Determination of iron, cobalt, nickel, manganese, zinc, copper, cadmium and lead in human hair by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry

https://estudogeral.sib.uc.pt/bitstream/10316/5387/1/filecfda528e76514542acb0d17442afe83f.pdf

Scalp hair analysis as a tool in assessing human exposure to heavy metals (S. Domingos mine, Portugal)

Removal of exogenously bound elements from human hair by various washing procedures and determination by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

ContextHair mineral analysis is being used by health care practitioners and
promoted by laboratories as a clinical assessment tool and to identify toxic
exposures, despite a 1985 study that found poor reliability for this test.ObjectiveTo assess whether the reliability of data from commercial laboratories
advertising multimineral hair analyses for nutritional or toxicity assessment
has improved since the 1985 study.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsA split hair sample taken from near the scalp of a single healthy volunteer
was submitted for analysis to 6 commercial US laboratories, which analyze
90% of samples submitted for mineral analysis in the United States.Main Outcome MeasuresAgreement of test results for each analyte, laboratory reference ranges,
laboratory characteristics, and interpretation of health implications.ResultsLaboratory differences in highest and lowest reported mineral concentrations
for the split sample exceeded 10-fold for 12 minerals, and statistically significant
(P<.05) extreme values were reported for 14 of
the 31 minerals that were analyzed by 3 or more laboratories. Variations also
were found in laboratory sample preparation methods and calibration standards.
Laboratory designations of normal reference ranges varied greatly, resulting
in conflicting classifications (high, normal, or low) of nearly all analyzed
minerals. Laboratories also provided conflicting dietary and nutritional supplement
recommendations based on their results.ConclusionsHair mineral analysis from these laboratories was unreliable, and we
recommend that health care practitioners refrain from using such analyses
to assess individual nutritional status or suspected environmental exposures.
Problems with the regulation and certification of these laboratories also
should be addressed.

Assessment of commercial laboratories performing hair mineral analysis.

Elemental analysis of hair might seem to be an attractive approach to the assessment of trace element status. Sample collection is noninvasive and, once obtained, further handling is simple and straightforward. Concentrations of trace elements in hair are often considerably higher than in blood or other samples and subsequent analysis should, therefore, be easier and more precise. Because of the physiology of hair formation, analysis of the total length should give an integrated assessment of exposure over a known period of time, while examination of longitudinal sections should provide a diary or calendar. Noteable examples of the way in which hair analysis has been applied to exotic problems, e.g. arsenic and the death of Napoleon, have led to an unsubstantiated public confidence in this technique. Newly developed methods, e.g. inductivelycoupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry, allow for the simultaneous determination of up to approximately 30 elements in hair following a simple acid digestion. These features, together with an increased perception by the public of matters of diet and health, has led to a growing number of commercial organisations offering a hair analysis service. Such companies often make extravagant claims, based on limited scientific data for what can be revealed by such analysis. Thus, requests are being received by physicians and hospital biochemists for guidance on the interpretation of results and the follow-up of anxious, indeed frightened, patients whose 'trace element imbalance' has been discovered by hair testing. This phenomenon may best be illustrated by a typical case description. A middle-aged man visited his general practitioner after receiving the results of a hair test which reported an increased concentration of

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/000456328602300402

Usefulness of measurements of trace elements in hair.

Human hair powder reference material was prepared and certified for elemental composition. Human scalp hair (from Japanese men) was washed in a non-ionic detergent solution in an ultrasonic cleaner, dried, ground in an agate ball mill, sieved through a polyethylene net, blended, bottled (1100 vials, 2 g each), and finally sterilized by 60Co radiation. The prepared material satisfied the homogeneity criteria for a reference material. We determined trace elements by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry and atomic absorption spectrometry and investigated matrix interference effects. The material was certified by using the data obtained by various analytical techniques; certified values are provided for Ca, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, Sr, and Zn. The elemental composition of this reference material is considered similar to normal values for the male Japanese population.

Preparation and certification of human hair powder reference material.

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Preparation and certification of human hair powder reference material.