title: Assessment of trace elements in scalp hair of a young urban population in Brazil.
abstract: The aim of this study was to establish background values for toxic and essential elements in hair, interelement correlations and the differences in levels between genders in a healthy young population from Southern Brazil. Hair samples (n=167) were collected from healthy students aged 12-18 years. Trace element concentrations in hair were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The study provided relatively low values for toxic elements and balanced concentrations for the essential elements in the adolescents' hair with reliable reference data. Interestingly, this study also demonstrated statistical correlations considered newfound between the elements in hair. Hair mercury levels were influenced by gender; with males presenting higher values. The overall findings of the present study, with respect to the estimated chemical elements, are of prime importance in the evaluation of reference values for determining environmental effects on children living in urban areas.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Toxicologia e Essencialidade de Metais, Depto. de Análises Clínicas, Toxicológicas e Bromatológicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Avenida do Café s/n, Monte Alegre, 14040-903, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Fernanda Hornos
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Carneiro
authors.forename: Maurício Bianchini
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Moresco
authors.forename: Gabriela Ramos
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Chagas
authors.forename: Vanessa Cristina
authors.initials: VC
authors.lastname: de Oliveira Souza
authors.forename: Claudia Ramos
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Rhoden
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Barbosa
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001938:Brazil; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006197:Hair / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D012016:Reference Values; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D014131:Trace Elements