Atomic absorption determination of lead in blood and urine in the presence of EDTA.

Abstract

Abstract An atomic absorption method for the determination of lead in blood and urine is described, which can be applied without prior acid digestion to specimens from patients receiving ethylene diamine tetra-acetate (EDTA) therapy. The entire procedure is performed in a single tube and provides sufficient concentration of lead to yield adequate absorbance values without scale expansion. Completeness of extraction in the presence and absence of chelating agents has been established with the isotope Pb. 210 This procedure has been applied both to the diagnosis of lead poisoning and to the monitoring of lead excretion in patients receiving chelation therapy.