Determination of 21 elements in human serum using ICP-MS with collision/reaction cell

Instead of the common acid dilution method, weak alkali dilution was used to prepare the samples. The diluent was a mixtue of 0.5% w/v tetra-n-butylammonium hydroxide, 0.3% w/v Triton X-100 and 0.3% w/v EDTA. Usage of Reaction mode with NH3 was necessary for Al, Cr and Se. Collision with Helium could reduce polyatomic interference effectively for Mg, V, Mn, Fe, Ni, Co, Ga and As. The reliability of the method was tested using serum reference materials (ClinChek® − Control, Level I and Level II). Finally, 83 serum samples from healthy individuals were analyzed in this work, which provided important reference value for diagnosis of diseases caused by elements disorder.