The Effect of Age and Gender on 59 Trace-Element Contents in Human Rib Bone Investigated by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry

The effect of age and gender on 59 trace-element contents in rib bone of 80 apparently healthy 15–55-year-old women (n?=?38) and men (n?=?42) was investigated by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Mean values (M?±?SΕΜ) for the mass fraction (milligrams per kilogram, on dry-weight basis) of Ba, Bi, Cd, Ce, Cu, Dy, Er, Gd, La, Li, Mn, Mo, Nd, Pb, Pr, Rb, Sm, Sr, Tb, Tl, U, Yb, and Zn for both female and male taken together were: Ba 2.5?±?0.2, Bi 0.015?±?0.002, Cd 0.044?±?0.005, Ce 0.029?±?0.002, Cu 1.05?±?0.06, Dy 0.0020?±?0.0003, Er 0.0011?±?0.0002, Gd 0.0015?±?0.0001, La 0.020?±?0.002, Li 0.040?±?0.002, Mn 0.354?±?0.004, Mo 0.052?±?0.006, Nd 0.011?±?0.001, Pb 2.24?±?0.14, Pr 0.0032?±?0.0004, Rb 1.51?±?0.06, Sm 0.0014?±?0.0001, Sr 291?±?20, Tb 0.00041?±?0.00005, Tl 0.00050?±?0.00003, U 0.0013?±?0.0001, Yb 0.00072?±?0.00007, and Zn 92.8?±?1.5, respectively. The upper limit of mean contents of Ag, Al, B, Be, Br, Cr, Cs, Hg, Ho, Lu, Ni, Sb, Te, Th, Ti, Tm, and Y were: Ag?≤?0.011, Al?≤?7.2, B?≤?0.65, Be?≤?0.0032, Br?≤?3.9, Cr?≤?0.25, Cs?≤?0.0077, Hg?≤?0.018, Ho?≤?0.00053, Lu?≤?0.00024, Ni?≤?1.05, Sb?≤?0.0096, Te?≤?0.0057, Th?≤?0.0030, Ti?≤?2.8, Tm?≤?0.00006, and Y?≤?0.0047, respectively. In all bone samples, the contents of As, Au, Co, Eu, Ga, Hf, Ir, Nb, Pd, Pt, Re, Rh, Sc, Se, Sn, Ta, V, W, and Zr were under detection limits. The Ce, Dy, Er, Gd, La, Nd, Pr, Sm, Tb, and Yb contents increase with age. Higher Sr mass fraction is typical of female rib as compared to those in male bone.