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Benchtop x-ray fluorescence to quantify elemental content in nails non-destructively.
Aaron J Specht1, Kolawole E Adesina2, Daniel E Read2
1School of Health Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47906, United States of America; Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, United States of America.
The Science of the Total Environment
|February 3, 2024
Summary
Desktop X-ray fluorescence (XRF) offers a non-destructive, cost-effective method for measuring metal exposure in toenail samples. This technique shows strong correlations with ICP-MS, providing a viable alternative biomarker for environmental health studies.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Analytical Chemistry
- Toxicology
Background:
- Metals pose significant global health risks, necessitating reliable biomarkers for exposure assessment.
- Toenail samples offer advantages over blood, including cost-efficiency, ease of collection, and longer biological half-life.
- Current elemental quantification in toenails, often using ICP-MS, can be improved for cost and sample preservation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate desktop X-ray fluorescence (XRF) as a non-destructive method for quantifying metal concentrations in human toenail samples.
- To compare the accuracy of desktop XRF with the standard ICP-MS technique for elemental analysis in toenails.
- To determine the detection limits of desktop XRF for various elements in nail samples.
Main Methods:
- Desktop X-ray fluorescence (XRF) was employed for non-destructive elemental analysis of human toenail samples.
- Measurements of lead (Pb), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), and selenium (Se) using desktop XRF were compared against ICP-MS data.
- Detection limits for 23 additional elements were calculated.
Main Results:
- Strong correlations were observed between desktop XRF and ICP-MS for lead (R²=0.92), copper (R²=0.95), selenium (R²=0.60), and iron (R²=0.77).
- Median minimum detection limits for 23 elements were as low as 0.2 μg/g with a 7.5-minute measurement.
- Benchtop XRF demonstrated lower detection limits compared to previously studied portable XRF devices.
Conclusions:
- Desktop XRF is a highly accurate and non-destructive alternative to ICP-MS for analyzing metal concentrations in toenail samples.
- The method provides comparable accuracy and improved cost-efficiency, making toenails a preferred biomarker.
- Benchtop XRF's enhanced detection capabilities support its use in widespread environmental and health surveillance.
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