Coupled Argon Plasma Atomic Emission Research Articles

Form of dissolved silicon in seawater

Concentrations of dissolved silicon in 83 seawater samples obtained from various depths at seven stations in the North Pacific, the Japan Sea, and the Eastern China Sea were determined by the molybdenum blue method and by inductively coupled argon plasma atomic emission spectrometry. The silicon concentrations ranged from 0.6 to 169.0 μmol l −1 at the North Pacific stations, from 1.9 to 83.3 μmol l −1 at the Japan Sea stations, and from <0.1 to 129.5 μmol l −1 at the Eastern China Sea stations. The concentrations obtained by the two methods were the same within experimental error, indicating that dissolved silicon is present in seawater as ‘reactive silica’. Other silicon species cannot be present at concentrations higher than a few micromoles per liter.

Inter-Element Interference Studies in the Determination of Trace Amounts of Plutonium by Inductively Coupled Plasma - Atomic Emission Spectrometry

Abstract Trace amounts of plutonium in aqueous solutions have been determined by an inductively coupled argon plasma-atomic emission spectrometric (ICP-AES) technique. Extensive studies have been carried out on interelement interference effects for two plutonium lines, viz., 300.06 nm and 453.6 nm, due to the presence of uranium, thorium, lanthanides and other metallic elements in the sample solutions. The analytical range obtained in the present case is 0.1–100 μg/ml with a precision of better than 1% R.S.D. The method ie checked for accuracy by analyzing two wellcharacterizd reference rtandards.

Humidification for ICAP‐AES analysis of salt extracts of soils

Abstract Use of inductively coupled argon plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICAP‐AES) has become common in many laboratories for analysis of soils, plants, and water. Major advantages offered by ICAP‐AES include rapid simultaneous multi‐element analysis. Preliminary investigation showed that results differ between analysis by conventional and ICAP‐AES methods. Nebulization problems with strong salt solutions, torch design, and the extreme dryness of the argon gas were all considered to be contributing factors. A Jarrell Ash2 Model 9000 ICAP‐AES instrument was retrofitted with an argon humidification system and studies were conducted using Mehlich III, 1 M potassium chloride, or 1 M ammonium acetate soil extracts. The results showed that estimates of K, Ca, and Mg concentrations were similar among extracts, with or without humidification. Results for P were lower with humidification than without, but consistently higher compared with conventional colorimetric P analysis. ICAP‐AES with or without humidif...

Developmental effects and mineral interactions in rats fed textured vegetable protein

The teratogenic effects of feeding a diet based on textured vegetable protein to Long-Evans rats were studied along with maternal and fetal mineral interactions and their relationship to diet composition. Pregnant rats were fed purified diets containing 18% protein as casein (CAS), textured vegetable protein (TVP, from defatted soy flour) with 18 mg Zn/kg, or TVP diet with 100 mg Zn/kg. A fourth group was fed diet NIH-31. The animals received their diets throughout pregnancy and were sacrificed on day 20 of gestation. Fetuses were examined for developmental effects, and mineral levels were determined in maternal and fetal tissues by inductively coupled argon plasma-atomic emission spectrometry. Females fed the casein diet or diet NIH-31 had normal weight gains throughout pregnancy and their progeny exhibited normal development. The animals on the TVP-containing diet with 18 mg Zn/kg had decreased food consumption and body weights, and their fetuses exhibited developmental anomalies as well as reductions in size and weight. These developmental alterations may be the result of decreased zinc levels in the fetal tissues, caused by reduced bioavailability of the trace element in the maternal diet. Significant increases in tissue iron accompanied the low zinc levels. No developmental effects were found in animals receiving the high Zn-TVP diet, and mineral data from these animals were not significantly different from the casein group.

Determination of rare earth elements in USGS rock standards by isotope dilution mass spectrometry and comparison with neutron activation and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry

Rare earth element (REE) concentrations in United States Geological Survey (USGS) rock standards AGV-1, GSP-1, G-2 and PCC-1 were determined by isotope dilution mass spectrometry (IDMS), neutron activation and inductively coupled argon plasma atomic emission spectrometric techniques. The procedure involved acid digestion of samples in PTFE pressure bombs and group separation of REEs by an ion-exchange method. For IDMS an additional separation step using α-hydroxyisobutyric acid as an eluent was used in a cation-exchange column to split the REEs into subgroups. Comparison of the results with literature values showed that the IDMS values are the most precise and accurate. However, the precisions and the accuracies of the other techniques are acceptable.

