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The applicability of evacuated serological tubes for the collection of breath for isotopic analysis of CO 2 by isotope ratio mass spectrometry
Author(s) -
Milne Eric,
McGaw Brian A.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
biomedical and environmental mass spectrometry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.475
H-Index - 121
eISSN - 1096-9888
pISSN - 0887-6134
DOI - 10.1002/bms.1200150902
Subject(s) - vacutainer , reproducibility , isotope ratio mass spectrometry , mass spectrometry , chemistry , isotope analysis , chromatography , isotope , analytical chemistry (journal) , ecology , physics , quantum mechanics , biology
Stable isotope ratio mass spectrometry was used for the analysis of 13 C and 18 O in CO 2 of human breath collected in evacuated serological tubes (Vacutainer® and Venoject®) and in gas sample bottles. There was a 1–2‰ 0 difference between the δ 13 C PDB values obtained from breath CO 2 collected in gas bottles and that collected in two batches of Vacutainer. δ 18 O PDB differed between Vacutainers and gas bottles by as much as 14% 0 and standard deviations within the two batches of Vacutainer were 0.7 and 1.8% 0 . The poor reproducibility and accuracy for the δ 18 O PDB values was caused by the presence of a contaminant which originated from the rubber septa of the Vacutainers. The results show that it is not possible to obtain δ 18 O PDB values with a high degree of accuracy or precision for breath samples collected in Vacutainers. However, with selection of less contaminated or re‐evacuated batches, δ 13 C PDB analysis of breath CO 2 in Vacutainers may provide acceptable accuracy and precision. δ 13 C PDB and δ 18 O PDB values measured in breath collected in non‐sterile Venoject tubes were also significantly different from those obtained with gas bottles. However, the accuracy and precision of these determinations were considerably better than in sterilized Vacutainer tubes. As a result of these comparisons it is concluded that gas bottles are necessary for the full accuracy and precision of stable isotope ratio analysis mass spectrometers to be exploited in breath CO 2 analysis. However, automated analysis of breath CO 2 collected in non‐sterile Venoject tubes will provide an accuracy and precision that is suitable for most biological studies.