HEAVY METALS CLEARANCE WITH USE OF CALCIUM ALGINATE

Abstract

Transportation and accumulation of heavy metals in bodies, even in small doses, threatens health of millions of people, especially children. The aim of our study was to determine heavy metals content in hair, urine and feces of urban preschool children and to study effectiveness of calcium alginate nutritional supplements for correction of trace-element disorders. We determined the levels of cadmium (Cd), and strontium (Sr) in hair, urine and feces of 50 children (aged 5-7 years) using the method of atomic absorption spectrometry. We have found that the medians of substance content in urine were 102.17 and 0.12 pg/l for Sr and Cd respectively. In hair, the medians were 2.30 and 0.16 pg/g for Sr and Cd respectively. Then, we have divided 42 children into two groups: the Control group, and the Alginate group. For correction of trace-element disorders, we provided the children of the Alginate group with calcium alginate nutritional supplements during four weeks (600 mg per day). The results have shown that in their hair at the end of the observation period, the medians were 1.35 and 0.07 pg/g for Sr and Cd respectively. In urine and feces, the levels of heavy metals were not significantly different in the Control group and the Alginate group. Calcium alginate can be recommended for prevention and treatment of heavy metals poisoning.