Mercury dynamics in hair of rats exposed to methylmercury by synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence imaging.
Two-dimensional distribution of mercury (Hg) in hair samples of rats exposed to methylmercury (MeHg) was analyzed by synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence (SR-XRF) imaging. Experiments with endogenous- and exogenous-model for MeHg exposure revealed that the metal level was obviously higher in the hair cortex after the former exposure whereas a dominant site that Hg distributed after the latter exposure was the cuticle. The method also provided us the Hg profile along the hair length with a single hair obtained by the endogenous model. Thus application of SR-XRF analysis to hair sample would facilitate biological monitoring to not only distinct Hg exposure but also determine its dynamics with only the specimen.
Shimojo
N
N
Department of Environmental Medicine, Institute of Community Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
Homma-Takeda
S
S
Ohuchi
K
K
Shinyashiki
M
M
Sun
G F
GF
Kumagai
Y
Y
D000818:Animals; D006197:Hair / Q000737:chemistry*; D008297:Male; D008628:Mercury / Q000032:analysis*; D008767:Methylmercury Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013052:Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission
D008767:Methylmercury Compounds; D008628:Mercury