Human hair analysis

In a recent report, HS-SPME was used for the extraction of amphetamines from human hair (142). Human hair analysis is gaining interest in the analysis of drugs of abuse, since it offers attractive features easy and unlimited sampling, and as the... 

Figure 11.14 Analysis of amphetamines by GC-NPD following HS-SPME exti action from human hair (a) Normal hair (b) normal hair after addition of amphetamine (1.5 ng) and methamphetamine (16.1 ng) (c) hair of an amphetamine abuser. Peak identification is as follows 1, a-phenethylamine (internal standard) 2, amphetamine 3, methamphetamine 4, N-propyl-/3-phenethyamine (internal standard). Reprinted from Journal of Chronatography, B 707,1. Koide et ai, Determination of amphetamine and methamphetamine in human hair by headspace solid-phase microextraction and gas cliromatography with niti ogen-phosphoms detection, pp. 99 -104, copyright 1998, with permission from Elsevier Science.

Quevauviller Ph, Maier EA, Vercoutere K, Muntau H, Griepink B (1992a) Certified reference material (CRM 397) for the quality control of trace element analysis of human hair. Fresenius J Anal Chem 343 335-338. 

Wise SA, Schantz MM, Poster DL, Lopez de Alda MJ, and Sander LC (2000) Standard reference materials for the determination of trace organic constituents in environmental samples. In Barcelo D, ed. Sample Handling and Trace Analysis of Pollutants Techniques, Applications and Quality Assurance, pp 649-687. Elsevier Science Publishers, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Yoshinaga Y, Morita M, and Okamoto K (1997) New human hair certified reference material for methylmercury and trace elements. Fresenius J Anal Chem 357 279-283. 

On-line SFE-GC-MS was used for the analysis of organic extractables from human hair [312]. Van Lieshout et al. [313] described GC-MS analysis of an SFE extract of an (ABS) impact-modified PC/PBT blend identifying Ionol CP, Dressinate, cyclic PBT trimer, Irganox 1076 and Irganox PS 800. TD-GC-MS was used in the development of flame retardants, and for the analysis of fire debris [314]. The application of laser desorption fast GC-MS analysis was employed in the analysis of DOP on a stainless-steel surface [221]. 

Covaci A, Tutudaki M, Tsatsakis AM, Schepens P (2002) Hair analysis another approach for the assessment of human exposure to selected persistent organochlorine pollutants. Chemosphere 46(3) 413-418. doi 10.1016/S0045-6535(01)00065-0... 

Calcium-selective electrodes have long been in use for the estimation of calcium concentrations - early applications included their use in complexometric titrations, especially of calcium in the presence of magnesium (42). Subsequently they have found use in a variety of systems, particularly for determining stability constants. Examples include determinations for ligands such as chloride, nitrate, acetate, and malonate (mal) (43), several diazacrown ethers (44,45), and methyl aldofuranosides (46). Other applications have included the estimation of Ca2+ levels in blood plasma (47) and in human hair (where the results compared satisfactorily with those from neutron activation analysis) (48). Ion-selective electrodes based on carboxylic polyether ionophores are mentioned in Section IV.B below. Though calcium-selective electrodes are convenient they are not particularly sensitive, and have slow response times. 

Baez, H., Castro, M.M., Benaventeb, M.A., Kintze, P., Cirimelee, V., Camargo, C. and Thomas, C. (2000). Drugs in prehistory chemical analysis of ancient human hair. Forensic Science International 108 173-179. 

Forensic analysis of DNA samples DNA fingerprinting by means of PCR has revolutionized the analysis of evidence from crime scenes. DNA isolated from a single human hair, a tiny spot of blood, or a sample of semen is sufficient to determine whether the sample comes from a specific individual. The DNA markers analyzed for such fingerprinting are most commonly short tandem repeat polymorphisms (STRs). These are very similar to the VNTRs described previously (see p. 455), but are smaller in size. [Note Verification of paternity uses the same techniques.]... 

Dutkiewicz T, Paprotny W, Sokolowska D, et al. 1978. Trace element content of human hair determined using neutron activation analysis as monitor of exposure effects to environmental metals. Chemia Analityczna 23 261 -272. 

