Elemental Analysis of Serum Using the NexION 5000 ICP-MS

Introduction

Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) has become the go-to technique for the trace analysis of elements such as nickel (Ni), arsenic (As), mercury (Hg) and copper (Cu) in bodily fluids. However, blood and serum present a common hurdle in trace-elemental analysis within biological matrices. Blood is a complex blend primarily comprising of water-containing proteins, glucose, mineral salts, hormones, and both red and white blood cells. Serum is derived from blood and has a comparable composition but lacks red and white blood cells as well as fibrinogens.

Thanks to its broad range of proprietary technologies, the NexION^® 5000 multi-quadrupole ICP-MS provides accurate and fast determination of major and trace inorganic compounds in serum after a simple sample preparation. Read this app note to learn more.