Facile Chip-Based Array Monolithic Microextraction System Online Coupled with ICPMS for Fast Analysis of Trace Heavy Metals in Biological Samples

Trace heavy metals have great impact on biological system; therefore, it is essential to develop suitable analytical methods for the determination of trace heavy metals in biological samples to elucidate their biochemical and physiological functions in organisms. Herein, we presented a chip-based array monolithic microextraction system and combined it with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS) for online analysis of trace Hg, Pb, and Bi in real-world biological samples. Six ethylenediamine modified poly(glycidyl methacrylate-co-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) (poly(GMA-co-EDMA-NH2)) capillary monolithic columns were embedded parallelly in micro channels of a microfluidic chip for array monolithic microextraction. Various parameters affecting the chip-based array monolithic microextraction of target metals were investigated. The sample throughput of the proposed method was 16 h(-1), with the limits of detection for Hg, Pb, and Bi of 23, 12, and 13 ng L-1 respectively. The developed method was validated by the determination of trace Hg, Pb, and Bi in HepG2 cells and human urine samples, and the recoveries for the spiked samples were in the range of 90.4-102%. This chip-based array monolithic microextraction system is easy to prepare, and the proposed online analytical system provides a new platform for trace elements analysis in biological samples with the merits of high sample throughput, high sensitivity, and low sample/reagents consumption.