24 male autopsy cases aged 35–60 years have been collected from Shanghai China to study the relationships between human hair and internal tissues. Autopsy samples of hair, kidney-cortex, liver and lung were analyzed. A radiochemical neutron activation analysis (RNAA) based on a simple group extraction scheme was used for measuring the trace elements As, Cd, Hg, Cu and Zn. Zinc diethyldithiocarbamate Zn(DDC)2 and methly isobutyl ketone-iodide have been chosen as reagent. Trace element of Se was determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). A SLOWPOKE reactor with a thermal neutron flux of 8·1011 n·cm–2·s–1 and a swimming pool type reactor with a thermal neutron flux of 1·1013 n·cm–2·s–1 were used for short and long irradiation of samples, respectively. The reliability of methods has been checked by analyzing biological standard reference materials Horse Kidney (IAEA H8), Tomato Leaves (NBS 1573) and Human Hair (NIES-5). The analytical results show that toxic elements As, Cd and Hg exist in a larger individual variability than the essential elements of Cu, Se and Zn for each tissue. A linear regression analysis related to the six elements of primary interest for the IAEA Coordinated Research Program (CRP) has been done by a computer program for each pair of hair-tissue. A positive correlation is found between concentration of As in hair and kidney-cortex, the correlation coefficient r is 0.751 (p<0.01). Positive correlations between concentration of Se in hair and liver, kidney-cortex and lung are also observed in this study. It shows that the elements As and Se in hair may be useful indicators for assessing certain internal tissues of normal persons. A comparison of Cd concentration in lung shows a significant difference between smokers and non-smokers. A significant correlation between element Cd and Zn in kidney-cortex is also presented in this paper.
Ten macro and trace elements were determined in the hair of GuiZhou and XinHuang mercury mine workers and children living near the mine by INAA and AFS. Comparative studies demonstrated that concentrations of certain elements were greater than those corresponding to the nonexposed population. The hair mercury contents of normal adults and children were 1.1 and 1.37 g g–1, respectively. Workers and children living in the polluted area show a mercury level range of 3.52–317 and 1.50–34.7 g g–1, respectively.
Elemental profiles of brain tumor tissues from 15 patients of astrocytomas (grade I–III) and normal human brain tissues of 23 male age matched autopsies as controls have been studied by instrumental neutron activation analysis. The SLOWPOKE reactor with a thermal neutron flux of 8·1011n·cm–2·s–1 and swimming pool type reactor with a thermal neutron flux of 1·1013n·cm–2·s–1 were used for short and long irradiation of samples, respectively. Spectrophotometry was only used for analyzing phosphorus. A total of 18 elements Se, Na, K, Br, Cl, Mn, Mg, S, Ca, Cu, Hg, Cr, Fe, Rb, Zn, Co, Sc and P has been determined for this purpose. The reliability of methods has been checked by analyzing biological standard reference materials horse kidney (IAEA H-8) and bovine liver (NBS SRM 1577a). The analytical results showed that compared with the normal brain tissues, concentrations of Ca, Fe, Cu, Zn, Se, Mn, Br and Sc were significantly higher in tumor tissues (P<0.01) and concentrations of Rb, K and P were lower, while no differences for contents of Mg, S, Cr, Hg, Na and Cl were observed. A negative correlation between P and Ca in malignant and normal brain tissues was observed.
In this work, a simple group separation scheme based on extraction for NAA determination of trace of As, Cd, Hg, Cu and Zn in biological materials is described. For this purpose, zinc-diethyldithiocarbamate, Zn(DDC)2, and methyl isobutyl ketone-iodide have been chosen as reagents. The elements can be extracted successively and quantitatively from strong mineral acids without adjusting pH of the solution, and separated into two groups suitable for gamma-ray spectrometry. Samples of 100–200 mg dry weight were double-sealed into polyethylene bags and irradiated in a swimming pool reactor with a thermal neutron flux of 1013n·cm–2·s–1 for 44 hours. After a cooling period of 1–3 days, the samples were digested with microgram quantities of carrier in concentrated nitric acid and sulfuric acid at 150°C for 3.5 hours in a teflon bomb, then extracted as described above. The reliability of the analytical method was checked using reference materials Horse Kidney IAEA H-8, Human Hair NIES-5 and Tomato Leaves NBS-1573. Most of the results obtained for reference materials agreed with the certified values12. Chinese autopsy samples of hair and liver were presented.