Comparison of different medical cases in urinary arsenic speciation by fast HPLC–ICP-MS

The inorganic arsenic species As(III), As(V) and the organic species methylarsonate (MMA(V)), dimethylarsinate (DMA(V)) and arsenobetaine (AsB) were determined in human urine by a fast anion exchange HPLC–ICP-MS method, which was developed for clinical laboratories with high sample throughput. This paper compares typical chromatograms of the arsenic species in urine samples collected in different medical cases, for example, for the non-exposed population, for environmentally (plant protectants) and occupationally (glass manufacture) exposed persons, for a person after a failed suicide attempt with As2O3 and for persons before and after administration of the antidot sodium 2,3-dimercapto-1-propane-sulfonate (DMPS). Concentration data of the urinary As species for the non-exposed German population (n=82) are compared with the concentrations before and after administration of DMPS (n=37). For the non-exposed group the toxicologically relevant As in urine consists of 81% DMA(V), 10% MMA(V) and 9% inorganic As. However, a few hours after an acute intoxication with inorganic As this distribution changes dramatically and As(III) and As(V) are predominantly found in urine. After treatment with DMPS the total As concentration increases significantly and mainly MMA(V) and As(III) were found in urine samples.