Concentration Levels of Selected Metals in the Leaves of Different Species of Thyme (T. schimperi and T. vulgaris) Grown in Ethiopia

The contents of some selected metals Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Co, Cu, Zn, Ni, and Cd in different thyme leaf samples widely consumed in Ethiopia were determined by flame atomic absorption spectroscopy (FAAS) after acid digestion with 1:1 HNO₃/HClO₄ for 3 h at a temperature of 240°C by a Kjeldahl apparatus hot plate digester. The level of the nutrients in the four samples ranged from 1,239–2,517 μg/g, Ca; 1,524–1,786 μg/g, Mg; 728–2,517 μg/g, Fe; 37.7–114 μg/g, Mn; 2.59–4.3 μg/g, Co; 7.69–9.3 μg/g, Cu; 8.7–52 μg/g, Zn; and 9.83–14.2 μg/g, Ni; respectively. While the level of toxic metal Cd in the four samples ranged from 0.87–1.3 μg/g. The concentration of Ca was higher than the other metals in the three samples and Cd was the least of all the metals in the analyzed samples. The overall reproducibility of the method obtained from spiking experiment was within the range ±10%. This result will complement available data on food composition in Ethiopia.     

Evaluation of Essential Trace and Toxic Elements in Biological Samples of Normal and Night Blindness Children of Age Groups 3–7 and 8–12 Years

The most common cause of blindness in developing countries is vitamin A deficiency. The World Health Organization estimates 13.8 million children to have some degree of visual loss related to vitamin A deficiency. The causes of night blindness in children are multifactorial, and particular consideration has been given to childhood nutritional deficiency, which is the most common problem found in underdeveloped countries. Such deficiency can result in physiological and pathological processes that in turn influence biological samples composition. Vitamin and mineral deficiency prevents more than two billion people from achieving their full intellectual and physical potential. This study was designed to compare the levels of Zn, Mg, Ca, K, Na, As, Cd, and Pb in scalp hair, blood, and urine of night blindness children age ranged 3–7 and 8–12 years of both genders, comparing them to sex- and age-matched controls. A microwave-assisted wet acid digestion procedure was developed as a sample pretreatment, for the determination of As, Ca, Cd, K, Pb, Mg, Na, and Zn in biological samples of night blindness children. The proposed method was validated by using conventional wet digestion and certified reference samples of hair, blood, and urine. The concentrations of trace and toxic elements were measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometer prior to microwave-assisted acid digestion. The results of this study showed that the mean values of As, Cd, Na, and Pb were significantly higher in scalp hair, blood, and urine samples of male and female night blindness children than in referents (p?<?0.001), whereas the concentrations of Zn, Ca, K, and Mg were lower in the scalp hair and blood but higher in the urine samples of night blindness children. These data present guidance to clinicians and other professional investigating deficiency of essential mineral elements in biological samples (scalp hair and blood) of night blindness children.     

Comparative Study of Liver Cancer Patients in Arsenic Exposed and Non-exposed Areas of Pakistan

The investigated data shows that arsenic (As) in drinking water is associated with increased mortality from different types of cancers including liver cancer. In this study, blood and scalp hair samples of male liver cancer patients and healthy referents belonging to As exposed areas of Sindh Pakistan were analyzed for As contents. The As levels in drinking water of understudy area showed that sections of this population was exposed to 3-15-folds higher concentrations of As than permissible limit. For comparative purposes, blood and scalp hair samples of matched cancerous patient as referent patients belonging to big city (Hyderabad) who have used municipal treated water with low As levels <10?μg/L were also collected. The results of this study showed that the average As concentration was higher in the blood and scalp hair of exposed and non-exposed referent cancer patients as compared to referents (p?相似文献   

Comparison of Trace Elements in the Scalp Hair of Malignant and Benign Breast Lesions Versus Healthy Women

