Hair-element analysis--still on the fringe.
Increasing biological interest in minerals has led to the search for reliable methods to quantify body levels of trace elements and toxic metals. Hair has been a prime candidate because of its ease of collection and the possibility that this body tissue might accurately reflect body loads of these substances. A vast amount of research effort has been expended to explore the value of hair-element analysis. Unfortunately, there are so many confounding factors that influence these measurements that isolated individual results cannot be relied upon. Their current value is in epidemiological studies.
Morley
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N
Community Paediatric Unit, Canterbury District Health Board, Christchurch, New Zealand.
Ford
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RP
D001822:Body Burden; D015986:Confounding Factors, Epidemiologic; D006197:Hair / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D009520:New Zealand; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000032:analysis*
D014131:Trace Elements