Determination of copper in urine and serum by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

A stable isotope dilution gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method using enriched 65Cu as an internal standard is described for the determination of Cu in urine and serum. Chelating agents N,N'-ethylenebis-(trifluoroacetylacetoneimine) [H2(enTFA2)] and lithium bis(trifluoroethyl)dithiocarbamate [Li(FDEDTC)] were used and evaluated for memory effect. H2(enTFA2) did not show any appreciable memory effect, whereas Li(FDEDTC) was found to have a strong memory effect. Overall precision of 1.6% was obtained for determining Cu isotope ratios at a 10-ng level using H2(enTFA2). Cu concentrations in the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) reference materials, freeze-dried urine SRM 2670, and human serum SRM 909 determined using the H2(enTFA2) chelating agent were in good agreement with the NIST-certified values. Isotope ratios determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry on samples with altered isotopic composition were in good agreement with the inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry data.