Fingernail ICP-MS Multi-elementary Determination- A Useful Biomarker of Metal or Metalloid Exposure

A thirty-two metal and metalloid quantification method for fingernail specimens using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) is presented. The ICP-MS measurements were performed using a Thermo Elemental X7CCT series. Fingernail specimens from one hundred and thirty healthy volunteers, of both sexes, were collected. Twenty mg fingernails were acid mineralized after a decontamination procedure, and thirty-two metals and non-metals were simultaneously quantified after acid dilution following water calibration. Li, Be