title: "ULtra-clean" isotope diultion/mass spectrometic analyses for lead in human blood plasma indicated that most reported values are artificially high.
abstract: We measured lead concentrations in venous blood plasma from two subjects, one having a typical exposure and the other a high exposure to lead. Our preliminary data, obtained by isotope dilution/mass spectrometric techniques in an ultra-clean laboratory, show lead concentrations of 0.02 mug/L and 2 mug/L, respectively, in their blood plasma, and 110 mug/L and 800 mug/L, respectively, in samples of whole blood. These results indicate that plasma lead concentrations previously reported have been overestimated by a large factor, and that further improvements in analytical procedures are needed in most laboratories before data on lead concentratios in blood plasma can be properly interpreted. Our preliminary data indicate a positive correlation between lead intake and lead concentrations in blood plasma.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001800:Blood Specimen Collection / Q000379:methods*; D002469:Cell Separation; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006493:Heparin / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007201:Indicator Dilution Techniques; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007854:Lead / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D013058:Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods; D011247:Pregnancy
chemical_list: D007854:Lead; D006493:Heparin