Determination of iodine and bromine in plasma and urine by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

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The simultaneous determination of iodine and bromine in plasma and urine by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, using a Nermag prototype instrument, is described. The sample preparation involves only a 10-fold dilution with a diluent containing europium as an internal standard followed by direct nebulisation in the plasma. The iodine, bromine and europium ions are measured at m/z = 127, 79, and 153, respectively. The sensitivity of the method, with detection limits of 1.6 and 52 micrograms l-1 for iodine and bromine, respectively, is satisfactory for clinical applications. The calibration graphs were linear over the ranges 0-400 micrograms l-1 and 0-40 mg l-1 for iodine and bromine, respectively, which are wide enough for most assays. The recoveries were close to 100% with coefficients of variation of less than 3%. The within-day and between-day reproducibility was about 5%. The concentrations of iodine and bromine in the plasma of 26 healthy individuals were 58 +/- 12 micrograms l-1 and 4.1 +/- 0.9 mg l-1, respectively. The amounts of iodine and bromine eliminated in urine were 94 +/- 97 micrograms per 24 h (range 27-403 micrograms per 24 h) and 3.6 +/- 1.7 mg per 24 h, respectively. These results are in agreement with reported values.