Infrared and atomic spectrometry analysis of the mineral composition of a series of equine sabulous material samples and urinary calculi

Abstract

Atomic spectrometry has been used in 20 samples of equine urinary sabulous deposits in order to detect minor elements accompanying the predominant element, calcium, which is present in the form of calcium carbonate (calcite and/or vaterite). The elements measured have been (besides calcium) magnesium, sodium, potassium, iron, copper and manganese. Phosphates, sulphates and silica are frequently present as minor constituents of equine urinary sabulous deposits and uroliths, but their detection can be difficult by infrared (IR) spectroscopy in the original samples due to overlapping with the bands of calcium carbonate. For that reason, the calcination residues of six urinary calculi and 33 samples of sabulous material have been studied by IR spectroscopy and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis. The results confirm the presence of the above mentioned minor constituents in most samples studied.