Reference values for hair minerals of Polish students

Area of Science:

• Human Hair Analysis
• Environmental Health
• Trace Element Research

Background:

• Human hair serves as a valuable matrix for biomonitoring elemental exposure.
• Establishing population-specific reference values is crucial for interpreting individual elemental content.
• Previous studies have highlighted variations in hair element levels due to demographic and lifestyle factors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine reference values for 36 elements in the hair of young Polish adults.
• To investigate the influence of sex and hair dyeing on elemental content.
• To evaluate inter-element ratios as potential indicators of mineral balance.

Main Methods:

• Multielemental analysis of 117 subjects' hair using Inductively Coupled Plasma - Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES) and ICP-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS).
• Sample preparation involved acid digestion in a microwave oven using closed Teflon bombs.
• Reference ranges were defined as the 10th to 90th percentile of the observed values.

Main Results:

• Reference ranges for 36 essential, toxic, and other elements were established.
• Significant differences in hair element concentrations were found between males and females, and between dyed and non-dyed hair for elements including Ba, Ca, Cu, K, La, Mg, Mn, Si, Sr, and Ti.
• Only the Ca/P ratio showed significant differences between population groups.

Conclusions:

• Sex and hair dyeing status must be considered when interpreting elemental hair analysis results.
• Inter-element ratios, particularly Ca/P, may offer a more sensitive indicator of mineral status than absolute element levels.
• These findings contribute to a better understanding of human hair elemental composition and its influencing factors.