Biological monitoring of lead and cadmium in human hair and nail and their correlations with biopsy materials, age and exposure

53-56Hair and fingernails of exposed and unexposed subjects were analyzed for their lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) contents by atomic absorption spectrophotometer with graphite furnace and air-acetylene flame. Hair and nail Pb concentrations in occupationally exposed subjects ranged between 1.020-409.726 and 8.130-765.306 µg/g and in environmentally unexposed subjects 0.123-25.160 and 1.076-65.613 µg/g, respectively. Similarly, hair and nail Cd concentrations in occupationally exposed subjects ranged between 0.014-22.086 and 0.214-35.714 µg/g and in environmentally unexposed subjects 0.113-1.627 and 0.028-8.108 µg/g, respectively. A significant correlation was observed between Pb hair and nail concentrations in exposed subjects at P