Emerging Concepts in Bioanalytical Chemistry of Trace Elements

Abstract

The emerging discipline of Biological Trace Element Research (BTER) demands that adequate considerations be given to both biological and analytical standardization while planning an investigation. Unfortunately, the “bio” dimension of the analytical problem in the BTER area, has been rather slow in unfolding. This lack of appreciation has been a major setback since the early days of BTER, delaying the onset of multidisciplinary approaches that are vital for conceiving meaningful investigations. The presampling factors e.g., biological variations, environmental influences, post-mortem changes and intrinsic (e.g. differences in residence times of various elements in the blood stream) and inadvertent situations (e.g. medico-legal restrictions), are potential sources of serious errors, and require careful evaluation and data interpretation. Yet, these are poorly identified and currently, very little effort is expended to evaluate them. Concerning analytical standardization, progress in technical aspects of sampling are preparation, instrumentation, calibration procedures, increased awareness of matrix interferences and preparation of primary standards have collectively contributed to several improvements. However, information on long-term storage (several years) and its impact on the validity of the stored biomaterial, and experimental findings on the quantitative recovery of biominerals during acid decomposition of different types of sample matrices are still scarce.