Total platinum concentration and platinum oxidation states in body fluids, tissue, and explants from women exposed to silicone and saline breast implants by IC-ICPMS

Ion chromatography-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry was used to determine the total platinum concentration and platinum oxidation states in samples from women exposed to silicone and saline breast implants. Samples included the following: whole blood, urine, hair, nails, sweat, brain tissue, breast milk, and explants. Mean Pt concentration in samples from women exposed to silicone breast implants were as follows: whole blood, 568.1 +/- 74.77 pmol/L (n = 9); urine, 1.77 +/- 0.847 mug/g of creatinine (n = 10); hair, 2.13 +/- 2.984 ng/g (n = 9); nails, 0.88 +/- 0.335 ng/g (n = 9); sweat, 1.90 +/- 1.691 ng/g (n = 9); breast milk, 1.09 +/- 0.316 mug/L (n = 6). Pt in explanted silicone breast implant gel (n = 9) occurred mainly in the +2, +4, and +6 oxidation states. Pt in whole blood (n = 7) and breast milk samples (n = 6) from women exposed to silicone breast implants occurred mainly in the +2 and +4 oxidation states. Saline breast implant fluid (n = 2) did not contain detectable levels of Pt. This is the most comprehensive report, to date, to show that women exposed to silicone breast implants have Pt levels that exceed that of the general population, and the first report, to date, to document the various Pt oxidation states present in samples from women exposed to silicone breast implants.