title: Nickel quantification in serum by a validated sector-field inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry method: Assessment of tentative reference values for an Italian population.
abstract: The daily exposure to Ni from food, industrial processes, jewellery and coins makes the determination of Ni in human serum an important way to monitor the health status in non-occupationally exposed subjects. To this end, a method based on sector-field inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry was developed and validated. The limits of detection (LoD) and quantification (LoQ), sensitivity, linearity range, trueness, repeatability, within-laboratory reproducibility and robustness were the considered issues of the validation process. The uncertainty associated with the measurements was also calculated, according to the Eurachem/Citac Guide. The method LoD and LoQ were 0.03 and 0.09 ng mL(-1), linearity was over two order of magnitude, trueness was -3.57%, and the repeatability and reproducibility showed relative standard deviations equal to 4.56% and 6.52%, respectively. The relative expanded uncertainty was 21.8% at the Ni levels found in the general population. The tentative reference value for serum Ni was 0.466 +/- 0.160 ng mL(-1) with a related interval between 0.226 and 1.026 ng mL(-1).
authors.affiliation: Department for Environmental and Primary Prevention, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Beatrice
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bocca
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Forte
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ronchi
authors.forename: Raffaella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gaggeri
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alimonti
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Minoia
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009532:Nickel / Q000097:blood*; D012016:Reference Values; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D009532:Nickel