Binding of copper to albumin and participation of cysteine in vivo and in vitro

Albumin, the major copper-binding protein in blood serum, was shown to form different albumin-copper complexes in in vivo and in vitro. Cupric ions added in vitro to control rat serum bound preferentially to mercaptalbumin and the mercaptalbumin-copper complex remained unchanged with time. Cupric ions injected intravenously into the rat first formed the mercaptalbumin-copper complex; this binary complex changed gradually with time to form an albumin-copper-cysteine complex. The participation of cysteine in the formation of this complex was demonstrated in vitro and further suggested that its conversion was an oxidative reaction. Glutathione also participated in forming the complex, but it was not as effective as cysteine. Albumin-copper complexes were separated on a gel filtration column and detected simultaneously by high-performance liquid chromatography-inductively coupled argon plasma-atomic emission spectrometry.

Biological Monitoring of Toxic Metals in Urine by Simultaneous Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectrometry

A simple and rapid method for the simultaneous determination of 11 metals (As, Be, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ng, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn) in urine by inductively coupled argon plasma-atomic emission spectrometry is presented. Acidification of the urine was the only sample preparation required. Background correction was applied to ensure accuracy. Analytical calibration was based on matrix matching using a “simulated urine” solution. Detection limits in the low mg/L range and linearity over three orders of magnitude were obtained for all 11 metals. In the Occupational Health Laboratory, this procedure has been applied for routine screening of workers for occupational exposure to toxic metals.

Biological monitoring of toxic metals in urine by simultaneous inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry.

A simple and rapid method for the simultaneous determination of 11 metals (As, Be, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn) in urine by inductively coupled argon plasma-atomic emission spectrometry is presented. Acidification of the urine was the only sample preparation required. Background correction was applied to ensure accuracy. Analytical calibration was based on matrix matching using a "simulated urine" solution. Detection limits in the low mg/L range and linearity over three orders of magnitude were obtained for all 11 metals. In the Occupational Health Laboratory, this procedure has been applied for routine screening of workers for occupational exposure to toxic metals.

Determination of Gold in Animal Tissue by Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry

Historically, compounds that contain gold have been used to treat conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis in humans. However, understanding of the metabolic fate of gold in biological tissues has been limited by lack of sensitive quantitative methods of analysis. We addressed this problem by developing a graphite furnace atomic absorption (GFAA) spectrophotometric method to measure trace amounts of gold. This method was validated on small samples of beef liver, kidney, and bone. The samples were digested in micro-Kjeldahl flasks with a mixture of sulfuric, perchloric, and nitric acids; the residue was treated with aqua regia and extracted into methylisobutyl ketone (MIBK); levels of gold were then measured by GFAA. All the reagents were of an ultra-pure grade and were monitored for gold content. We established that the linear range of quantitation was from 1 to 2500 ppb. Multiple extractions with MIBK were not necessary to recover all the gold, and, in most cases, use of ultra-pure acids was not necessary. A scan of the extracts by inductively coupled argon plasma atomic emission spectrophotometry revealed no appreciable concentration of elements that would be most likely to interfere with the determination of gold. Average recoveries of gold ranged from 102 to 111%, and the overall coefficient of variation was 5.5%.

Monazite in Hydrothermal Veins from Alinci, Yugoslavia

A new occurrence of monazite from Alinci, SE Yugoslavia, is described. Crystal morphology studies showed that crystals possess a platelike habit on T01 which we regard as a hitherto unknown morphological feature of monazite. The material has been analysed for uranium, thorium and rare earth element content using gamma spectrometry and inductively coupled argon-plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICPAES). The monazite displays a complex chemical composition, essentially given as (REE+Y,Th,U,Fe)1.001P0.988O4. The infrared absorption spectra and X-ray diffraction data are in agreement with those for terrestrial monazite, although they indicate minor structural variations caused by the REE distribution in the Alinci monazite.

Effects of heavy metals instilled intratracheally into rats. IV. Metabolism of zinc acetate in the lung.

Zinc acetate was instilled intratracheally into rats and the metabolic fate of zinc ions in the lung was examined. Male Wistar rats (14 weeks old, mean body weight 371 g) were instilled at a dose of 20μg Zn/0.4 ml saline/rat and killed 1/6, 1/2, 1, 3, 6 and 12 h and 1, 2, 3 and 7 d for the time-course experiment, and the animals were instilled at doses of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 μg/rat and killed 2 d later for the dose-dependent experiment. Concentrations of zinc and other elements in the lungs, livers, pancreases, kidneys, supernatants of lungs and broncho-alveolar lavage fluids were determined by inductively coupled argon plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP). Zinc instilled in the lung was shown to be taken up more than 90% by the lung within 3 h. However, the zinc taken up by the lung was transferred immediately to the liver, pancreas and other organs. A portion of the zinc taken up by the lung was present in the supernatant fraction of the lung and the zinc in this fraction disappeared more slowly than that in the whole lung. Distribution profiles of zinc and other elements in the supernatant of the lung were determined by the HPLC-ICP method. Only copper profiles showed a significant change. Zinc was not found in the metallothionein fraction, while copper increased in this fraction with doses of zinc instilled into the lung.

