Direct determination of therapeutic concentrations of lithium in serum by flow-injection analysis with atomic absorption spectroscopic detection.

In this flow-injection system for direct determination of lithium in serum by atomic absorption spectroscopy, the 10-microL sample is manually injected into a continuously flowing non-segmented stream of de-ionized water, which is pumped, via a dispersion tube, to the spectrometer's nebulizer. Controlled dispersion of the sample zone, before it is introduced into the nebulizer, produces the required sample dilution. Effects of varying the length of the dispersion tube, the flow rate, and the sample size were studied. Analytical readout is obtained, in the form of transient peaks, 5 s after sample injection. It is necessary to include physiological concentrations of sodium and potassium in the standard because each of these cations enhances the lithium absorbance signal. Analytical recovery (98.5 to 101%) and CV (about 2%) are good, and results compare well with those obtained by aspiration of prediluted samples (n = 121, r = 0.99).