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Biomedical subjects

Klaus G Heumann

Publications and source records attributed to Klaus G Heumann.

14 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Determination of extremely low (236)U/(238)U isotope ratios in environmental samples by sector-field inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry using high-efficiency sample introduction.

A method by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was developed which allows the measurement of (236)U at concentration ranges down to 3 x 10(-14)g g(-1) and extremely low (236)U/(238)U isotope ratios in soil samples of 10(-7). By using the high-efficiency solution introduction system APEX in connection with a sector-field ICP-MS a sensitivity of more than 5,000 counts fg(-1) uranium was achieved. The use of an aerosol desolvating unit reduced the formation rate of uranium hydride ions UH(+)/U(+) down to a level of 10(-6). An abundance sensitivity of 3 x 10(-7) was observed for (236)U/(238)U isotope ratio measurements at mass resolution 4000. The detection limit for (236)U and the lowest detectable (236)U/(238)U isotope ratio were improved by more than two orders of magnitude compared with corresponding values by alpha spectrometry. Determination of uranium in soil samples collected in the vicinity of Chernobyl nuclear power plant (NPP) resulted in that the (236)U/(238)U isotope ratio is a much more sensitive and accurate marker for environmental contamination by spent uranium in comparison to the (235)U/(238)U isotope ratio. The ICP-MS technique allowed for the first time detection of irradiated uranium in soil samples even at distances more than 200 km to the north of Chernobyl NPP (Mogilev region). The concentration of (236)U in the upper 0-10 cm soil layers varied from 2 x 10(-9)g g(-1) within radioactive spots close to the Chernobyl NPP to 3 x 10(-13)g g(-1) on a sampling site located by >200 km from Chernobyl.

Environmental Pollution↗
PubMed2005

Direct determination of platinum group elements and their distributions in geological and environmental samples at the ng g(-1) level using LA-ICP-IDMS.

Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma isotope dilution mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-IDMS) was applied to the direct and simultaneous determination of the platinum group elements (PGEs) Pt, Pd, Ru, and Ir in geological and environmental samples. A special laser ablation system with high ablation rates was used, along with sector field ICP-MS. Special attention was paid to deriving the distributions of PGEs in the pulverized samples. IDMS could not be applied to the (mono-isotopic) Rh, but the similar ablation behavior of Ru and Rh allowed Rh to be simultaneously determined via relative sensitivity coefficients. The laser ablation process produces hardly any oxide ions (which usually cause interference in PGE analysis with liquid sample injection), so the ICP-MS can be run in its low mass resolution but high-sensitivity mode. The detection limits obtained for the geological samples were 0.16 ng g(-1), 0.14 ng g(-1), 0.08 ng g(-1), 0.01 ng g(-1) and 0.06 ng g(-1) for Ru, Rh, Pd, Ir and Pt, respectively. LA-ICP-IDMS was applied to different geological reference materials (TDB-1, WGB-1, UMT-1, WMG-1, SARM-7) and the road dust reference material BCR-723, which are only certified for some of the PGEs. Comparisons with certified values as well as with indicative values from the literature demonstrated the validity of the LA-ICP-IDMS method. The PGE concentrations in subsamples of the road dust reference material correspond to a normal distribution, whereas the distributions in the geological reference materials TDB-1, WGB-1, UMT-1, WMG-1, and SARM-7 are more complex. For example, in the case of Ru, a logarithmic normal distribution best fits the analyzed concentrations in TDB-1 subsamples, whereas a pronounced nugget effect was found for Pt in most geological samples.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2005

Simultaneous multi-species determination of trimethyllead, monomethylmercury and three butyltin compounds by species-specific isotope dilution GC-ICP-MS in biological samples.

