Determination of beryllium in urine, hair, fingernail, and fecal samples by flameless atomic absorption spectrometry

Abstract

Methods for determining trace amounts of beryllium in urine, hair, fingernail, and fecal samples are described. These methods involve use of a Perkin-Elmer Model 503 spectrophotometer equipped with an HGA-2100 graphite furnace. Lanthanum was used as a masking and enhancing agent, and recoveries were determined by direct comparison with aqueous standards. The hair and fingernail samples were degraded readily in a nitric acid-perchloric acid mixture, and the feces were digested rapidly using a ferrous ion, hydrogen peroxide method. The urine samples were run by two methods: (1) direct and (2) coprecipitation. Nanogram-per-gram levels of beryllium were recovered from all tissues and fluids. All recoveries varied from 90 to 110 percent with relative standard deviations of less than 13 percent.