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Frequently Asked Question

Regarding the Analysis of Metals in Hair Specimens

Table of Contents

1. What is "Hair Analysis?
2. Does "Hair Analysis" diagnose disease?
3. How long has "Hair Analysis" been performed?
4. Can "Hair Analysis" determine what sex, race or animal specie the hair sample was obtained from?
5. What is "Hair Analysis" used for?
6. How will "Hair Analysis" detect problems that the physician usually does detect?

7. Is "Hair Analysis" expensive or a waste of money?

8. How accurate is "Hair Analysis?"

9. References

What is "Hair Analysis ?

Hair analysis of metals evaluates the type and amount of several heavy metal elements that are present in a hair specimen. The 22 elements include:

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Does "Hair Analysis" diagnose disease?

No, the analysis of metals in hair is a screening test for the evaluation of the metal composition of hair. A screening test is, by design, capable of producing false positive results, since the use of a screening test is to attempt to detect all abnormal phenomena. Other tests and procedures, as indicated by a physician, would then follow the interpretation of the results of the metal tests. The physician can then make a diagnosis after performing a thorough medical evaluation of the subject and the tests.

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How long has "Hair Analysis" been performed?

The analysis of metal has been performed in hair for many years. As early as 1931, scientists were evaluating the metal content of hair specimens for both the type and concentration. This report even sited evidence that hair metal analysis of arsenic had been reported as early as 1881. Then in 1962, interest was peaked by the finding that the hair of the French Emperor Napoleon contained arsenic and indicated that it may have contributed to his death. During the 1960’s, the development of atomic spectroscopy greatly enhanced the interest in these evaluations.

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Can "Hair Analysis" determine what sex, race or animal specie the hair sample was obtained from?

No.  The evaluation of metals in hair can not determine the sex, race or animal specie that the sample came from. This can possibly be done by the analysis of DNA, which is not performed routinely in conjunction with metal testing. For this and other reasons, the laboratory requires complete and accurate information on the patient when the specimen is submitted. These data are then used in concert with the assigned reference ranges for each metal so that a proper interpretation of the results can be made for the patient.

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What is "Hair Analysis" used for?

The analysis of hair is used to evaluate the amount of each of these metals that have been placed in the hair strand during the growth of the hair. The hair becomes a stable time record of the exposure and circulation metals. The metal content of the hair varies along its length relative to the type and amount of each metal the hair cells are exposed to during their growth.

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How will "Hair Analysis" detect problems that the physician usually does not detect?

The analysis of the metal content of hair is not part of the usual regimen of laboratory tests performed by physicians since chronic metal toxicity and mineral nutrition are not often considered in the list of potential diagnoses. This is especially true since chronic exposure or nutrition patterns may not be easily determined by routine blood or urine tests, but may require an expensive and invasive tissue biopsy of the organ affected, such as the kidney, liver or brain. The hair is also a tissue and it experiences many of the same binding phenomena that the other tissues do relative to heavy metals and it is a non-invasive tissue to collect.

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Is "Hair Analysis" expensive or a waste of money?

Hair metal testing is a series of very inexpensive screening tests that are performed simultaneously by a very sophisticated measuring instrument called an "Inductively Coupled Plasma Emission Spectrometer." The cost directly to the general public is actually less than other general screening tests, $39.00 for 22 tests or $1.78 per metal result. Other tests performed by physicians can be much more expensive.

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How acurate is "Hair Analysis"?

The question of accuracy of hair metal testing depends on what questions are being asked. Sample questions and whether or not they can be addressed by routine hair metal testing:

• Have I been exposed to heavy metals over the last couple of months? YES, as long as the hair is long enough to represent growth during that time.
• What vitamins do I need to take? NO, only metals are being detected, not organic molecules by the technique employed.
• Did I ingest any lead when I was scraping the old paint off of my house yesterday? NO, it would be too soon to be detected in hair, a blood sample would be a better test in this case.
• Will I get the same results on a specimen submitted today as I did on a hair sample tested last year? Not necessarily. This will occur only if the body is experiencing the same amount and type of metal exposure during the time that both sets of hair are grown.

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References

1. Schwarz, L, & Deckert, W, Studien zur Beurteilung con Arsenbefunden in Aussheidungen und Hautanhangen, Arch. Hyg. 106:346-365(1931).
2. Smith, H, et al., Distribution of arsenic in Napoleon’s hair, Nature 194:725-726(1962).
3. Laker, M, On Determining Trace Element Levels in man: The use of Blood and Hair, Lancet 2: 260-262(1964).
4. Smith,H, The interpretation of ash content of human hair, J. Forensic Sci. Soc. 4:192-196(1964).
5. Maugh, TH, Hair: A Diagnostic Tool to Complement Blood, Serum and Urine, Science, 202:1271-1273(1978).
6. US Environmental Protection Agency Publication No 600/3-80-089. Washington, D.C., Government Printing Office, 1980.
7. Wilhelm, M et al., Cadmium, Copper, Lead, and Zinc Concentrations in Human Scalp and Pubic Hair, Sci. Total Environ. 92:199-206(1990).
8. Sky-Peck, HH, Distribution of Trace Elements in human Hair, Clin. Physiol. Biochem. 8:70-80(1990).
9. Katz, SA & Katz RB, Use of hair Analysis for Evaluating Mercury Intoxication of the Human Body: a Review, J. Appl. Toxicol. 12:79-84(1992).
10. Foo, SC, et al., Metals in Hair as a Biological Indices for Exposure, Int. Arch. Occup. Environ. Hlth. 65:S83-S86(1993).
11. Wang, CT et al., Studies on the Concentrations of Arsenic, Selenium, Copper, Zinc and Iron in the Hair of Blackfoot Disease Patients in Different Clinical Stages, Eur. J. Clin. Chem. Clin. Biochem. 32:107-111(1994).
12. Contiero, E & Folin, M, Trace Elements Nutritional Status: Use of Hair as a Diagnostic Tool, Biol. Trace Element Res. 40:151-160(1994).
13. Bencko, V, Use of Human Hair as a Biomarker in the Assessment of Exposure to Pollutants in Occupational and Environmental Settings, Toxicology, 101:29-39(1995).
14. MacPherson, A, et al., Beard Calcium Concentration as a Marker for Coronary heart Disease as Affected by Supplementation with Micronutrients including Selenium, Analyst, 120:871-875(1995).
15. Razagui, IBA & Haswell, SJ, The Determination of Mercury and Selenium in maternal and Neonatal Scalp Hair by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry, J. Appl. Toxicol. 21:149-153(1997).

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Revised: December 03, 1998.