An accurate and sensitive multi-species species-specific isotope dilution GC-ICP-MS method was developed for the simultaneous determination of trimethyllead (Me3Pb+), monomethylmercury (MeHg+) and the three butyltin species Bu3Sn+, Bu2Sn2+, and BuSn3+ in biological samples. The method was validated by three biological reference materials (CRM 477, mussel tissue certified for butyltins; CRM 463, tuna fish certified for MeHg+; DORM 2, dogfish muscle certified for MeHg+). Under certain conditions, and with minor modifications of the sample pretreatment procedure, this method could also be transferred to environmental samples such as sediments, as demonstrated by analyzing sediment reference material BCR 646 (freshwater sediment, certified for butyltins). The detection limits of the multi-species GC-ICP-IDMS method for biological samples were 1.4 ng g(-1) for MeHg+, 0.06 ng g(-1) for Me3Pb+, 0.3 ng g(-1) for BuSn3+ and Bu3Sn+, and 1.2 ng g(-1) for Bu2Sn2+. Because of the high relevance of these heavy metal alkyl species to the quality assurance of seafood, the method was also applied to corresponding samples purchased from a supermarket. The methylated lead fraction in these samples, correlated to total lead, varied over a broad range (from 0.01% to 7.6%). On the other hand, the MeHg+ fraction was much higher, normally in the range of 80-100%. Considering that we may expect tighter legislative limitations on MeHg+ levels in seafood in the future, we found the highest methylmercury contents (up to 10.6 microg g(-1)) in two shark samples, an animal which is at the end of the marine food chain, whereas MeHg+ contents of less than 0.2 microg g(-1) were found in most other seafood samples; these results correlate with the idea that MeHg+ is usually of biological origin in the marine environment. The concentration of butyltins and the fraction of the total tin content that is from butyltins strongly depend on possible contamination, due to the exclusively anthropogenic character of these compounds. A broad variation in the butylated tin fraction (in the range of <0.3-49%) was therefore observed in different seafood samples. Corresponding isotope-labeled spike compounds (except for trimethyllead) are commercially available for all of these compounds, and since these can be used in the multi-species species-specific GC-ICP-IDMS method developed here, this technique shows great potential for routine analysis in the future.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Isotope dilution ICP-MS with laser-assisted sample introduction for direct determination of sulfur in petroleum products.

Inductively coupled plasma isotope dilution mass spectrometry (ICP-IDMS) with direct laser-assisted introduction of isotope-diluted samples into the plasma, using a laser ablation system with high ablation rates, was developed for accurate sulfur determinations in different petroleum products such as 'sulfur-free' premium gasoline, diesel fuel, and heating oil. Two certified gas oil reference materials were analyzed for method validation. Two different 34S-enriched spike compounds, namely, elementary sulfur dissolved in xylene and dibenzothiophene in hexane, were synthesized and tested for their usefulness in this isotope dilution technique. The isotope-diluted sample was adsorbed on a filter-paper-like material, which was fixed in a special holder for irradiation by the laser beam. Under these conditions no time-dependent spike/analyte fractionation was only observed for the dibenzothiophene spike during the laser ablation process, which means that the measured 34S/32S isotope ratio of the isotope-diluted sample remained constant-a necessary precondition for accurate results with the isotope dilution technique. A comparison of LA-ICP-IDMS results with the certified values of the gas oil reference materials and with results obtained from ICP-IDMS analyses with wet sample digestion demonstrated the accuracy of the new LA-ICP-IDMS method in the concentration range of 9.2 microg g(-1) ('sulfur-free' premium gasoline) to 10.4 mg g(-1) (gas oil reference material BCR 107). The detection limit for sulfur by LA-ICP-IDMS is 0.04 microg g(-1) and the analysis time is only about 10 min, which therefore also qualifies this method for accurate determinations of low sulfur contents in petroleum products on a routine level.

Lasers↗
PubMed2005

Species-specific GC/ICP-IDMS for trimethyllead determinations in biological and environmental samples.

An accurate and sensitive species-specific isotope dilution GC/ICPMS method was developed for the determination of trimethyllead (Me3Pb+) in biological and environmental samples. A trimethyllead spike was synthesized from 206Pb-enriched metallic lead by reaction of lead halide with methyllithium and subsequent formation of trimethyllead iodide. The isotopic composition of the spike solution was determined by GC/ICPMS after derivatization with tetraethylborate, and its concentration was determined by reverse isotope dilution analysis. The species-specific GC/ICP-IDMS method was validated by reference material CRM 605 (urban dust) certified for Me3Pb+. The method was also applied to determine the Me3Pb+ content in six biological reference materials (DORM 2, CRM 278, CRM 422, CRM 463, CRM 477, MURST-ISS-A2) and one sediment reference material (CRM 580) for which no certified values of this species exist. The Me3Pb+ concentrations in the biological reference materials vary in the range of 0.3-17 ng g(-1) (as Pb) except for the Antarctic Krill (MURST-ISS-A2), where the concentration was less than the detection limit of 0.09 ng g(-1), which was also found for the sediment. Up to 20% of total lead was methylated in the biological reference materials, whereas much higher methylation fractions were found for mercury. The method was also applied to seafood samples purchased from a supermarket with Me3Pb+ concentrations in the limited range of 0.3-0.7 ng g(-1). On the contrary, the portion of methylated lead in these samples varied over more than 2 orders of magnitude from 0.02 to 7.5%.

Chromatography, Gas↗
PubMed2004

Application of SEC-ICP-MS for comparative analyses of metal-containing species in cancerous and healthy human thyroid samples.

