Trace element reference values in tissues from inhabitants of the European Union. X. A study of 13 elements in blood and urine of a United Kingdom population.

Electrothermal atomic absorption spectrophotometry (ETAAS), inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and neutron activation analysis (NAA) were used for the quantitative determination of 13 trace elements in urine and seven trace elements in whole blood of healthy unexposed British subjects living in three regions of the United Kingdom. Careful control of pre-analytical and analytical factors have enabled the results obtained from more than 200 individuals to be used in proposing reference intervals for the following elements; Al, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Se, Tl in urine, and Cd, Cr, Hg, Mn, Pb, Se and Tl in blood.