Hair, arsenic levels

Hashim JH, Radzi RSM, Aljunid SM, Nur AM, Ismail A, Baguma D, et al. Hair arsenic levels and prevalence of arsenicosis in three Cambodian provinces. Sci Total Environ 2013 463-464 1210-6. 

In the modern forensic chemistry laboratory (Figure B) arsenic is detected by analysis of hair samples, where the element tends to concentrate in chronic arsenic poisoning. A single strand of hair is sufficient to establish the presence or absence of the element. The technique most commonly used is neutron activation analysis, described in Chapter 19. If the concentration found is greater than about 0.0003%, poisoning is indicated normal arsenic levels are much lower than this. 

This technique was applied in the early 1960s to a lock of hair taken from Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) on St Helena. Arsenic levels of up to 50 times normal suggested he may have been a victim of poisoning, perhaps on orders from the French royal family. 

Analysis of hair, fingernails, and toenails can serve as evidence of arsenic ingestion. Such analyses are complicated by the possible presence of arsenic contamination, particularly in a work environment in which the air and surroundings may be contaminated with arsenic. Levels of arsenic may be correlated with the growth of nails and hair so that careful analysis of segments of these materials can indicate time frames of exposure. 

Wright RO, Amarasiriwardena C, Woolf JR, Bellinger DC (2006) Neuropsychological correlates of hair arsenic, manganese, and cadmium levels in school-age children residing near a hazardous waste site. Neurotoxicology, 27(2) 210-216. 

Fukabori S and Nakaaki K (1990) Determination of tdlurium, selenium, antimony, and arsenic levels in hairs. Sci J Labour 65 218-226. 

Abdelghani, A.A., Anderson, A.C., Jaghabir, M., Maher, F. (1986). Arsenic levels in blood, urine and hair of workers applying monosodium methanearsonate, Arch. Environ Health, 163-169. 

Valentine, J.L., Kang. K.H., Spivey, G. (1979). Arsenic levels in human blooSTurine and hair in response via drinking water. Environ. Res. 24-32. 

JL Valentine, HK Kang, G Spivey. Arsenic levels in human blood, urine, and hair in response to exposure via drinking water. Environ Res 20 24-32, 1979. 

A Olguin, P Jauge, M Cebrian, A Albores. Arsenic levels in blood, urine, hair, and nails from a chronically exposed human population. Proc West Pharmacol Soc 26 175-177, 1983. 

There are tests to measure the level of arsenic in blood, urine, hair, or fingernails. The urine test is the most reliable test for arsenic exposure within the last few days. Tests on hair and fingernails can measure exposure to high levels or arsenic over the past 6-12 months. These tests can determine if you have been exposed to above-average levels of arsenic. They cannot predict how the arsenic levels in your body will affect your health. 

Arsenic with three or five valences contained in foods can be easily absorbed by the gastroenteric tube. Then it can be easily transported into all tissues and organs. It is mainly accumulated on the skin, hair, nails, and to a certain degree on the bones and the muscles. The total arsenic level in the human organism has been estimated to be 14-20 mg. ... 

Arsenic (As) has been reported In a variety of tissues, any of which are potentially useful as indexes to exposure. However, the organic pentavalent arsenicals are not accumulated in tissues and are rapidly excreted in urine ( - ). Therefore, urine generally is a particularly valuable index to applicator exposure. Exon et al. ( 5) reported both urine and feces were Important pathways of excretion in rabbits exposed to MSMA In their feed. They found 70 of ingested As had been excreted (54% in urine, 46% in feces) during a 17-week exposure period. Arsenic levels in liver, hair, and urine were the same as in controls after 12 weeks of MSMA exposure followed by 5 weeks of control rations. Indicating excretion was ultimately fairly complete. 

Hair is simple to collect and analyze, but arsenic levels in hair do not respond rapidly to exposure. Blood both is difficult to collect and does not give a consistent or rapid enough response to As exposure of an organism. Thus, even with the attendant collection problems, urine is the most practical index to the exposure of forest workers to the organic arsenical herbicides. Unfortunately, the pharmacokinetics of these herbicides have not been fully developed for dermal exposure, and there are indications that urine is not the sole excretory route. Thus, estimates of exposure based only on As excretion in urine may be only 30% of actual exposure levels (2 8). 

