Ion Beam, Synchrotron Radiation, and Related Techniques in Biomedicine: Elemental Profiling of Hair

Abstract

Elements play an imperative role in the physiological and metabolic processes of the human body. When elemental levels deviate from physiologically accepted levels due to for example poor nutrition, the body's intricate elemental and metabolic balance is disturbed. Over time, disease may develop as a result of elemental dyshomeostasis or alternatively, disease may trigger elemental dyshomeostasis as an adaptive metabolic response to an unhealthy environment. There is now a growing interest in screening human tissue to identify and quantify elemental changes as biomarkers of disease or alternatively, as outcomes of disease. The unique properties of human hair brand it the ideal substrate for the quantitative identification of elements in the body. Hair bioaccumulates elements, provides a historical overview of elemental status depending on length, and is easy and economical to sample and store. The fundamental outcome and application of hair elemental screening, however, are strongly influenced by a range of factors, including choice of analytical method. This chapter will provide a background summary of ion beam and synchrotron radiation techniques and its diverse applications for unraveling the elemental signature of hair in various fields.

Multidimensional Profiling of Human Body Hairs Using Qualitative and Semi-Quantitative Approaches with SR-XRF, ATR-FTIR, DSC, and SEM-EDX

“…First, hair may be the only trace evidence that is resistant to decay due to its high keratin content [ 3 ]. Second, non-invasive hair sampling is possible under close supervision, whilst hair samples can also be stored for long-term periods and transported with ease [ 1 , 4 ]. Most important, hair concentrates and stores chemical information contained within the circulatory system and, depending on its length, provides a retrospective or chronological profile of acute or chronic exposure to xenobiotics, including toxic metals [ 1 , 4 ].…”

Određivanje elemenata u kosi metodom ICP-MS

“…Keratin is rich with sulfhydryl groups to which metal ions have a high binding affinity, thus resulting in the incorporation of metals into hair. [1][2][3][4][5][6] Elements in hair can be of either endogenous or exogenous origin. Endogenous elements incorporate in hair from the blood supply into keratinous matrix as hair grows, and they give us information about metal exposure of a person that can occur by industrial emission, environmental contamination (including cigarette smoking), occupational exposure, volcanic gasses, and emissions by coal-fired power plants.…”

“…Endogenous elements incorporate in hair from the blood supply into keratinous matrix as hair grows, and they give us information about metal exposure of a person that can occur by industrial emission, environmental contamination (including cigarette smoking), occupational exposure, volcanic gasses, and emissions by coal-fired power plants. [4][5][6][7][8] Exogenous elements are bound to hair surface and reflect possible contamination due to external factors, such as dust particles, water used for washing hair, and cosmetic hair treatments, sweat, collection, and storage of hair samples. 1,4,5 The exogenous elements are the main limitation to using hair as an acceptable biological sample as they may affect analytical results and lead to misinterpretation of the results used for the assessment of element exposure and intake, health risk of toxic element exposure or metal intoxication.…”

“…[4][5][6][7][8] Exogenous elements are bound to hair surface and reflect possible contamination due to external factors, such as dust particles, water used for washing hair, and cosmetic hair treatments, sweat, collection, and storage of hair samples. 1,4,5 The exogenous elements are the main limitation to using hair as an acceptable biological sample as they may affect analytical results and lead to misinterpretation of the results used for the assessment of element exposure and intake, health risk of toxic element exposure or metal intoxication. Having all this in mind, exogenous elements must be removed before analysis by adequate hair sample washing procedures while the hair structure should be preserved so that endogenous elements are unspoiled.…”

“…Despite these advantages, hair as a sole biological sample, is not fully accepted as a relevant sample in HBM for most toxic metals (except for Hg and As). 1,[5][6][7][8] This is because mechanisms of element incorporation in hair are still not fully understood, and there is a lack of sufficient information about the relationship between element concentrations in hair, blood, urine, faeces, and tissue. There is also an insufficiency of reference ranges assessed with taking into account age, sex, and cultural habits and traditions.…”