Iodine speciation using thin-layer chromatography coupled to inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry by means of an extraction device

Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) has been coupled to inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) using an extraction device, which allows a nearly complete recovery of compounds from thin-layer chromatograms within short extraction times, small volumes and without contamination. Iodinated X-ray contrast agents were separated and analyzed with the newly developed setup. Iodine speciation analysis was carried out with deviations between the expected and the measured concentrations in spiked urine samples from 3.2 to 16.6%. TLC was coupled to ICP-MS by means of an extraction device, which allows the quantitative recovery of sample spots from TLC plates within short extraction times, small volumes and without contamination.