[Methods for determining lead and cadmium in blood; cadmium, copper, nickel and chromium in urine using flameless atomic absorption spectrometry].

The estimation of environmental and occupational exposure to metals is based on the determination of metal concentrations in biological material. This paper describes methods for determining lead and cadmium in blood, and cadmium, copper, nickel and chromium in urine. The methods are evaluated in view of their linearity, precision, repeatability, reproducibility and detectability. The reliability of the methods was verified by determining lyphilized standards of known metal concentrations (Behring). The reproducibility expressed by the value of relative standard deviation ranged from 1.2% to 7.8%. In the case of lead and cadmium determinations, the reliability of results was confirmed due to the participation of our laboratory in the UK NEQAS external control project, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham. The results of external quality control (MR VIS = 19 for lead, as compared with the mean = 41 for all the project participants and MR VIS = 29 for cadmium, mean = 62) prove undoubtedly correctness of the methods applied. A small volume of sample to be analyzed is their major advantage, and due to adopted analytical parameters the methods can be used to determine metals in biological material in order to assess occupational or environmental exposure.