Content Of Elements In Hair Research Articles

The scalp hair as a monitor for trace elements in biomonitoring of atmospheric pollution

The chemical element contents in scalp hair of 80 apparently healthy 15- to 58-year-old citizens (36 females and 44 males) of a non-industrial region in the Central European part of Russia were investigated by Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) and Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometry (ICP-AES). The summary of statistics, arithmetic mean, standard deviation, standard error of mean, minimum and maximum values, median, percentiles with 0.025 and 0.975 levels for mass fraction of 44 chemical elements: Ag, Al, As, Au, Ba, Br, Ca, Cd, Ce, Cl, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Eu, Fe, Gd, Hf, Hg, I, K, La, Li, Lu, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Nd, P, Pb, Rb, Sb, Sc, Se, Sm, Sr, Ta, Tb, Th, Tm, V, Yb and Zn, were determined for hair of females, males and both females and males taken together. The correlations between element contents in hair and bone are also presented.

The Prediction of Cardiovascular Disease Based on Trace Element Contents in Hair and a Classifier of Boosting Decision Stumps

The early discovery of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is crucial for performing successful treatments. This study aims at exploring the feasibility of Adaboost (ensemble from machining learning) using decision stumps as weak classifier, combined with trace element analysis of hair, for accurately predicting early CVD. A total of 124 hair samples composed of two groups of samples (one is healthy group from 100 healthy persons aged 24-72 while the other is patient group from 24 cardiovascular disease patients aged 36-81) were used. Nine kinds of trace elements, i.e., chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), selenium (Se), iron (Fe), aluminum (Al), and nickel (Ni), were selected. In a preliminary analysis, no obvious linear correlations between elements can be observed and the concentration of Cr, Fe, Al, Cd, Ni, or Se for healthy group is higher than that for patient group while the opposite is true for Mn, Cu, or Zn, indicating that both low Se/Fe and high Mn/Cu can be identified as major risk factors. Based on the proposed approach, the final ensemble classifier, constructed on the training set and contained only four decision stumps, achieved an overall identification accuracy of 95.2%, a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 94% on the independent test set. The results suggested that integrating Adaboost and trace element analysis of hair sample can serve as a useful tool of diagnosing CVD in clinical practice.

The influence of living habits and family relationships on element concentrations in human hair

The paper discusses the content of elements in hair of subjects studied over several years. The study was performed on 5 subjects ( N = 28) that lived together or were family related. The elemental composition of hair of the studied subjects was compared with the average content of the population living in the same urban area (Wrocław city, south-west Poland), with the population of a non-industrialized area in Poland (Silesian Beskid), as well as with the population of north-east Sweden and Rio de Janeiro. When comparing the composition of hair from the studied subjects with the people living in the same city, it was found that the differences resulted mainly from different living habits (Na, Si, Co, Fe, Mn, Zn) and local exposure (Pb, Cd, Al). When comparing with the reference material for unexposed population, it was found that the studied subjects were exposed to Al. Time profile of element contents in hair of a given person showed that the level changed significantly (even several fold) with changes of living habits or environmental exposure. Also, it was found that there were similar tendencies in the accumulation of the majority of elements by people that lived together. The effect of living habits on the level of a given element was found to be stronger than the influence of either sex or family relationship. The paper also discusses inter-element interactions within the studied group. Statistically significant ( p < 0.05) correlations were found between elements that occur together: Ca–Mg, Fe–Mn, Na–K, Co–K, Au–Pt, Cd–Pb. In order to determine the influence of various elements on the content of another element, linear multiple regression was performed that revealed the following relationships: Ca = f(Mn, Sr), Na = f(K, Mn), K = f(V, Ti).

Determination of Hair Element Content in Iranian Population Using INAA

Hair samples were collected from 100 healthy people residing in Esfahan, Iran. The concentration of fourteen elements (Al, Br, Ca, Cl, Cu, Hg, I, K, Mg, Mn, Na, S, V, Zn) were determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). The statistical results show that there are significant interrelations between some element such as: (Al-Mn, Al-V, Mg-Ca, Mn-V) and also there is no significant age correlation with any element. In addition, the results of this study are compared with the results obtained in England and New Zealand.

Trace element contents in hair of residents from Harbin (China), Medan (Indonesia), and Tokushima (Japan).

