Published: Journal of Analytical Toxicology, Volume 23, Number 7, Nov/Dec 1999, pp. 625-631

Determination of Germanium in Human Specimens: Comparative Study of Atomic Absorption Spectrometry and Microwave-Induced Plasma Mass Spectrometry
Atsuko Shinohara, Momoko Chiba, and Yutaka Inaba

The determination methods of germanium (Ge) in biological specimens such as blood plasma, erythrocytes, urine, hair, nail, and other organs were established using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) and microwave-induced plasma mass spectrometry (MIP-MS). The detection limits of Ge standard solution were 3 ng/mL with GFAAS and 0.05 ng/mL with MIP-MS. The detection limits in organ samples depended on the type of samples and sampling amounts: 3–30 ng/g by GFAAS and 0.05–0.5 ng/g by MIP-MS. The sensitivity of GFAAS was lower than that of MIP-MS; however, it was adequate for determining Ge concentrations in specimens from patients who had ingested Ge. Samples were digested by a simple wet-ashing procedure using nitric acid and perchloric acid. To avoid the interfering effects of coexisting elements and perchloric acid residue, an extraction method using organic solvent was tried. When using MIP-MS, extraction was not necessary; however, both dilution and addition of an internal standard were needed. Special attention was required for iron-rich samples because a molecular ion of 56Fe16O was observed at m/z 72 where 72Ge was monitored. The results of Ge concentrations in human samples obtained by these methods agreed well. Interfering effects of perchloric acid, which was used for digestion and which remained in samples, were observed in both methods. Hair and nail samples from people who had ingested Ge were useful for monitoring Ge in the body. Hair samples were useful for determining past exposure to Ge when the distribution patterns from the scalp to the end of the strand were analyzed. In control subjects, Ge concentrations in the listed specimens and organs were lower than 0.1 µg/g or mL, and these low levels of Ge were able to be determined by MIP-MS in combination with the extraction method.

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