Size exclusion chromatography (SEC) was coupled on-line to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) for speciation study of trace metals in cancerous thyroid tissues in comparison to healthy thyroids aimed to estimation of changes in metalloprotein speciation in pathological tissue. The study showed a presence of species binding Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb in healthy thyroid tissue with a good reproducibility of chromatographic results, whereas the same species could not be detected in cancerous tissues. Thus, remarkable differences with respect to metal-binding species were revealed between healthy and pathological thyroid samples, pointing out a completely different distribution of trace metals in cancerous tissues. The metal-binding species could not be identified in the frame of this work because of a lack of appropriate standards. Nevertheless, the results obtained confirm the suitability of SEC-ICP-MS for monitoring of changes in trace metal distribution in cancerous tissue and will help to better understand the role of metal-containing species in thyroid pathology.

Chromatography, Gel↗
PubMed2004

Accurate determination of sulfur in gasoline and related fuel samples using isotope dilution ICP-MS with direct sample injection and microwave-assisted digestion.

Inductively coupled plasma isotope-dilution mass spectrometry (ICP-IDMS) with direct injection of isotope-diluted samples into the plasma, using a direct injection high-efficiency nebulizer (DIHEN), was applied for accurate sulfur determinations in sulfur-free premium gasoline, gas oil, diesel fuel, and heating oil. For direct injection a micro-emulsion consisting of the corresponding organic sample and an aqueous 34S-enriched spike solution with additions of tetrahydronaphthalene and Triton X-100, was prepared. The ICP-MS parameters were optimized with respect to high sulfur ion intensities, low mass-bias values, and high precision of 32S/34S ratio measurements. For validation of the DIHEN-ICP-IDMS method two certified gas oil reference materials (BCR 107 and BCR 672) were analyzed. For comparison a wet-chemical ICP-IDMS method was applied with microwave-assisted digestion using decomposition of samples in a closed quartz vessel inserted into a normal microwave system. The results from both ICP-IDMS methods agree well with the certified values of the reference materials and also with each other for analyses of other samples. However, the standard deviation of DIHEN-ICP-IDMS was about a factor of two higher (5-6% RSD at concentration levels above 100 mircog g(-1)) compared with those of wet-chemical ICP-IDMS, mainly due to inhomogeneities of the micro-emulsion, which causes additional plasma instabilities. Detection limits of 4 and 18 microg g(-1) were obtained for ICP-IDMS in connection with microwave-assisted digestion and DIHEN-ICP-IDMS, respectively, with a sulfur background of the used Milli-Q water as the main limiting factor for both methods.

Fuel Oils↗
PubMed2003

Isotope-dilution ICP-MS for trace element determination and speciation: from a reference method to a routine method?

This critical review discusses the conditions under which inductively coupled plasma-isotope dilution mass spectrometry (ICP-IDMS) is suitable as a routine method for trace element and element-speciation analysis. It can, in general, be concluded that ICP-IDMS has high potential for routine analysis of trace elements if the accuracy of results is of predominant analytical importance. Hyphenated techniques with ICP-IDMS suffer both from lack of commercially available isotope-labeled spike compounds for species-specific isotope dilution and from the more complicated system set-up required for species-unspecific ICP-IDMS analysis. Coupling of gas or liquid chromatography with species-specific ICP-IDMS, however, enables validation of analytical methods involving species transformations which cannot easily be performed by other methods. The potential and limitations of ICP-IDMS are demonstrated by recently published results and by some unpublished investigations by our group. It has been shown that possible loss of silicon as volatile SiF4 during decomposition of a sample by use of hydrofluoric acid has no effect on trace silicon determination if the isotope-dilution step occurs during digestion in a closed system. For powder samples, laser ablation ICP-IDMS can be applied with an accuracy comparable with that only available from matrix-matched standardization, whereas the accuracy of electrothermal vaporization ICP-IDMS was strongly dependent on the element determined. The significance of easy synthesis of isotope-labeled spike compounds for species-specific ICP-IDMS is demonstrated for monomethylmercury and Cr(VI). Isotope-exchange reactions between different element species can prevent the successful application of ICP-IDMS, as is shown for iodinated hydrocarbons. It is also shown for monomethylmercury that species transformations during sample-pretreatment steps can be followed by species-specific ICP-IDMS without loss of accuracy. A relatively simple and time-efficient procedure for determination of monomethylmercury in environmental and biological samples is discussed. The method, which entails a rapid microwave-assisted isotope dilution step and in-situ extraction of the derivatized species, has good potential for routine application in the future.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2003

Application of isotope-dilution laser ablation ICP-MS for direct determination of Pu concentrations in soils at pg g(-1) levels.

