Analysis of the distribution of lead, cadmium and mercury in the avian kidney by means of direct solid sampling electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

The distribution of Pb, Cd and Hg was studied in 3 sets of 10 pairs of avian kidneys by means of direct solid sampling electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (SS-ETAAS). The hierarchic model for the analysis of variance for each element consisted of 10 animals. 2 pairs of kidneys, 3 sampling sites and 6 microsamples (n = 360). Heterogeneity was found to be only a minor-source of analytical variance in Pb, Cd and Hg. The kidney of an animal as component of variance was of net significant influence. However, the variance of the sampling site was highly significant in the case of Ph and Cd. Here, total analytical variance must be reduced by means of an adequate sampling strategy, For six replicates with each microsample taken from a different sampling site, the variance of mean value estimation as represented by the total distribution factor is reduced from 1.20 to 1.08 and from 1.19 to 1.07 in the case of Pb and Cd, respectively, In Hg-determinations, the respective factor is reduced from 1.23 to 1.09 with the sampling strategy having nearly no effect. Results of direct SS-ETAAS determinations of Pb, Cd and Hg in non-homogenized avian kidneys are considered to be highly representative, even more than in previous studies of mammalian kidneys and livers, due to the larger part of material which is actually anaIyzed.