Determination of bioelement levels in hair is an emerging non-invasive approach for screening bioelement deposition. However, the role of essential bioelement levels in hair and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) risk or severity is largely unknown. In this study, we have compared multi-element hair profiles between healthy and ADHD Thai children. In addition, the correlations between bioelements and ADHD symptoms according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition, diagnostic criteria were identified. A case-control study was conducted in 111 Thai children (45 newly diagnosed ADHD and 66 matched healthy), aged 3-7 years, living in Bangkok and suburban areas. Levels of 39 bioelements in hair were measured by ICP-MS. Among the analyzed bioelements, Cu/Zn and P/Zn ratios in ADHD children were significantly lower than those in healthy children. Indeed, increased hair Zn level was correlated with more symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, and total ADHD symptoms. Higher Zn content was also associated with being female and older age. Furthermore, Zn in hair was positively correlated with levels of Ca, Mg, and P; however, it showed a negative correlation with Al, As, Fe, and Mo. These findings warrant further confirmation in a large-scale study. Thai Clinical Trials Registry (TCTR) study ID: 20151113001.

In this study, we aimed to determine the effect of the cultivar and dehulling on calcium, iron, and zinc bioaccessibilities of Australian sweet lupin (ASL). Ten ASL cultivars grown in 2011, 2012, and 2013 in Western Australia were used for the study. The bioaccessibilities of calcium, iron, and zinc in whole seed and dehulled lupin samples were determined using a dialysability method. The cultivar had significant effects on calcium, iron, and zinc contents and their bioaccessibilities. Average bioaccessibilities of 6% for calcium, 17% for iron, and 9% for zinc were found for whole seeds. Dehulled ASL had average calcium, iron, and zinc bioaccessibilities of 11%, 21%, and 12%, respectively. Compared to some other pulses, ASL had better iron bioaccessibility and poorer calcium and zinc bioaccessibilities. Dehulling increased calcium bioaccessibilities of almost all lupin cultivars. The effect of dehulling on iron and zinc bioaccessibilities depends on the ASL cultivar.

Toxic element exposure increases risk of neurodevelopmental disorders. However, hair element profiles of well-nourished urban resident children were largely unknown. We identified prevalence and the contributing factors of high hair aluminum (Al), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and mercury (Hg) levels in 111 Thai children (aged 3-7 years old). Most participants were well-nourished with high socioeconomic status. Since ROC curve of hair element data showed inadequate sensitivity for cutoff set-up, US reference hair levels were used to categorize high and low level groups. Nevertheless, compared to the current reference at 5 μg/dL, blood lead cutoff at 2.15 μg/dL provided more consistent results with that of hair lead levels. High As and Pb levels were the first and second most prevalent element, while Al was the element found in highest amount in hair. High hair Al (12% prevalence) levels were associated with being male regardless of age or nutritional status. High hair As levels were associated with living in Bangkok (OR = 6.57) regardless of school type. High hair Pb levels were associated with being under 5 years old and living in Bangkok (OR = 3.06). However, no associations were found between blood Pb, hair Cd, Hg, and tested factors. These findings suggested that under 5-year-old boys living in capital city like Bangkok may be at risk of exposure to multiple toxic elements. Future studies in these children are warranted to identify their exposure sources and proper risk management strategies.

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