Hair-root lead to screen for lead toxicity

Abstract

The objective of ths study was o determine the validity of a hair‐root lead level for the screening of elevated blood lead levels. Children who required a screening blood lead level were eligible for enrollment. After consent, a venipuncture blood sample was obtained from each child and, concurrently, three to five hair samples were plucked from the scalp. All telogen hairs and samples without a hair‐root sheath were discarded. Two samples were assayed using X‐ray fluorescence spectrometry: one was from a child with a blood lead level of 1 μg/dL and the second was from a child with a blood lead level of 54 μg/dL. A total of 148 hair‐root samples were obtained. Only 59 (40%) had a hair‐root sheath. The average elemental count, which is a measure of the amount of lead at the position of the hair‐root being measured, was 313 for a child with a blood lead level of 1 μg/dL and 266 for a child with a blood lead level of 54 μg/dL. These counts are very low, essentially the same, and very close to the background counts. The findings of this study do not support the use of hair‐root samples for the screening of elevated blood lead levels. J. Trace Elem. Exp. Med. 14:69–72, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

Characterizing Golden Eagle Risk to Lead and Anticoagulant Rodenticide Exposure: A Review

“…Lead is incorporated into human hair and hair roots (Bos et al 1985;) and has been explored as a possibly noninvasive approach for estimating lead body burden (Gerhardsson et al 1995b;Wilhelm et al 1989). The method is subject to error from contamination of the surface with environmental lead and contaminants in artificial hair treatments (i.e., dyeing, bleaching, permanents) and is a relatively poor predictor of PbB, particularly at low concentrations (<12 μg/dL) (Campbell and Toribara 2001;Drasch et al 1997;Esteban et al 1999). Nevertheless, levels of lead in hair were positively correlated with children's classroom attention deficit behavior in a study (Tuthill 1996).…”

Atomic spectrometry update. Clinical and biological materials, foods and beverages

“…The method was used to investigate the potential of blood Pb determinations as a biomarker to measure bone resorption in patients with skeletal metastases. Campbell and Toribara 92 investigated the measurement of hair root Pb as a non-invasive technique for Pb toxicity screening in children. Hair root Pb was determined using XRF.…”

“…92 Children being screened for lead exposure by a standard blood lead measurement also provided hair samples. Measurement of Pb at the root of the hair by XRF failed to distinguish between children with low and high blood lead concentrations.…”

Lead analysis of air pollution in Istanbul utilizing by the vehicle cabin air filters

“…Though Pb concentration in air has a downward trend since Pb free fuel consumption is improving, still Pb pollution is a serious environmental risk factor for especially children and pregnant women [1,17]. Determination of Pb amount in blood and tissue is the most valid method in Pb toxicity analysis [12,18]. Decrease in blood Pb concentration (B-Pb) is observed with the start of Pb free fuel consumption [9,15,19].…”