SOFT 2004 Meeting Abstracts - Society of Forensic Toxicologists

C3
ALUMINUM TESTING IN TRACE-METAL FREE CONTAINERS
Lee M. Blum*, Ela Bakowska, Gulo Gigolashvili
National Medical Services, Inc., Willow Grove, PA
The testing of biological samples for elemental analyses can be quit challenging. Specimen collection is a
critical aspect of these tests. Proper specimen collection procedures are necessary in ascertaining an analytical
result that is truly reflective of the amount of determinant in the specimen. Contamination of the specimen is a
considerable problem especially in the analysis of trace metals. The results of analysis of blood and urine
specimens can be misleading if proper precautions are not taken to minimize sample contamination. Because of
the prevalence of aluminum in our environment, the collection of specimens without precautions can lead to
misinterpretation. Contamination may come from the patients themselves, the procedures and devices used in
the specimen collection, and/or the laboratory performing the test (including particles and dusts in the air or
reagents used in the analysis). Specimen collection tubes are a known source of contamination. The source of
the contamination may be from the glass, the stopper, and/or the specimen preservative in the tube. Aluminum
testing in biological samples is important for assessing occupational/environmental exposures and for clinical
monitoring of renal dialysis patients, among others. The accumulation of aluminum in the body can increase the
risk of neurotoxicity ("dialysis encephalopathy"), bone disease and renal failure. This study examined the
effectiveness of specially manufactured trace-metal free specimen collection tubes in the determination of
aluminum. Specimens were collected consecutively in trace-metal free tubes containing no preservative
(serum), and trace-metal free tubes containing either heparin (plasma) or EDTA (plasma) as preservatives. The
aluminum concentrations were determined under identical conditions by inductively coupled plasma/mass
spectrometry (ICPIMS) with a reporting limit 0{5 mcg/L.
A summary of the serum and plasma aluminum findings (mcg/L) is listed below:
I
Serum Aluminum I Heparinized Plasma EDTA Plasma
I
i Patient
Aluminum
Aluminum
I A 8 6 II
B 11 13 11
C 5 7 57
D 8 7 6
I E 7 13 110
F 8 19