Atomic Absorption Spectrometry of Nickel in Serum, Urine, and Other Biological Materials

Abstract

An atomic absorption technique is described for analysis of nickel in serum, whole blood, urine, and other biological materials. After the sample has been subjected to protein precipitation or acid digestion, nickel is extracted into methylisobutylketone as a pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate complex, and is measured by atomic absorption spectrometry. The following values (mean ±SD) were obtained for nickel in specimens from healthy subjects living in central Connecticut: serum, 0.26 ± 0.08 , µg/100 ml (N = 40); whole blood, 0.48 ± 0.13 µg/100 ml (N = 17); and urine, 0.23 ± 0.14 µg/100 ml, = 2.4 ± 1.1 µg/day (N = 26). In sera obtained from 36 patients within 24 h after myocardial infarction, the mean nickel concentration was 0.51 ± 0.27 µg/100 ml (p vs. controls = 0.001). In 132 consecutive adult patients, admitted to the hospital for all diagnoses except myocardial infarction, the mean concentration of serum nickel was 0.22 ± 0.11 µg/100 ml. Measurements of serum nickel may prove to be useful in diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction.