Current aspects of trace element research in environmental health

The field of research on trace element and its relationship to human health and disease is one of the most rapidly advancing fields among the health sciences. The methods of measuring elements in the body can be classified into two categories: i.e., destructive and non-destructive method. The latter analysis includes X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis, by which the authors determine fluorine (F) and elements in hair specimens among patients with chronic diseases and workers exposed to polluted elements. Some advantages offered by this method are a lack of necessity for the preliminary treatment of specimens and relative ease of operation. In this paper, the authors review the current aspect of trace element researches in the environmental health field, especially those in our laboratory.