[Micro-determination of fluoride in biological samples by pyrohydrolysis and flow-injection analysis using a fluoride...

An apparatus has been developed for the isolation of fluoride in biological samples through pyrohydrolysis. With this apparatus, it is possible to determine both organic and inorganic fluorocompounds with a recovery close to 100% and precision within 5%. The high recovery rate can be expected even for highly heat-resistant compounds such as CaF2, without using WO3 as a catalyst. For determination of the isolated fluoride, a separate apparatus was developed in which flow-injection analysis was used in conjunction with a fluoride ion-selective electrode as a detector. With this apparatus, fluoride in a sample solution with a volume as small as 0.2 ml, and at a concentration as low as 0.5 microgram/l, can be determined within 3 minutes with a precision of several percent. Combined use of the two apparatuses makes it possible to determine fluoride in different biological samples within 10-15 minutes with a precision of several percent, free from external contamination. By selecting suitable conditions for analysis and using a 1 g sample, it is possible to determine fluoride at a concentration as low as 5 ng/g. By employing these apparatuses, the fluoride content in different biological samples has been determine and the effectiveness of their use confirmed.