods for nutritional evaluation, inNutritional Influences on Illness, 2nd ed., Third Line Press, Tarzana, CA, pp. 642–654 (1993).
S. C. Foo, N. Y. Khoo, A. Heng, J. H. Chua, S. E. Chia, C. N. Ong, et al, Metals in hair as biological indices for exposure,Int. Arch. Occup. Environ. Health 65, S83-S86 (1993).
M. A. Bosque, J. L. Domingo, J. M. Llobet, and J. Corbella, Cadmium in hair of school children living in Tarragona Province, Spain,Biol. Trace Element Res. 28, 147–155 (1991).
A. C. K. Man, Y. Zheng, and P. Mak, Trace elements in scalp hair of professional drivers and university teachers in Hong Kong,Biol. Trace Element Res. 53, 241–247 (1996).
B. Huang, S. Lin, S. Chen, G. Zhou, F. Yin, Z. Lou, et al, Hair chromium levels in patients with vascular diseases,Biol. Trace Element Res. 29, 133–137 (1991).
O. Donma, S. Gunbey, M. A. Tas, and M. M. Donma, Zinc, copper, and magnesium concentrations in hair, of children from Southeastern Turkey,Biol. Trace Element Res. 24, 39–47 (1990).
A. O. Cavdar, M. Bahceci, N. Akar, F. N. Dincer, and J. Erten,Biol. Trace Element Res. 30, 81–85 (1991).
A. Aharoni, B. Tesler, Y. Paltieli, J. Tal, Z. Dori, and M. Sharf, Hair chromium content of women with gestational diabetes compared with nondiabetic pregnant woman,Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 55, 104–107 (1992).
T. Suzuki, T. Hongo, J. Yoshinaga, H. Imai, M. Nakazawa, N. Matsuo, and H. Akagi, The hair-organ relationship in mercury concentration in contemporary Japanese,Arch. Environ. Health 48, 221–229 (1993).
P. K. Chattopadhyay, H. C. Joshi, and K. R. Samaddar, Hair cadmium level of smoker and non-smoker human volunteers in and around Calcutta City,Bull. Environ. Contarn. Toxicol. 45, 177–180 (1990).
S. A. Katz and A. Chatt, The significance of hair analysis, inHair Analysis: Applications in the Biomedical and Environmental Sciences, VCH Publishers, NY, pp. 105–109 (1988).
M. E. Druyan, D. A. Bass, R. F. Puchyr, K. Urek, D. Quig, and E. Harmon, Determination of reference ranges for elements in human scalp hair, this issue,Biol. Trace Element Res., in press.
S. Barrett, Commercial hair analysis: science or scam,JAMA 254, 1041–1045 (1985).
A. Montaser and D. W. Golightly,Inductively Coupled Plasma in Analytical Atomic Spectroscopy, NCA Publishers, New York, pp. 338 and 361 (1987).
Maurer,J. Lebensm. Unters. Forsch. 165, 1–4 (1977).
R. F. Puchyr and R. Shapiro, Determination of trace elements in foods by HCI-HNO3 leaching and flame atomic absorption spectroscopy,J. Assoc. Off. Anal. Chem. 69, 868–870 (1986).
Y. S. Ryabukin, Activation analysis of hair as an indicator of contamination of man by environmental trace element pollutants, IAEA report, IAEA/RL/50, Vienna (1978).
T. T. Gorsuch, Selected decomposition procedures, inThe Destruction of Organic Matter, Pergamon, New York, pp. 136–147 (1970).
Microwave Sample Preparation, Applications Manual, Hair, BI-4, CEM Corporation, Matthews, NC (1991).
S. J. Haswell and D. Barclay, On-line microwave digestion of slurry samples with direct flame atomic absorption spectrometric elemental detection,Analyst 117, 117–120 (1992).
E. S. Beary, P. J. Paulsen, L. B. Jassie, and J. D. Fasset, Determination of environmental lead using continuous-flow microwave digestion isotope dilution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry,Anal. Chem. 69, 758–766 (1997).
H. A. Strobel and W. R. Heineman,Chemical Instrumentation: A Systematic Approach, 3rd ed., pp. 373–377, John Wiley, New York (1989).
D. C. Harris,Quantitative Chemical Analysis, 4th ed., p. 84, W. H. Freeman, New York (1995).
L. Kosta, Contamination as a limiting parameter in trace analysis,Talanta 29, 985–992 (1982).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Puchyr, R.F., Bass, D.A., Gajewski, R. et al. Preparation of hair for measurement of elements by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Biol Trace Elem Res 62, 167–182 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02783969
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02783969