Zinc in postmortem body tissues and fluids

Data on zinc concentration in the human body may be used to interpret the results obtained in cases of chronic and acute poisonings with zinc compounds, i.e., in clinical and forensic toxicology. In this paper, the concentrations of zinc in human tissues and body fluids obtained from autopsy cases concerning non-poisoned people (n = 203), aged from 14 to 80 years, between 1995 and 2008, are presented. The following values were found by the flame atomic absorption method (mean ± SD, median, range, in microgram per gram or microgram per milliliter): brain 10.3 ± 1.36, 10.2, 7.99-13.8 (n = 48); stomach 14.2 ± 3.63, 13.6, 8.00-22.5 (n = 71); intestines 15.7 ± 5.22, 15.8, 8.36-28.1 (n = 35); liver 39.6 ± 16.1, 36.6, 16.0-78.8 (n = 109); kidney 33.8 ± 10.1, 31.8, 16.4-60.9 (n = 93); lung 12.0 ± 3.88, 11.0, 6.13-18.7 (n = 26); spleen 14.7 ± 2.53, 14.6, 11.4-18.3 (n = 5); heart 26.5 ± 3.63, 26.7, 22.5-31.8 (n = 5); blood 6.81 ± 1.21, 7.00, 4.02-8.68 (n = 50); urine 0.69 ± 1.70, 0.60, 0.39-1.00 (n = 5), and bile 4.92 ± 1.64, 3.75, 3.20-7.09 (n = 9). The accuracy of the method was checked through the use of SRM Bovine Liver 1577b (certified: 127 ± 16 μg Zn/g, found: 117 ± 0.7 μg Zn/g (n = 6)).