Electrothermal determination of aluminum in biological samples by atomic absorption spectroscopy.

The successful application of any analytical technique involves a balance between the performance characteristics of the method and the data requirements of the problem. As has been discussed, the electrothermal procedure for the determination of aluminum imposes some constraints on the clinical application of the methodology. These include detection limits in the same range as normal serum values, the possibility of interference from sample constituents, and the potential for contamination. In addition, reference standards are not currently available. Nevertheless, electrothermal procedures have received broad acceptance. This can be attributed to several factors. Electrothermal procedures tend to be inherently simple. Second, an understanding of the potential limitations of the technique has led to procedures that minimize these negative aspects and provide accurate measurements of aluminum in biological fluids. These factors, in conjunction with the reliability and relative ease of application of the technique, have led to an acceptance of electrothermal atomic absorption as the method of choice for the measurement of aluminum in biological samples.