Chloric acid digestion in the determination of trace metals (Fe, Zn and Cu) in brain and hair by atomic absorption spectrophotometry

A simple chloric acid digestion technique for tissue and subsequent quantitation of Fe, Zn and Cu in the digest by atomic absorption spectrophotometry is described. The digestion is carried out in a heating block, requires little attention and permits the handling of large numbers of samples. The diluted digest is used for direct analysis of Fe, Zn and Cu. For low concentrations of Cu, solvent extraction of the digest is employed and Cu is assayed in the organic phase. The precision of the technique for the determination of Fe, Zn and Cu in brain tissue and hair is presented.