title: Determination of lithium at ultratrace levels in biological fluids by flame atomic emission spectrometry. Use of first-derivative spectrometry.
abstract: The use of zero-order and first-derivative flame emission spectrometry has been investigated for the determination of basal concentrations of lithium in serum and urine at the microgram dm-3 level. No significant matrix effect was observed; however, it was necessary to make use of background correction techniques. Two or three wavelength measurements and first-derivative spectrometry were used for this purpose; both methods gave similar results. Detection limits for serum of approximately 0.09 micrograms dm-3 were found by both zero-order and first-derivative emission measurements, while normal lithium levels were found to be 29.3 and 1.17 micrograms dm-3 for urine and serum, respectively.
authors.affiliation: Universidad de la República, Facultad de Química, Cátedra de Análisis Instrumental, Montevideo, Uruguay.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Dol
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Knochen
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vieras
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D008094:Lithium / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D008832:Microchemistry / Q000379:methods; D012016:Reference Values; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic / Q000379:methods; D013057:Spectrum Analysis / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D008094:Lithium