Reference values for metal elements in the plasma of adults in rural southern Xinjiang, China

Monitoring metal levels in humans is important for health assessment. However, reference values for interpreting such data vary by region and are currently lacking for Xinjiang, China. This study aimed to establish local reference ranges for 17 plasma metals in adults from rural Xinjiang, to support regional biomonitoring and health risk evaluation.

This cross-sectional study enrolled 1522 adults from rural southern Xinjiang. Data were collected via questionnaires and physical measurements. Plasma metals were measured using ICP-MS. Reference ranges were derived using nonparametric percentiles, with group comparisons via Wilcoxon tests and Kruskal-Wallis tests.

Concentration distributions for multiple metals showed significant gender differences and age trends. Males exhibited higher median concentrations than females for zinc (843.27 μg/L vs. 814.00 μg/L), while lithium (4.00 μg/L) and strontium (108.95 μg/L) exhibited cumulative increases with age. Comparisons with domestic and international data reveal that the Xinjiang population exhibits higher copper (1117.78 μg/L) and manganese (2.56 μg/L) levels, while lead (0.67 μg/L) levels are relatively low, presenting a unique exposure profile.

This study establishes the first localized reference ranges for 17 metallic elements in plasma among rural adults in Xinjiang, China. These ranges reveal the population's unique internal dose spectrum to metals, providing essential baseline data for precise clinical diagnosis, environmental toxicology research, and public health risk assessment in this region.