Page:NIOSH Manual of Analytical Methods - 8005.pdf/2

ELEMENTS in blood or tissue: METHOD 8005, Issue 2, dated 15 August 1994 - Page 2 of 6 REAGENTS: 1. 2. 3. 4.

5.

6.

7. 8. 9.

EQUIPMENT:

Nitric acid, conc. (HNO 3) (high purity).* Perchloric acid, conc. (HClO 4) (high purity).* Sulfuric acid, conc. (H 2SO 4) (high purity).* Digestion acid, 3:1:1 (v/v/v) HNO 3:HClO 4:H 2SO 4.* Mix three volumes conc. HNO 3 with one volume conc. HClO 4 and one volume conc. H 2SO 4. Element standards, 1000 µg/mL. Commercially available or prepared per instrument manufacturer's recommendations. Reference materials of known elemental composition. SRM #1577a, Bovine Liver, from the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology is recommended. Argon. Deionized water. Yttrium standard, 5 µg/mL in 5% HNO 3. Combine 50 mL conc. HNO 3, ca. 500 mL deionized water, and 5 mL 1000 µg Y/mL standard. Dilute to 1 L.

See SPECIAL PRECAUTIONS.

1. Blood collection tubes, heparinized, lead-free, specially prepared for collecting blood samples for blood lead determinations. NOTE: Heparin may contain significant amounts of Ca, Cu, Mn, Sr and Zn and should not be used if these elements are to be determined [3]. 2. Vacutainer needles (21-gauge) and holder. NOTE: These may be significant sources of contamination in some cases [4]. 3. Tourniquet and alcohol swabs. 4. Bottles, glass or polyethylene, with PTFE-lined caps, 20-mL (e.g., scintillation vials).* 5. Inductively-coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometer equipped for determination of elements of interest. 6. Regulator, two-stage, for argon. 7. Analytical balance, readable to 1 mg. 8. Beaker, Griffin (50-mL) or Phillips (125-mL), with watchglass covers.* 9. Hotplate, for use at 110 and 250 C. 10. Pipets, 5- and 10-mL, with pipet bulb.* 11. Volumetric flasks, 5- and 10-mL and 1-L.* 12. Plastic,* glass* or single element (e.g., tantalum) knives and forceps for cutting tissue samples, as needed [3,4,5]. 13. Work station with plastic work surfaces, with air cleaned by a vertical, laminar flow device and high efficiency particulate air filter or by electrostatic precipitator. 14. Gloves, plastic, metal-free. *All glassware and plasticware which contacts standards, blanks, or samples should be detergent-washed, thoroughly rinsed with tap and deionized water, soaked 12 h in 10% (v/v) HNO 3 and soaked 12 h in deionized water.

SPECIAL PRECAUTIONS: Concentrated acids are extremely corrosive; work with them only in a fume hood and wear appropriate safety equipment (safety glasses or face shield, gloves and labcoat). Samples of blood and tissue collected from humans pose a real health risk to laboratory workers who collect and handle these samples. These risks are primarily due to personal contact with infective biological samples and can have serious health consequences, such as infectious hepatitis, and other diseases. There is also some risk from the chemical content of these samples, but this is much less. Those who handle blood and tissue specimens should wear protective gloves, and avoid aerosolization of the samples. Mouth pipetting, of course, must be avoided.

SAMPLING: 1.

Collect blood samples in heparinized blood collection tubes. Mix immediately. Collect tissue samples (ca. 0.25 g for "dry" tissue or ca. 1 g for "wet" tissue) in bottles. NOTE: If unheparinized blood collection tubes are used, freeze samples immediately. NIOSH Manual of Analytical Methods (NMAM), Fourth Edition, 8/15/94