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Metallic elements in human hair from residents in smelting districts in northeast China: Environmental factors and differences in ingestion media

2019; Elsevier BV; Volume: 182; Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/j.envres.2019.108914

1096-0953

Yunyang Li, Yu Yan, Na Zheng, Shengnan Hou, Xue Song, Wu Dong,

Mercury impact and mitigation studies

The health of residents in Huludao City is affected by the emissions of heavy metals from smelting, diet and atmospheric precipitation. This study investigated the concentrations of Hg, Cd, Pb, Cu and Zn in scalp hair samples from 259 residents of different ages and genders from five districts in Huludao City and examined the main factors for heavy metal exposure. Cd and Pb concentrations in hair samples exceeded the normal concentration ranges for human hair (Cd < 0.3 mg/kg; Pb < 9.3 mg/kg), and the highest Pb concentrations were found in subjects in the age range 0–15 years. Samples from men were higher in Cd and Pb compared to those for women. Workers from the Huludao zinc plant (HZP) had higher concentrations of all metals in their hair relative to other occupations except for Cu. Geographically, the highest Cd and Pb concentrations in hair were found for residents living in Daochi district (DCD) and the Zn plant district (ZPD), respectively. In smelting regions, the effects of dust ingestion on heavy metal exposure were more important than in non-smelting regions.