Monitoring method for uranium concentration and chemical form in the droplet of rat serum.

A simple monitoring method has been proposed by measuring uranium (U) concentration and its chemical form in serum. The droplet of the 1 µL rat serum specimen was then examined by subjecting it to high energy synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (SR-XRF) and X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) to determine the concentration and chemical form of U. The detection limit of U in 1 µL droplet was calculated to be 0.071 µg/g. The U concentration in the specimen obtained from the rat exposed to U was consistent with that determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Uranium in the rat serum was estimated to be hexavalent U based on the standard specimens of tetravalent and hexavanet U. This method developed might be used for monitoring and decorporation of patients at nuclear disasters and environmental pollution.