Wilson, A. S., Janaway, R. C., Pollard, A. M., Dixon, R. A., and Tobin, D. J. (2001). Survival of human hair The impact of the burial environment, in Human Remains, Conservation, Retrieval and Analysis, vol. S934 (E. Williams, Ed.). Oxford British Archaeology Reports, 119-128. 

Zahn, H. and Gattner, H. G. (1997). Hair sulphur amino acid analysis, in Formation and Structure of Human Hair (P. Jolles, H. Zahn, and H. Hocker, Eds.). Basel Birkhaurser Verlag, 239-258. 

Hair. Until recently, the application of luminescence specifically to the analysis of human hair has not been attempted in any systematic manner. It has been shown that three of the amino acids, i.e., phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan, found in hair protein both fluoresce and phosphoresce (15). It has been established that for other proteins that contain all three of the amino acids, the luminescence (both fluorescence and phosphorescence) is predominately the result of the tryptophan chromophores, with possibly some contribution from the tyrosine (15)- More directly related to the luminescence of hair are the-studies of Konev (23) involving the luminescence of wool keratin. He observed both fluorescence and phosphorescence from wool fibers that were characteristic of tryptophan. 

Chemical analysis of hair samples may also provide a method for examining chronic mycotoxin exposures. In 2003, Sewram et al. (2003) reported that human hair testing could be used to detect fumonisins. After extraction and clean up, high performance liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-MS) was able to detect fumonisin Bi, fumonisin B2, and fumonisin B3 from human hair samples (Sewram et al., 2003). However, these were... 

Below is another example from the analysis of human hairs. The analytical results are for the concentration of copper (in ng/g) ... 

Of course, we could use the tests described previously to see whether there are extreme values in the data, but then we cannot be certain that those extreme values are outliers or that the data simply does not follow a normal distribution. To answer this question, we have to look at the origin of the data to try to understand which tests to apply and for what reason. For example, we would expect replicates of an analysis to follow a normal distribution, as the errors that are expected would be random errors. However, in the case of copper in human hair samples, the hair comes from different people, thus different environments, colors, hair products, etc., so the distribution of the data is not so easy to estimate. 

Pereira R, Ribeiro R, Goncalves F. 2004. Scalp hair analysis as a tool in assessing human exposure to heavy metals (S. Domingos mine, Portugal). Sci Total Environ 327 81-92. 

If it is considered that the deceased had been poisoned over an extended period prior to death, it is important to collect hair (plucked from the roots with the ends tied with thread at the scalp end) and nail specimens. The growing hair and nail can absorb many trace elements from the blood stream and these elements are permanently bound to the keratin. Knowing that the average rate of growth of human hair is approximately 1cm per month, sectional analysis of the hair from the root to the tip will produce a calendar of exposure to the element. 

R.O. Pehl and M. Parkes. Hair analysis on learning and behaviour problems. Hair, Trace Elements Human Illness. A.C. Brown and R. Crouse, Editors. Praeger Publishers, New York, 1980, pp. 128-143. 

Valkovic, V, Human Hair Trace Element Levels, Volume 11, CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 1988. Hopps, H. C., The biologic basis for using hair and nail for analysis of trace elements, Sci. Total Environ., 7, 71, 1977. 

Kidwell, D. A. and Blank, D. L., Deposition of drugs of abuse into human hair. Society of Forensic Toxicology Conference on Hair Analysis, May 26,1990. 

Kidwell, D. A., Analysis of phencyclidine and cocaine in human hair by tandem mass spectrometry, /. Forensic Sci., 38, 272, 1993. 

Nakahara, Y., Takahashi, K., and Konuma, K., Hair analysis for drugs of abuse. VI. The excretion of methoxphenamine and methamphetamine into beards of human subjects. Forensic Sci. Int., 63, 109,1993. 

Swift, J. A. and Bews, B., The chemistry of human hair cuticle. II. The isolation and amino acid analysis of the cell membranes and A-layer, /. Soc. Cosmet. Chem., 25, 355,1974. 

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