Efficient extraction and analysis method for lead-containing nanoparticles in complex biological samples to eliminate "false" interferences by using SP-ICP-MS

Qinfei Zhou; Lihong Liu; Junhui Zhang; Haozhong Tian; Hua Guo; Zhenhua Wang; Yong Liang; Bin He; Ligang Hu; Guibin Jiang

doi:10.1016/j.talanta.2024.127372

Efficient extraction and analysis method for lead-containing nanoparticles in complex biological samples to eliminate "false" interferences by using SP-ICP-MS

Talanta. 2024 Dec 17:285:127372. doi: 10.1016/j.talanta.2024.127372. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Qinfei Zhou¹, Lihong Liu², Junhui Zhang¹, Haozhong Tian¹, Hua Guo³, Zhenhua Wang⁴, Yong Liang⁵, Bin He⁶, Ligang Hu⁷, Guibin Jiang⁶

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
² State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China. Electronic address: lhliu@rcees.ac.cn.
³ School of Environment, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, China.
⁴ Shandong Analysis and Test Center, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan, 250014, China.
⁵ Institute of Environment and Health, Jianghan University, Wuhan 430056, China.
⁶ State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China; School of Environment, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, China.
⁷ State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China; School of Environment, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, China; Institute of Environment and Health, Jianghan University, Wuhan 430056, China.

PMID: 39693865
DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2024.127372

Abstract

Metal-containing nanoparticles (MNPs) ubiquitously exist in the environment and organisms, playing distinct roles in the fate and toxicity of metals. However, the extraction and analysis of the MNPs in biological samples is still a great challenge and the interferences of other metal species and complex matrices remains unclear. In this work, we established a method for efficient extraction and accurate analysis of MNPs in biological samples to eliminate the interference caused by metal ions and biological matrices based on the alkali extraction and single particle mode inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (SP-ICP-MS). Obvious interference signals of lead-containing nanoparticles (PbNPs) were found in various biological matrices (liver, brain, bile, intestine, stomach), causing false positive results or overestimation of PbNPs. Then, a novel strategy using EDTA and ultrasonic during the TMAH extraction process were proposed to successfully eliminate the interferences due to the strong and competitively binding of EDTA to Pb ions, which was identified as ionic signals in SP-ICP-MS and resulted in the elimination of interferences. Finally, this method was successfully applied for the extraction, characterization and quantification of PbNPs in different biological tissues collected near a power plant, revealing the occurrence of PbNPs in stomach, intestine and liver tissues and indicating their oral exposure and potential translocation. This method could be universally applied for the efficient extraction and accurate analysis of MNPs in biological samples and thus provided a reliable and powerful tool for the investigation of the occurrence, fate and toxicity of MNPs in environmental and organisms.

Keywords: Biological matrices; Extraction; Interferences; Lead-containing nanoparticles; SP-ICP-MS.