The concentrations of 19 trace element in hair samples from 1273 residents of Harbin (China), Medan (Indonesia), and Tokushima (Japan) were measured by inductively coupled plasma emission spectrometry. The mean concentrations of Ba, Ca, and Se were significantly higher in the Harbin hair samples when compared to those from Medan, but Al, B, Cu, Fe, Mn, Na, Pb, Ti, Zn, and K were significantly higher in Medan than in Harbin hair samples. The differences in the mean concentrations of As, Cr, Mg, P, Sn, and Sr between the Medan and Harbin lots were not significant. In the Tokushima hair samples, Na and K were significantly higher, but As, B, Ba, Ca, Cr, Mg, Mn, Pb, Sn, Sr, and Se were significantly lower than in the Harbin hair samples. The differences in the mean concentrations of Al, Cu, Fe, P, Ti, and Zn between Harbin and Tokushima were not significant. In the Medan hair samples, Al, As, B, Ba, Ca, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Pb, Sn, Sr, Ti, and Zn were significantly higher, but P and Se were significantly lower than in Tokushima hair samples. Differences in mean concentrations of Na and K between Tokushima and Medan were not significant.

Study of hair element content from an urban Bulgarian population using NAA assessment of environmental status

In this preliminary study, scalp hair samples from 36 individuals resident in Sofia, Bulgaria, were analysed and Ag, Al, As, Au, Ba, Br, Ca, Cd, Ce, Cl, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, F, Fe, Hg, I, K, La, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, Rb, S, Sb, Sc, Se, Sn, Sr, Ti, V, W, and Zn were determined. Instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) methods were used. Three washing procedures.: distilled-deionised water; acidacetone-water; and Triton X-100 detergent-water, showed a variable elemental change strongly dependent on the procedure used. More than 18 elements (Al, As, Ba, Ca, Ce, Cl, Co, Cs, F, Fe, I, K, La, Mo, Na, Ni, Sb, Sc, Sr and V) were easily removed by water-washing. Triton X-100 detergent was more effective in removing Ag, As, Au, Cl, Cs, K, Na and Rb; but not Hg. Only S and Zn were strongly incorporated in the hair structure (less than 10% being removable by any washing technique). There is no significant age correlation with any element between the various hair treatment groups. Elevated cadmium levels were found in the hair of smokers (0.711–4.913 μg/g Cd) compared with nonsmokers (0.568–2.681 μg/g Cd). Comparison of the elemental data for distilled water-washed hair and studies from Oxford, England and Hastings, and Hastings, New Zealand (using the same INAA method) revealed interesting variations dependent on local industrial and nutritional factors.

Neutron Activation Analysis of Human Hair

As a part of IAEA research project, "Activation analysis of hair as an indicator of contamination of man by environmental trace element pollutants", a survey was carried out to elucidate the levels of various trace element concentrations in hair of local population in the Tokyo Metropolitan areas, by applying instrumental neutron activation analysis. A total of 202 scalp hair samples were collected from the inhabitants classified by sex and five age classes. Irradiation was made in the Rikkyo University 100 kW TRIGA MARK-II reactor. Using several combinations of irradiation time, cooling time and counting time, forty elements were determined. The relationship between several trace element contents in hair and such factors as sex, age class, hair treatment, smoking habit and dental treatment, was analyzed by using the method of multiple regression. It was shown that (1) Hair treatment had a predominant effect on the contents of bromine, magnesium and calcium in hair, (2) Aging and smoking contributed increasing mercury content in hair, and hair treatment acted reversely.

Multielement neutron activation analysis of human scalp hair a local population survey in the Tokyo metropolitan area

Applying instrumental neutron activation analysis, multielement analysis of human hair was carried out to elucidate the levels of various trace element concentrations in hair of local population in the Tokyo metropolitan area. 202 hair samples were collected from the inhabitants classified by sex and five age groups. Using several combinations of irradiation time, cooling time and counting time, forty elements were quantitatively analyzed. The method of analysis for data including samples under detection limit is discussed, assuming that the frequanecy distribution of trace element contents in hair is log-normal.

Activation Analysis of Human Head Hair. IV. : Variation in Trace Element Contents in Hair with the Lapse of Time

Activation Analysis of Human Head Hair. IV. : Variation in Trace Element Contents in Hair with the Lapse of Time