Speciation of Arsenic Compounds in Marine Life by High Performance Liquid Chromatography Combined with Inductively Coupled Argon Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometry

Speciation of Arsenic Compounds in Marine Life by High Performance Liquid Chromatography Combined with Inductively Coupled Argon Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometry

Comparison of Digestion Methods for Trace Metal Determination in Fish

Abstract The analytical comparison of some digestion methods used for trace metals determination in fish by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS) was studied. The results were also compared with those obtained for metals analysis by inductively coupled argon plasma-atomic emission spectrometric technique (ICP[sbnd]AES). Both techniques showed good correlation. The average metal levels found in the fishes and shellfishes analysed from the study area by AAS technique were much lower than the World Health Organisation's acceptable limits for metals in foods.

Simultaneous inductively coupled argon plasma atomic emission spectrometer as a sulfur-specific detector for the HPLC analysis of sulfur-containing surfactants

A method was developed for the analysis of sulfur-containing surfactant samples (alkylbenzenesulfonates, alkanesulfonates, alkyl sulfates, alkyl ether sulfates). The sulfur compounds were seperated by high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) on a 10 μm styrene-divinylbenzene column with methanol/0.05 M aqueous ammonium acetate (4:1 v v ) as the mobile phase. An ARL Model 34000 simultaneous inductively coupled argon plasma vacuum emission spectrometer (ICP) monitoring the 180.7 nm sulfur line served as the sulfur-specific detector. The analyses of the products from various manufacturers showed that the alkylbenzenesulfonates, the alkyl ether sulfates, and the alkyl sulfates contain many isomeric and homologous compounds that were not completely separated. Sulfate was a common contaminant in these samples. The 2 σ detection limits of the HPLC-ICP system for the sulfur-containing surfactants is approximately 15 ng sulfur corresponding to a solution with a sulfur concentration of 0.3 ng l under the experimental conditions used. The method is well suited for fingerprinting commercial sulfur-containing surfactants. Untreated wastewaters spiked with surfactants were analyzed without difficulties.

Detection of a zinc-containing protein as the primary cadmium-binding protein before induction of metallothionein in rat liver.

A high-molecular-weight protein that binds cadmium primarily before the induction of metallothionein (MT) in rat liver was identified chromatographically. Female Wistar rats were injected intravenously with a single dose of 0.4 or 1.0 mg Cd/kg body weight and sacrificed 0.5 and 3 or 0.5 h, respectively, after the injection. The liver supernatants were subjected to gel filtration analyses on Sephadex G-75 and Asahipak GS-520 columns, the former being used as a conventional column and the latter as an HPLC column. Cadmium (Cd) in the eluate was determined simultaneously with copper, iron, phosphorus, sulfur and zinc on an inductively coupled argon plasma-atomic emission spectrometer (ICP). Cadmium was eluted as a sharp peak at a retention time of 13.2 min accompanied with minor peaks at 11.5 min (broad peak), 14.5 min (MT) and others on a GS column before induction of MT at the low Cd dose. The major peak at 13.2 min from a GS column corresponded to the Cd peak eluted at Ve/Vo=1.20 on a Sephadex column. This major Cd-binding protein was separated on a cation exchange column and identified as a constitutive zinc-and sulfurcontaining protein without other metals. The Cd-binding zinc protein was identical with the Cd-binding protein of 40000 daltons that had been detected by competitive binding assay using a western blotting technique.

Effects of heavy metals instilled intratracheally into rats. II. Changes in element concentrations in the lung after instillation of cadmium chloride.

Cadmium chloride dissolved in physiological saline (0.4 ml) was instilled intratracheally into male Wistar rats (10 weeks old ; body weight, approximately 270 g) at eight doses (40-0.313 μg Cd/rat). Concentrations of elements (calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, sulfur and zinc) in the lung were determined along with cadmium by inductively coupled argon plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP) and/or flameless Zeeman atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The body weight decreased significantly, while the lung weight increased significantly at doses higher than 5.0 μg Cd/rat. Changes in lung weight and element concentrations suggested that lung edema was induced at a dose of as low as 2.5 μg Cd/rat. Distributions of copper and zinc in the supernatants of the lungs were determined on a gel permeation column by high performance liquid chromatography-ICP, indicating that superoxide dismutase in the lung decreased with a cadmium instillation at doses higher than 2.5 μg Cd/rat.

