Determination of cadmium in human urine by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

In the present work, a fast acid digestion method was applied to the determination of cadmium in urine samples by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ET AAS). The pyrolysis and atomization temperatures were 400 and 1200degreesC with a characteristic mass of 1.3 pg. Quantification was made with matrix matching calibration curves. The method was validated by the analysis of certified urine samples. Differences were not observed among the levels of the metal in populations from metropolitan and rural areas. The limit of detection (LOD, k = 3, n = 10) was 0.08 mugl(-1). Coefficients of variation for intra- and interassay studies were 5.5 and 12.7%, respectively. Recovery of spiked samples showed acceptable values. Significant correlation was observed among sex, with higher values for women. Age also showed an influence on urinary Cd levels, being higher for individuals over 46 years. No correlation was found between either tabagism or alcoholic beverage intake and of urinary cadmium levels. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.