Technical and clinical aspects of spectrometric analysis of trace elements in clinical samples.

Principles and techniques of atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS), atomic emission spectrometry (AES), neutron activation analysis (NAA), and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) are discussed with emphasis on analysis of trace elements in biological samples such as body fluids and tissues. The applications and variations of ICP-MS are detailed from hardware to correction for interferences. Reference ranges for blood and 24 hour urine are cited.