title: Determination of zinc and copper in urine using Zeeman effect flame atomic absorption spectroscopy.
abstract: Zinc and copper were determined in urine using polarized Zeeman effect flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry. For the zinc assay, urine was diluted 1/10 with deionized water. Concentrations could be determined by comparison to standards in a salt matrix or in a commercial urine control. The linearity of the assay was 350 micrograms/l, the detection limit was 1.2 micrograms/l and the within-run relative standard deviation (RSD) was 2.08%, 3.06%, 0.71% and 1.29% for specimens with zinc concentrations of 202 micrograms/l, 206 micrograms/l, 1 003 micrograms/l and 1 032 micrograms/l, respectively. The between-run RSD was 2.34% for a mean zinc concentration of 461 micrograms/l. For the copper assay, urine was aspirated directly and concentrations were determined by standard additions. The linearity of the assay was 5 000 micrograms/l, the detection limit was 4.6 micrograms/l and the within-run RSD was 24.49%, 16.10%, 4.00% and 3.19% for specimens with copper concentrations of 9.8 micrograms/l, 11.8 micrograms/l, 50.0 micrograms/l and 50.2 micrograms/l, respectively. The between-run RSD was 8.78% and 4.72% for specimens with copper concentrations of 21.1 micrograms/l and 40.3 micrograms/l, respectively.
mesh_terms: D003300:Copper / Q000652:urine*; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic / Q000379:methods; D015032:Zinc / Q000652:urine*
chemical_list: D003300:Copper; D015032:Zinc