Determination of zinc in serum, blood, and ultrafiltrate fluid from patients on hemofiltration by graphite furnace/atomic absorption spectroscopy or flow injection analysis/atomic absorption spectroscopy.

Two methods were optimized for the determination of zinc in samples of blood, serum, and ultrafiltrate fluid from patients with chronic renal impairment undergoing hemofiltration. In the first procedure, after acid digestion of the samples, Zn in blood and serum is determined by a system coupled to flow injection analysis and atomic absorption spectroscopy. The method is rapid, automated, simple, needs small amounts of sample, and has acceptable analytical characteristics.