Metals

 

Metals in biological samples

The levels of metals in biological samples can constitute a signal of occupational diseases (o.e. berylliosis, siderosis), of acute or chronic poisoning and / or deficiency states of essential elements.

 

The lab of the National Institute for Silicosis has a Mass Spectrometer with plasma source (ICP-MS), that allows the simultaneous analysis of most the elements of the periodic table at trace (ppm or μg / g) and ultratrace (ppb or ng / g) levels both in liquid (urine, blood, serum) and solid (tissue) biological samples.