Trace Metal Analysis Using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) / 대한진단검사의학회지

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The exposure of human beings to toxic trace metals continues to be an important public health issue and concern. This study was conducted to assess the exposure to trace metals in the general Korean population by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). METHODS: Blood and urine samples were obtained from 175 healthy subjects including those who visited the health promotion center or healthy volunteers. Specimens were collected in special containers and we applied simple sample processing to minimize contamination. We used ICP-MS (Fisons Instrument, Cheshire, UK) to analyze simultaneously the concentration of metals including lead, cadmium, aluminum, cobalt, copper, zinc and selenium. The effects of age, sex and smoking on the trace metal concentrations were also investigated. RESULTS: Distribution of trace metal levels in the general healthy population skewed toward lower values, which reflected low levels of exposure in the general healthy population. The concentrations of some trace metals were significantly affected by age, sex or smoking status. CONCLUSIONS: We performed a simultaneous multielement analysis of biological samples by ICPMS, a reliable and sensitive technique, to build a database of trace metal values in the general population. The results in this study can provide background data for future epidemiological and clinical studies associated with trace metal exposure in the Korean population.