High reliability atomic absorption spectrometry of major and minor elements in biological materials

Abstract

Reliable analytical information is of fundamental importance for decisions of far-reaching impact in many regulatory, medical and scientific areas and disciplines. It is however at times elusive. Although the technique of atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) as become widely established in analytical laboratories throughout the world for the determination of inorganic elements, only few AAS-based methods have reached official status and even fewer have attained reference method status. Research is underway to delineate impacts of a number of parameters on method performance to lead to protocols for standard and reference flame AAS (FAAS) methods for the reliable measurement of major and minor levels of elements of nutritional and toxicological pertinence in clinical and biological materials. Factors investigated include preparation of standards, calibration techniques, sampling and sample decomposition, solution preparation, instrumental parameters, and measurement protocols. Examples of some pronounced effects of sample decomposition and calibration techniques are presented as well as indications of the excellent performance of well-applied AAS procedures determined by use of standard reference materials and comparison with other techniques of analysis. Reference will be made to the determination of the major and minor nutrient elements Na, K, Mg, Ca, Mn, Fe, Cu and Zn in plant biological reference materials.