title: Evaluation of the three most commonly used analytical methods for determination of inorganic arsenic and its metabolites in urine.
abstract: This work compares the three most common analytical methods for determination of inorganic arsenic and its metabolites in urine: high performance liquid chromatography coupled to either inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry or atomic fluorescence spectrometry via hydride generation (high performance liquid chromatography-hydride generation-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (HPLC-HG-ICPMS) and HPLC-HG-atomic fluorescence spectrometry (AFS), respectively) and atomic absorption spectrometry coupled to HG (HG-atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS)). This was done with the focus to find alternatives to ICPMS, the investment and running costs of which are rather high. Between-laboratory comparison of HPLC-HG-ICPMS and HPLC-HG-AFS showed good agreement for inorganic arsenic, methylarsonate (MA) and dimethylarsinate (DMA) (R(2)=0.91, R(2)=0.92 and R(2)=0.90, respectively, N=86). Within-laboratory comparisons of HPLC-HG-AFS, HPLC-HG-ICPMS and HG-AAS showed good agreement for all arsenic species and the sum of inorganic arsenic and its metabolites in urine (HPLC-HG-ICPMS versus HPLC-HG-AFS: R(2)=0.95; HG-AAS versus HPLC-HG-AFS: R(2)=0.95 and HPLC-HG-ICPMS versus HG-AAS: R(2)=0.97; N=89). HPLC-HG-AFS was found to be a simple, but high quality alternative to HPLC-HG-ICPMS for the speciation and quantification of inorganic arsenic and its metabolites in urine at arsenic concentrations above 10microgL(-1). Because of its considerably lower costs compared to HPLC-HG-ICPMS, it may be a good alternative in laboratories where the high cost of ICPMS is not justified in relation to the intended use of the instrument.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Environmental Medicine, Division of Metals and Health, Karolinska Institutet, Box 210, SE-171 77, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Anna-Lena
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Lindberg
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Goessler
authors.forename: Margaretha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grandér
authors.forename: Barbro
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nermell
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vahter
mesh_terms: D001151:Arsenic / Q000652:urine*; D001152:Arsenicals / Q000652:urine*; D002101:Cacodylic Acid / Q000652:urine*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000652:urine; D006801:Humans; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic
chemical_list: D001152:Arsenicals; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D002101:Cacodylic Acid; C020300:monomethylarsonic acid; D001151:Arsenic