Lead and zinc in fingernails and scalp hair of adult males in Kenya

Lead and zinc concentrations were determined in scalp hair and finger nails of exposed and unexposed males by atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). The mean levels of Pb in the finger nails ranged from 50-480 μg/g, and 50-240 μg/g for exposed and unexposed males respectively. The mean levels of Pb in the scalp hair ranged from 30-410 μg/g, and 30-200 μg/g for exposed and unexposed males respectively. The mean levels of Zn in the finger nails ranged from 40-400 μg/g and 80-450 μg/g for exposed and unexposed males respectively, while in the scalp hair the mean levels of Zn ranged from 30-490 μg/g and 50-440 μg/g for exposed and unexposed males respectively. The study established that there was a negative correlation between Pb and essential element Zn in both scalp hair and finger nail samples of unexposed male respondents. However, Pb was found to have a positive correlation with Zn in the finger nails and scalp hair samples for the exposed males. There was no significant difference (P>0.05) indicated when Pb and Zn mean levels were compared in the combined samples of finger nails and scalp hair. Comparing the mean lead concentration in scalp hair with finger nails a significant difference was indicated in the two tissues (P<0.05). Human hair and finger nails are therefore recording filaments that can reflect metabolic changes over long period of time and hence furnish a print out of post nutritional event of dietary levels of some of the essential elements