The aluminium content of human serum determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy with a graphite furnace

A method is described for the determination of aluminium in serum by atomic absorption spectroscopy with a graphite furnace. The serum sample is diluted with a diluent of Triton X-100 and HNO3. The dilution enables shorter drying and charring times and a lower charring temperature. The detection limit of the method is 2.5 microgram Al/l serum. Precautions for sample handling are discussed and instrument settings are defined. The direct determination of aluminium in serum is compared with the standard addition method. A good correlation between the two methods was found. Serum from 37 healthy persons was investigated. The serum contained less than 4 microgram Al/l with a range of less than 2.5 microgram to 7 microgram Al/l. The aluminium content of 50 serum samples from hemodialysis patients was determined. The aluminium content of the serum of the hemodialysis patients was in the range of 8 to 713 microgram Al/l. A mean value of 87.7 microgram Al/l (S.D. 122.8) was found.