Sodium and Potassium Levels - Lab Report Example

Introduction Sodium and potassium are cations that are found in the extracellular fluids such as blood plasma and intracellular fluids respectively and play an important role particularly in the brain, heart, muscle, heart and nervous system. They are involved in several body processes. For instance, sodium maintains normal body fluid levels in the body and blood pressure while potassium plays a vital function to the heart and in contraction of the skeletal and smooth muscle for the muscular and digestive function. In healthy individuals, the body is able to maintain fairly constant levels of sodium and potassium by balancing intestinal absorption with urinary excretion. However, severe malfunction of the heart and the nervous system can be caused by significant excess of the elements in the body. Abnormally high or low levels of sodium or potassium can be caused by excess use of diuretic drugs, poor diet or impaired kidney function. These conditions may lead to nausea, seizures, lethargy, irregular heartbeat, coma and even death in severe cases. Although cases of deliberate poisoning using sodium and potassium, they are readily and widely available in a salt form. Potassium chloride solution can be administered through intravenous injection and have been used in euthanasia and political assassinations. Sodium and potassium levels can be monitored using flame photometry. The analytical technique is a simple form of atomic spectroscopy that depends on the atomic emission process. The solution of the sample is drawn into a flame which is sufficiently hot to cause atomization and electronic excitation of certain elements. They emit visible radiation at wavelengths that are specific to that element as the atoms return to their ground state. The radiation is isolated by an appropriate filter and converted to an electrical current that is proportional to the intensity of the emitted radiation therefore determining the concentration of the element. Flame photometers are relatively cheap and portable but can only determine alkaline and alkaline earth metals such as sodium, potassium, lithium barium and lithium (Chawla, 2003). This experiment is aimed to measure the concentrations of sodium and potassium by use of flame photometry in a range of samples in connection to fictitious criminal investigation. An 18 month old infant, Master Nathaniel Carbuncle, was admitted to a hospital intensive care unit suffering from nausea and fatigue, a slow heartbeat and weak pulse. The child was found to have an abnormal blood electrolyte balance, and the Doctors became concerned that the child might have been poisoned. The police were called in and a criminal investigation was opened. The child’s parents, Mr and Mrs Carbuncle, were subsequently arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. Amongst the items sent to the forensic laboratory for examination were; a sample of powdered follow-on milk taken from the child’s home, and a control sample of powdered follow-on milk purchased from a local supermarket. These are detailed in Table 1. Evidence Number Description of Evidence DPP02 Follow-on milk powder taken from the kitchen of number 15 Elderberry Way, home of Mr. and Mrs. Carbuncle DPP15 Control sample of follow-on milk powder purchased from a local supermarket Table 1: Sample of powdered follow-on milk taken from the childs home and a control sample of follow-up milk powder purchased from a local supermarket. Method The procedure was carried out in duplicates for each of the samples of follow-on milk powder. 0.2g of milk powder was accurately weighed out into a 100ml beaker. 10ml of deionized water was added followed by 10ml of concentrated nitric acid. The beakers were placed carefully on a hot plate. The solutions were boiled and simmered gently for 20 minutes. They were removed from the heat and allowed to cool. To each beaker, 10ml of deionized water was added and then filtered into a 50ml volumetric flask. It was diluted to volume with deionized water. Two series of calibration standards containing 0, 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100mg/l of sodium and 0, 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100mg/l of potassium were prepared in 100ml volumetric flasks. The first standard was purely of deionized water and was the same. The second standard was determined for sodium; Using C1V1=C2V2 C1 = 1000mg/l V1 =? C2 = 20mg/l V2 = 100 ml 20mg/L X 100mL = 2ml needed to make this standard 1000mg/L This was repeated for each standard. Results and calculation The Flame photometer was calibrated by setting the emission reading at zero while aspirating the blank solution. The values of the emission intensity for each of the calibration standards and unknowns in turn. The procedure was repeated for potassium analysis. Concentration (mg/l) Emission intensity (nm) 0 0 20 74 40 127 60 160 80 190 100 216 1 DPP02 2 DPP02 38 49 1 DPP15 2 DPP15 28 38 Table 2: The emission intensity values of the calibration standards and unknowns for sodium analysis Concentration (mg/l) Emission intensity (nm) 0 0 20 70 40 122 60 162 80 188 100 207 1 DPP02 2 DPP02 206 147 1 DPP15 2 DPP15 51 63 Table 3: The emission intensity values for each of the calibration standards and unknowns for potassium analysis Figure 1: Calibration graph of emission intensity versus concentration for sodium Figure 2: Calibration graph of emission intensity versus concentration for potassium For sodium DPP02; y = 41.743x - 18.267 38 + 18.267 = 41.743x X = 1.3479 mg/l 49 + 18.267 = 41.743x X = 1.6115 mg/l Average DPP02 graph value for sodium concentration 1.4797 mg/l 1.4797 x 50 = 0.073985 mg in the 0.2g of powder used to make the solution 1000 0.073985 mg/ 0.2g = 0.369925mg/g sodium in DPP02 Sodium DPP15; y = 41.743x - 18.267 28 + 18.267 = 41.743x X = 1.1084 mg/l 38 + 18.267 = 41.743x X = 1.3479 mg/l Average DPP15 graph value for sodium concentration 1.22815 mg/l 1.22815 mg/l x 50 = 0.0614mg in the 0.2g of powder used to make the solution 1000 0.0614mg/0.2g = 0.3070 mg/g sodium in DPP15 For potassium DPP02 y = 40.829x – 18.067 206 + 18.067 = 40.829x X = 5.4879 mg/l 147 + 18.067 = 40.829x X = 4.0429 mg/l Average DPP02 graph value for potassium concentration 4.7654 mg/l 4.7654mg/l x 50 = 0.23827mg in the 0.2g of powder used to make the solution 1000 0.23827mg / 0.2 = 1.19135 mg/g potassium in DPP02 For potassium DPP15 y = 40.829x – 18.067 51 + 18.067 = 40.829x X = 1.6916 63 + 18.067 = 40.829x X = 1.9855 Average potassium DPP15 graph value for potassium concentration 1.8385 mg/l 1.8385mg/l x 50 = 0.09192 mg in the 0.2 of powder used to make the solution 1000 0.09192mg / 0.2g = 0.4596 mg/g potassium in DPP15 Discussion Findings show that 0.369925mg/g sodium and 1.19135 mg/g potassium in the follow-on milk powder taken from the kitchen, 0.3070 mg/g sodium and 0.4596 mg/g potassium in follow-on milk powder purchased from a local supermarket. This indicates that the sodium and potassium levels in the follow-on milk powder were significantly high when compared to the control samples from the supermarket. Sodium burns in air to in a yellow flame to form a white solid called sodium oxide. When sodium oxide is dissolved in water to make an alkaline solution. Sodium toxicity has been known for a long time and may be found in table salt, rock salt or salty water bodies such as seas and oceans. Sea divers have knowledge of the adverse effects that can be caused by drinking sea water. Elevated sodium in the blood to more than 20mmol/l or over 145 mmol/l and is referred to as hypernatremia. Elevated levels of sodium concentration could lead to relative decrease in water concentration caused by shift of water from intracellular to the extracellular compartment. Polydipsia and increase in antidiuretic hormone (ADH) are physiological mechanisms. ADH decreases diuresis therefore minimizing water loss thereby maintaining homeostasis. The clinical symptoms include lethargy, seizure, weakness, nausea and vomiting which was also observed in the child (Kupiec, et al., 2004). Potassium poisoning is referred to as hyperkalemia (Bosse, et al., 2011). Potassium causes depolarization of the myocardial cell and the cell of the sinoatrial node. Increase in potassium levels disrupts polarization and depolarization of both the myocardial cell and the function of the sinoatrial node. (Battefort, et al., 2012). Symptoms of potassium poisoning include, muscle weakness and vomiting. Therefore, Mr and Mrs Carbuncle, could be guilty of murder due to the significantly levels of sodium and potassium in the follow-on milk powder that caused abnormal electrolyte balance in the child. Conclusion Sodium and potassium are useful electrolyte in the body processes. However, an excess of both could lead to adverse effects such as coma and death. Flame photometry is a useful analytical technique that can be used to monitor electrolyte imbalance for toxicological analysis. In this regard, the test can be used to exonerate or implicate suspects of sodium and potassium poisoning in criminal investigations. Bibliography Battefort, F. et al., 2012. Suicide Attempt by Intravenous Potassium Self-Poisoning: A case Report. Case Reports in Emergency Medicine, pp. 1-3. Bosse, G. M., Platt, M. A., Anderson, S. D. & Presley, M. W., 2011. Acute oral potassium oversode: the role of hemodialysis. Journal of Medical Toxicology, 7(1), pp. 52-56. Chawla, R., 2003. Practical clinical biochemistry: methods and interpretations. 3rd ed. New Delhi: Jaypee Bros. Medical Publications. Kupiec, T. C., Goldenring, J. M. & Raj, V., 2004. A non-fatal case of sodium toxicity. Journal of Analytical Toxicology, 28(6), pp. 526-8. Read More