Determination of Platinum Group Elements in Human Urine and Hair Samples by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry

Abstract

An analysis method for the determination of platinum group elements (PGEs) in human hair and urine samples by microwave digestion and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was developed. The microwave degestion conditions for different samples were studied in detail. Under the optimal conditions, the detection limits of Pt, Pd and Rh in hair samples were 0.02 ng/g, 0.05 ng/g and 0.002 ng/g, respectively. The recoveries of Pt, Pd and Rh for human hair and urine samples were above 81.7%. The method was applied for determination of PGEs in unrine and hair samples of people with and without car driving experince. The results showed that the concentration of PGEs in human hair was Pd>; Pt>; Rh and increased as the car driving time. However, the concentrations of PGEs in the urine samples were in the extreme low levels and under the detection limits except one sample of a bus driver with 11 years driving time, 0.72ng.g-1 of Pd was found in this case.