The methods available for determination of environmental contamination by plutonium at ultra-trace levels require labor-consuming sample preparation including matrix removal and plutonium extraction in both nuclear spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. In this work, laser-ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) was applied for direct analysis of Pu in soil and sediment samples. Application of a LINA-Spark-Atomizer system (a modified laser ablation system providing high ablation rates) coupled with a sector-field ICP-MS resulted in detection limits as low as 3x10(-13) g g(-1) for Pu isotopes in soil samples containing uranium at a concentration of a few microg g(-1). The isotope dilution (ID) technique was used for quantification, which compensated for matrix effects in LA-ICP-MS. Interferences by UH+ and PbO2+ ions and by the peak tail of 238U+ ions were reduced or separated by use of dry plasma conditions and a mass resolution of 4000, respectively. No other effects affecting measurement accuracy, except sample inhomogeneity, were revealed. Comparison of results obtained for three contaminated soil samples by use of alpha-spectrometry, ICP-MS with sample decomposition, and LA-ICP-IDMS showed, in general, satisfactory agreement of the different methods. The specific activity of (239+240)Pu (9.8 +/- 3.0 mBq g(-1)) calculated from LA-ICP-IDMS analysis of SRM NIST 4357 coincided well with the certified value of 10.4 +/- 0.2 mBq g(-1). However, the precision of LA-ICP-MS for determination of plutonium in inhomogeneous samples, i.e. if "hot" particles are present, is limited. As far as we are aware this paper reports the lowest detection limits and element concentrations yet measured in direct LA-ICP-MS analysis of environmental samples.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2003

Multi-element trace determinations in pure alkaline earth fluoride powders by high-resolution ICP-MS using wet-chemical sample preparation and laser ablation.

Four alternative analytical procedures for the determination of ten important trace impurities (Mg, Cr, Fe, Cu, Zn, Sr, Zr, Cd, Ba, and Pb) in pure alkaline earth fluoride powders were applied using high-resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Two procedures are based on a wet-chemical microwave digestion with boric acid and quantification by the standard addition technique and isotope dilution mass spectrometry (IDMS), respectively. In addition, analyses are also performed by laser ablation as a direct solid sampling technique applying matrix-matched external calibration as well as isotope dilution of the powdered sample. For most elements good agreement between the different methods is found. Detection limits for laser ablation vary between 0.05 ng g(-1) for Zr and 20 ng g(-1) for Mg. They are about one to two orders of magnitude lower than those of the wet-chemical procedures, which is mainly due to the high dilution factor during the sample preparation step. Advantages and restrictions of the different analytical procedures are discussed with respect to their routine applicability. Due to its relatively high accuracy, low detection limits, and time-efficiency LA-ICP-IDMS is the preferred choice if no standard reference materials are available.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2003

Determination of siloxanes, silicon, and platinum in tissues of women with silicone gel-filled implants.

Silicone [poly(dimethylsiloxane)] gel used in breast implants has been known to migrate through intact silicone elastomer shells, resulting in the clinically observable "gel bleed" on the implant surface. Although silicon concentrations in capsular tissues of women with silicone prostheses have been measured with element-specific silicon analyses, no silicone-specific investigation of these tissues has been performed as yet.A combination of element-specific inductively coupled plasma high-resolution isotope dilution mass spectrometry (ICP-HR-IDMS) and species-specific gas chromatography coupled mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to analyze silicon, platinum, and siloxanes in prosthesis capsule, muscle, and fat tissues of women (n=3) who had silicone gel-filled breast implants and in breast tissue of non-augmented women (n=3) as controls.In all tissues of augmented women, siloxanes, in particular octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (D4), decamethylcyclopentasiloxane (D5), and dodecamethylcyclohexasiloxane (D6) were identified. Depending on the siloxane species and type of tissue analyzed, siloxane levels in the range of about 10-1,400 ng g(-1) were detected; total silicon was found in all tissue samples in the range of about 8,900-85,000 ng g(-1). Higher platinum levels ranging from 25-90 ng g(-1 )were detected in fibrin layer and fat tissue of two patients with prostheses. No siloxanes were detected in control breast tissue samples. This investigation of human tissues by a combination of element-specific and species-specific analytical techniques clearly demonstrates for the first time that platinum and siloxanes leak from prostheses and accumulate in their surrounding tissues.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed2001

Characterization and quantification of metallothionein isoforms by capillary electrophoresis-inductively coupled plasma-isotope-dilution mass spectrometry.

In a new approach to the characterization and quantification of metallothionein isoforms an on-line isotope-dilution method in combination with the coupling of capillary electrophoresis (CE) to an inductively coupled plasma-sector field mass spectrometer (ICP-SFMS) is reported. Metallothionein (MT) isoforms are separated by CE and the elements Cu, Zn, Cd, and S are detected simultaneously by use of ICP-SFMS in the medium resolution mode. On-line isotope dilution is performed by continuous introduction of an isotopically enriched, species-unspecific spike solution after the separation step. MT from rabbit liver and a further purified MT-1 isoform were quantified by determination of sulfur, and the stoichiometric compositions of the metalloprotein complexes are characterized by determination of their sulfur-to-metal ratios.

Algorithms↗