Environmental and injected cadmium are sequestered by two major isoforms of basal copper, zinc-metallothionein in gibel ( Carassius auratus langsdorfi) liver

1. Gibels were exposed to cadmium in their aquarium at a concentration of 10 μg Cd/l for up to 39 weeks. 2. Distributions of cadmium, copper and zinc in the liver soluble fraction were determined along with sulfur by high performance liquid chromatography-inductively coupled argon plasma-atomic emission spectrometry. 3. Cadmium was sequestered by the two major isoforms of gibel metallothionein as in the case of cadmium injected intraperitoneally into gibel. 4. Several peaks with cadmium, copper, zinc and sulfur were observed other than the two major isoforms and their relative ratios were different between the control and cadmium-exposed fishes.

Effects of heavy metals instilled intratracheally into rats. III. Changes in chemical forms of cadmium in the lung supernatants with time after instillation of cadmium chloride.

Uptake of cadmium into the lung and chemical forms in the lung supernatants of rats were studied after intratracheal instillation of cadmium chloride to find the mechanisms why the lung is sensitive to the metal by exposure through the airways. Male Wistar rats (10 weeks old ; body weight, approximately 270 g) were instilled intratracheally with cadmium chloride at a dose of 2.5 μg Cd/rat (0.4 ml in physiological saline). The animals were killed 1/6, 1/3, 2/3, 1, 2, 3, 6, 12, 24 and 48 h after the instillation. The lungs were homogenized in the same volume (w/w) of 0.1 M Tris-HCl buffer (pH 7.4, 0.25 M glucose ; bubbled through with nitrogen gas) using a Polytron homogenizer in an atmosphere of nitrogen gas after removing air in the lungs under reduced pressure. More than 90% of cadmium was retained in the lung 10 min after the instillation. However, the concentrations of the metal in the supernatants (170000 g for 60 min) were less than 50% in the homogenates before 12 h after the instillation. The supernatants were subjected to analysis for the distributions of cadmium, copper, iron, phosphorus, sulfur and zinc by high performance liquid chromatography-inductively coupled argon plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (HPLC-ICP). Cadmium bound to metallothionein was less than 50% in the supernatants within 12 h after the instillation. Two distinct cadmium peaks were observed other than metallothionein on an Asahipak GST-520 column by HPLC-ICP within 3 h after the instillation. The rapid uptake into the lung and low inducibility of metallothionein in the lung may explain the high susceptibility of the lung to cadmium.

Effects of heavy metals instilled intratracheally into rats. I. Dose-dependent uptake of cadmium chloride by the lung and its transfer to the liver.

Uptake and absorption of cadmium (Cd) through the airway were examined by determining the dose-dependent accumulation in the lung and its transfer to other organs after a single intratracheal instillation of cadmium chloride into rats. Male rats of the Wistar strain (10 weeks old ; body weight, 270±10 g (mean±S.D.)) were instilled with Cd dissolved in 0.4 ml saline at eight doses (0.313-40 μg Cd/rat) and killed two days later. Concentrations (μg/g tissue) and contents (μg/tissue) of Cd in the lung, liver, kidney and spleen were determined by flameless Zeeman atomic absorption spectrophotometry and/or inductively coupled argon plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP). More than 90% of Cd were accumulated in the lung when the dose was lower than 2.5 μg Cd/rat, while the percentage of Cd accumulated in the lung decreased steeply at higher doses than 5 μg Cd/rat and the metal was transferred predominantly to the liver.

Mercaptalbumin as a selective cadmium-binding protein in rat serum

Cadmium-binding proteins in blood serum were determined on a gel permeation column by high-performance liquid chromatography-inductively coupled argon plasma-atomic emission spectrometry. Cadmium chloride was administered iv to female rats of the Wistar strain in a single dose of 0.4 mg Cd/kg body wt and the rats were killed 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 20, and 30 min after the injection. The blood serum was separated on an Asahipak GS-520 column and cadmium concentration in the eluate was monitored continuously along with sulfur, zinc, copper, iron, and phosphorus concentrations. Cadmium was selectively bound to mercaptalbumin and the metal was eliminated from blood serum within 30 min in a biphasic mode. Addition in vitro of cadmium chloride into fresh blood serum revealed that cadmium is bound selectively to mercaptalbumin up to approximately 14 μg Cd/ml serum. Excess cadmium in blood serum was found in the lower molecular weight fraction. Nonmercaptalbumin produced by oxidative disulfide bond formation between albumin and glutathione or cysteine was not able to bind cadmium. Sulfur and other element profiles were helpful in characterizing metal-binding proteins.