Simultaneous determination of 20 elements in some human kidney and liver autopsy samples by inductively-coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry.

The argon supported inductively coupled plasma--atomic emission spectrometer (ICP--AES) is found to be an attractive analytical tool for the simultaneous multi-element determination of major, minor and trace elements in human liver and kidney specimens. The sample is digested with a mixture of HNO3--HClO4. The damp residue is taken up in HCl, aspirated into the plasma and the resulting emission signals are detected by a polychromator where the analytical lines of the 20 elements determined are included as fixed channels. The method is rapid, precise, sensitive, less subject to interferences and cost-effective. A total of 20 elements in about 40 autopsy samples of human kidney (cortex and medulla) and liver taken from Canadian adults living in the Great Lakes Region of Ontario were determined using the wet digestion-ICP--AES technique.