Determination of traces of copper, cadmium and lead in biological and environmental samples by flow-injection isotope dilution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

Abstract

Flow-injection isotope dilution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was applied to the determination of Cu, Cd and Pb in several biological and environmental reference materials. The isotope ratios for each injection were calculated from the areas of the flow-injection peaks. The precision for the isotope ratio determination was better than 1%. Detection limits were 45, 25 and 58 ng l −1 for Cu, Cd, and Pb, respectively. The flow-injection isotope dilution method was successfully applied to the determination of Cu, Cd and Pb in a urine reference sample (NIST SRM 2670). A preconcentration system was used for the separation of Na and Mg matrix elements and preconcentration of traces of Cu, Cd and Pb in SLRS-2 riverine water and CASS-2 open ocean sea-water reference samples.