Trace element indices in hair and saliva of school children

Abstract

Evaluation of essential trace elements in hair and saliva is gradually being accepted as a useful tool in both scientific research and the diagnoses of disease. The normal concentration of these trace elements in hair and saliva; iron, zinc, copper, manganese were determined in 265 healthy children (7-9y). The concentration of these trace elements in hair and saliva were in (Hair: Fe 28.47±0.70mg/kg; Zn 172.08±4.49mg/kg; Cu 21.03±0.79kg; Mn 1.30±0.05kg and Saliva: Fe 1.06±0.03mg; Zn 0.64±0.39mg; Cu 0.19±0.09mg; Mn 0.11±0.00 nmol/L). There was a significant high levels of trace element in hair but reduced concentration in saliva samples when compared with the reference means (P<0.05 in each case). There is correlation between Zn concentration in saliva and Zn concentration in hair (P<0.05). There is also a relatively low level of Mn in saliva compared with the proportion that meets the thresholds (0.11±0.003nmol/l) in the children. In comparing samples levels with some other parameters there is no significant correlation between them, also the anthropometric data and socioeconomic status of children had no effect on the levels of these elements in hair and saliva. The results indicate the possibility of assessing the presence of these elements using non-invasive methods in the absence of contamination and thus substantiate the potential of hair and saliva as a biomarker but could not ascertain the exact tolerable levels of the elements in children.