Zinc in postmortem body tissues and fluids

Area of Science:

• Toxicology
• Human Physiology
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Zinc concentration data is vital for interpreting poisoning cases.
• Establishing baseline zinc levels in non-poisoned individuals is essential for forensic and clinical toxicology.
• Previous data may lack comprehensive tissue and fluid analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine and present reference ranges for zinc concentrations in human tissues and body fluids.
• To provide data for accurate interpretation of zinc toxicity in forensic and clinical settings.
• To establish a dataset from autopsy cases spanning a significant time period.

Main Methods:

• Flame atomic absorption spectrometry was used for zinc analysis.
• Autopsy samples from 203 non-poisoned individuals (aged 14-80) were analyzed.
• Method accuracy was validated using certified reference material (SRM Bovine Liver 1577b).

Main Results:

• Mean zinc concentrations (μg/g or μg/mL) were reported for brain (10.3), stomach (14.2), intestines (15.7), liver (39.6), kidney (33.8), lung (12.0), spleen (14.7), heart (26.5), blood (6.81), urine (0.69), and bile (4.92).
• Detailed statistical data including standard deviation, median, and range were provided for each tissue and fluid.
• The analytical method demonstrated high accuracy, with found values close to certified values for the reference liver sample.

Conclusions:

• The study provides a comprehensive dataset of normal zinc concentrations in human tissues and body fluids.
• These reference values are critical for the accurate diagnosis of zinc poisoning.
• The data supports the application of flame atomic absorption spectrometry in toxicological analysis.