Nervous System Arsenic and manganese exposure is associated with neurodevelopment problems in children. Study reveals that a 50% increase of urine arsenic concentration and hair manganese levels may decrease the intelligence quotient (IQ) by 0.4 in children aged 5-15 years and by 0.7 in children aged 6-13years, respectively [48 ]. 

This technique was applied in the early 1960s to a lock of hair taken from Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) on St. Helena. Arsenic levels of up to 50 times normal suggested he may have been a victim of poisoning, perhaps on orders from the French royal family. More recently (1991), U.S. President Zachary Taylor (1785-1850) was exhumed on the unlikely hypothesis that he had been poisoned by Southern sympathizers concerned about his opposition to the extension of slavery. The results indicated normal arsenic levels. Apparently, he died of cholera, brought on by an overindulgence in overripe and unwashed fruit. 

Proximity to the smokestacks of metal smelters is positively associated with increased levels of lead in the hair (manes) of horses and in tissues of small mammals, and is consistent with the results of soil and vegetation analyses (USEPA 1972). Lead concentrations were comparatively high in the hair of older or chronically impaired horses (USEPA 1972). However, tissues of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) collected near a zinc smelter did not contain elevated levels of lead (Sileo and Beyer 1985). Among small mammals near a metal smelter, blood ALAD activity was reduced in the white-footed mouse but normal in others, e.g., the short-tailed shrew (Beyer et al. 1985). The interaction effects of lead components in smelter emissions with other components, such as zinc, cadmium, and arsenic, are unresolved (USEPA 1972) and warrant additional research. 

Animal tissues usually contain low levels (<0.3 mg As/kg fresh weight) of arsenic. After the administration of arsenicals, these levels are elevated, especially in liver, kidney, spleen, and lung and several weeks later, arsenic is translocated to ectodermal tissues (hair, nails) because of the high concentration of sulfur-containing proteins in these tissues. 

Arsenic is highly toxic, and indeed much speculation has surrounded arsenic poisoning as the cause of death of Napoleon Bonaparte, on account of the levels of As in the Emperor s hair (perhaps derived from fungal activity on a green pigment present in the wallpaper of his apartments in St. Helena). Arsenic trioxide has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the USA for the treatment of acute promyelocytic anaemia in adult patients who fail to respond to other chemotherapy, or have relapsed disease. 

Since 1960, it has been demonstrated by various analytical procedures that high concentrations of arsenic were present in Napoleon s hair.88 Multi-element analysis of two specimens of Napoleon s hair by ICP-MS after mineralization in concentrated nitric acid resulted in arsenic concentrations (42.1 and 37.4(xgg-1) about 40 times higher than normal values, confirming the hypothesis of a significant exposure to arsenic. However, mercury (3.3. and 4.7(xgg 1), antimony (2.1 and 1.8(xgg 1) and lead (229 and 112p,gg-1) were also detected at elevated levels. The elevated concentrations of Sb and Hg are in agreement with the data already known about the therapeutic treatments given to Napoleon (calomel and tartar emetic are compounds of mercury and antimony, respectively).88... 

Yin, X., Liu, X., Sun, L. et al. (2006) A 1500-year record of lead, copper, arsenic, cadmium, zinc level in Antarctic seal hairs and sediments. Science of the Total Environment, 371(1-3), 252-57. 

The diagnosis of chronic arsenic poisoning involves integration of the clinical findings with confirmation of exposure. Urinary levels of total arsenic, usually less than 50 g/24 h, may return to normal within days to weeks after exposure ceases. Because it may contain large amounts of nontoxic organoarsenic, all seafood should be avoided for at least 3 days prior to submission of a urine sample for diagnostic purposes. The arsenic content of hair and nails (normally less than 1 ppm) may sometimes reveal past elevated exposure, but results should be interpreted cautiously in view of the potential for external contamination. 

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