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Full Length Research
Paper
Lead and zinc
concentrations in hair and nail of some Kano inhabitants
J. T. Ayodele* and A. S. Bayero
Department
of Chemistry, Bayero University, P.M.B 3011, Kano-Nigeria.
*Corresponding author. E -mail:
tjayodele@yahoo.com
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Accepted 8
June, 2009
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The
advantages of hair and nail tissues analysis over other
biological samples are that trace metal concentrations in
them are not subjected to rapid fluctuation due to diet, air
and water hence a long term stable nutritional status. Lead
and zinc concentrations in hair and nail samples were
determined by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS).
The mean zinc concentration in hair and nail were 0.695 ±
0.33 mg/g and 0.640 ± 0.52 mg/g respectively while the mean
lead concentrations in hair and nail were 0.384 ±0.34 and
0.463 ± 0.364 mg/g respectively. A progressive increase in
zinc concentrations in hair and nails with age indicated no
significant difference when their means were compared
suggesting that zinc in hair and nails originate from a
common source, comparing the mean lead concentrations in
hair with the nails a significant difference is indicated in
the 2 tissues (p ≤ 0.05). Human hair and nails are therefore
recording filaments that can reflect metabolic changes of
many elements over long periods of time and hence furnish a
print out of post nutritional event as dietary levels of
some of the essential micro-elements.
Key words:
Lead,
zinc, hair, nail, AAS, Kano, Nigeria. |
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