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. 2017 Aug 14;14(8):914.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph14080914.

Assessment of Typical Heavy Metals in Human Hair of Different Age Groups and Foodstuffs in Beijing, China

Gang Liang  1   2   3 , Ligang Pan  4   5 , Xinhui Liu  6
Affiliations

Assessment of Typical Heavy Metals in Human Hair of Different Age Groups and Foodstuffs in Beijing, China

Gang Liang et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Human hair of different age groups and foodstuff samples were collected in Beijing, China. The concerned metals-Cd, Cr, Pb, As, and Hg-were analyzed, and the metal levels in relation to age, gender, and dietary intake were further assessed. Results showed the highest level of the metals was shown by Pb, with an average concentration of 1.557 ± 0.779 mg/kg, followed by Cr (0.782 ± 0.394), Hg (0.284 ± 0.094), As (0.127 ± 0.078), and Cd (0.071 ± 0.032), following a decreasing order of Pb > Cr > Hg > As > Cd, which were all below the upper limit of normal values in China. The heavy metal concentrations varied greatly among different age groups, and higher concentrations for Cd, Cr, Pb, and As appeared in female hair, whereas higher Hg concentration were found in male hair, suggesting that age and gender were not crucial factors for assessing metal concentrations in human hair. The ingestion of cereals and vegetables were the main route by which heavy metals in the environment create hazardous health effects for local inhabitants, but the estimated metal intakes through food consumption were all lower than the proposed limit of Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intake (PTWI), indicating that heavy metals posed no health risks for the inhabitants. Furthermore, little relationship was found between metal intakes and the corresponding metal levels in hair. Nevertheless, the results of this study can be used to analyze the internal heavy metal burden in the resident population of Beijing area and can also serve as reference for further studies.

Keywords: age groups; bio-indicator; heavy metals; human hair.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Comparison of hair metal concentrations between genders of different age groups. (A) 7–75 years old; (B) 7–12 years old; (C) 13–18 years old; (D) 19–35 years old; (E) 36–50 years old; (F) 51–75 years old.
Figure 1
Figure 1
Comparison of hair metal concentrations between genders of different age groups. (A) 7–75 years old; (B) 7–12 years old; (C) 13–18 years old; (D) 19–35 years old; (E) 36–50 years old; (F) 51–75 years old.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Concentrations of hair heavy metals of different age groups.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Heavy metal concentrations in different foodstuff species.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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