Vanadium determination at the ultra-trace level in biological reference materials and serum by radiochemical neutron activation analysis

In order to help resolve present inconsistencies of two orders of magnitude or more in reported levels of vanadium in human serum and blood, a totally postirradiation radiochemical neutron activation analysis (NAA) method was further developed and applied to some pertinent nanogram and subnanogram reference materials. In particular, the second generation human serum reference material of Versieck was found to contain a value of 0.67±0.05 ng/g dry wt., corresponding to 0.061±0.005/4/ (see Table 1) ng/mL original fresh serum. Results are also reported for some other appropriate CRMs. Additionally, a small-scale study in 10 normal subjects (5 m, 5 f) revealed levels similar to those in the serum reference material and in agreement with the lowest data reported in the literature. Discussion of pitfalls of vanadium determination and the use of reference materials is included.