Chromium in biology

Davidson, I. W. F. and Secrest, W. L. "Determination of Chromium In Biological Materials by Atomic Absorption Spectrometry Using a Graphite Furnace Atomizer". Anal. 

Booth, G. H., Darby, W. J. Determination by gas-liquid chromatography of physiological levels of chromium in biological tissues. Anal. Chem. 43, 831 (1971). 

Analytical Methods for Determining Chromium in Biological Materials... 

Table 6-1. Analytical Methods for Determining Chromium in Biological Materials (continued) ... 

The problem of developing accurate data for chromium in biological samples is further complicated by the lack of Standard Reference Materials (SRM). Only recently have chromium certified materials, such as brewer s yeast (SRM-1569), bovine liver (SRM-1577), human serum (SRM-909), urine (SRM-2670), orchard leaves (SRM-1571), spinach leaves (SRM-1570), pine needles (SRM-1575), oyster tissue (SRM-1566), and tomato leaves (SRM-1573) been issued by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (formerly the National Bureau of Standards). Because of the lack of SRMs, the less recent data should be interpreted with caution (EPA 1984a), unless the data are verified by interlaboratory studies. 

Greenberg RR, Zeisler R. 1988. A radiochemical procedure for ultratrace determination of chromium in biological materials. J Radioanaly Nucl Chem 124(l) 5-20. 

The procedures described above using FA AS are suitable for samples with chromium content > 2 mg kg-1. To determine the very low (jug kg-1) natural levels, resort must be made to techniques involving chelation—solvent extraction [189,195] and/or EAAS [196—198]. No procedure for jug kg-1 levels of chromium in biological tissues has yet reached official status. 

Diphenylcarbazide has been used for determining chromium in biological samples [71,72], water [16,18,73-77], soil [78,79], industrial waste waters [80], wood [81], various minerals [24,82,83], ilmenite [84], sapphires and rubies [85], tin [86], palladium 87], rhenium and its compounds [88], cerium dioxide [89], and salts of alkali metals [6]. 

Ottaway, J.M. and Fell, G.S. (1986) Determination of chromium in biological fluids. Pure AppI, Chem. 58,1707. 

The life scientist interested in the concentration, distribution and speciation of chromium in biological systems is in need of reliable and precise analytical data. These can only be obtained by applying first of all a representative sampling and handling procedure, followed by the correct use of an analytical technique with suitable sensitivity. Finally, the bias of the whole method can be tested by analyzing biological standard reference materials, certified for chromium at comparable levels as the unknowns. 

This section intends to give a survey of the more common analytical methods used in the determination of chromium in biological materials. The criteria which will be evaluated include precision, sensitivity, specificity and speed of analysis. 

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