The objective of this study was to determine the concentration and the reference ranges of essential and toxic elements in amniotic fluid (AF) and maternal serum (MS) at birth. This study was conducted among 175 healthy pregnant Caucasian European women aged 18–42. AF and maternal blood samples were collected during delivery. An inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) technique was used to determine the levels of Mg, Co, Cu, Zn, Sr, Cd, Ba, Pb, U, Ca, Cr, Al, Mn, V, Fe, As, Se and Sb in AF and MS. The range of reference values was calculated for all analyzed elements in the serum and AF. The mean concentrations of elements, except Pb, were generally higher in MS than in AF. Multiple regression analysis showed that the maternal/newborn body mass (MBM/NBM) ratio was a strong negative predictor (among maternal age and gravidity) of Mg concentration in amniotic fluid. In the serum, MBN/NBM ratio was a strong positive predictor of Cu concentration. Moreover, regression analysis showed that maternal age was an independent positive predictor of the Se level in maternal serum. The reference value ranges of 18 essential and toxic elements were established in AF and MS among a population of healthy pregnant Polish women at delivery. The level of Mg, Co, Cu, Ca and Se in AF and MS can be determined by maternal age and MBM/NBM ratio. These results can be useful in counseling individuals with pregnancies affected by exposure to one of the parameters under investigation.

The main aim of the research was to develop a complementary analytical approach consisting of bespoke speciation analysis and non-targeted speciation analysis of As, Sb, and Cr in flavored bottled drinking water samples using HPLC/ICP-DRC-MS and ESI-MS/MS. The scope of two previously developed analytical procedures, (1) multielemental speciation procedure for As^III, As^V, Cr^VI, Sb^III, and Sb^V analysis and (2) arsenic speciation procedure for AsB, As^III, DMA, MMA, and As^V quantification, was extended to the analysis of a new sample type in terms of bespoke speciation analysis. As for the non-targeted speciation, analysis size exclusion chromatography was used with ICP-MS and a complementary technique, ESI-MS/MS, was used for the organic species of As, Sb, and Cr screening. Full validation of procedures 1 and 2 was conducted. Procedure 1 and 2 were characterized with precision values in the range from 2.5% to 5.5% and from 3.6% to 7.2%, respectively. Obtained recoveries ranged from 97% to 106% and from 99% to 106% for procedures 1 and 2, respectively. Expanded uncertainties calculated for procedures 1 and 2 ranged from 6.1% to 9.4% and from 7.4% to 9.9%, respectively. The applicability of the proposed procedures was tested on bottled drinking water samples. Results for the real samples in procedure 1 were in the range from 0.286 ± 0.027 [μg L⁻¹] to 0.414 ± 0.039 [μg L⁻¹] for As^III, from 0.900 ± 0.083 [μg L⁻¹] to 3.26 ± 0.30 [μg L⁻¹] for As^V, and from 0.201 ± 0.012 [μg L⁻¹] to 0.524 ± 0.032 [μg L⁻¹] for Sb^V. Cr^VI and Sb^III were not detected in any sample. As for procedure 2, results were in the range from 0.0541 ± 0.0053 [μg L⁻¹] to 0.554 ± 0.054 [μg L⁻¹] for AsB. Results for As^III and As^V obtained with procedure 2 were in good accordance with results obtained with procedure 1. DMA and MMA were not detected in any sample.