Trace elements including Al, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, Pb, Sb, Sr, and Zn were analyzed in the scalp hair samples of women with malignant breast lesions, women with benign breast lesions, and healthy donors using atomic absorption spectrophotometric method. In the scalp hair of malignant-tumor patients, the highest average concentration was shown by Ca (1,187 μg/g), followed by Na (655 μg/g), Mg (478 μg/g), Zn (391 μg/g), Sr (152 μg/g), Fe (114 μg/g), and K (89.8), while in the case of benign-tumor patients, the average estimated element levels were 1,522, 1,093, 572, 457, 217, 80.4, and 74.7 μg/g, respectively. Most of the elements exhibited non-normal distribution evidenced by large spread, standard error, and skewness values. Mean concentrations of Ca (634 μg/g), Zn (206 μg/g), Mg (162 μg/g), Fe (129 μg/g), and Na (82.1 μg/g) were noteworthy in the scalp hair of healthy women. Average levels of Na, Sr, K, Cd, Co, Pb, Mg, Ca, Zn, Ni, Sb, and Mn were revealed to be significantly higher in the hair of malignant and benign patients compared to the healthy women; however, Fe, Cu, Al, and Cr were not significantly different in the scalp hair of the three groups. The quartile distributions of Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, Pb, Sb, and Sr revealed maximum spread in the scalp hair of malignant and benign groups; nevertheless, Al, Cu, Fe, and Zn exhibited almost comparable quartile levels in the three groups. Strong correlation coefficients were found between Fe and Cd, Al and Na, Mn and Sr, Co and Cr, Cd and Cr, Pb and K, Pb and Mn, Cu and Na, and Al and Fe in the scalp hair of malignant-tumor patients, while Fe and K, Cd and Co, Na and Co, and Cr and Pb showed strong correlations in the scalp hair of benign-tumor patients, both of which were significantly different compared with the healthy subjects. Multivariate cluster analysis also revealed divergent clustering of the elements in the scalp hair of malignant and benign patients in comparison with the healthy women.     

Human urothelial micronucleus assay to assess genotoxic recovery by reduction of arsenic in drinking water: a cohort study in West Bengal, India

Chronic exposure to arsenic through drinking water affects nearly 26 million individuals in West Bengal, India. Cytogenetic biomarkers like urothelial micronucleus (MN) are extensively used to monitor arsenic exposed population. In 2004–2005, 145 arsenic exposed individuals and 60 unexposed controls were surveyed of which 128 exposed individuals and 54 unexposed controls could be followed up in 2010–2011. In 2004–2005, the extent of arsenic content in the drinking water was 348.23 ± 102.67 μg/L, which was significantly lowered to 5.60 ± 10.83 μg/L in 2010–2011. Comparing the data obtained between 2004–2005 and 2010–2011, there was a significant decline in the MN frequency, when assayed in 2010–2011 compared to 2004–2005. Hence, we infer that urothelial MN can be utilized as a good biomarker in detecting remedial effects from toxicity of the low dose of arsenic through drinking water.     

Determination of Arsenic Scalp Hair of Pakistani Children and Drinking Water for Environmental Risk Assessment

This cross-sectional study measured the arsenic level in scalp hair samples of children from two age groups exposed to contaminated underground water in Pakistan. The As concentrations in water and scalp hair samples were analyzed by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry. The studied areas were divided into three regions based on concentration of As in water and scalp hair of children who had been exposed to different levels of As through drinking water. The average As concentrations in underground water samples of sub-districts Faiz Ganj, Thari Mirwah, and Gambat were observed to be 15.2, 28.5, and 98.3 μg/L, respectively, which were marked as less, medium, and highly contaminated areas, respectively. The proportion of the children with lower body mass index significantly increased with increasing As exposure level; the dose–response relationship was consistently observed among the subgroups. The range of As concentrations in scalp hair samples of children of age 1–5 and 6–10 years was 0.21–3.88 and 0.32–3.63 μg/g, respectively. Thus, it is likely that children in our study areas are chronically exposed to As through drinking groundwater, suggesting that there is an urgent need to take immediate solution, especially in the Gambat sub-district.     

Effects of calcium on nickel tolerance and accumulation in Alyssum species and cabbage grown in nutrient solution

Nickel (Ni) phytoextraction using hyperaccumulator plant species to accumulate Ni from mineralized and contaminated soils rich in Ni is undergoing commercial development. Serpentinite derived soils have a very low ratio of Ca/Mg among soils due the nature of the parent rock. In crop plants, soil Ca reduces Ni uptake and phytotoxicity, so it is possible that the low Ca of serpentine soils could limit hyperaccumulator plant tolerance of serpentine soils used for commercial phytomining. In this study, we investigated the effects of varied Ca concentration in the presence of high Mg characteristic of serpentine soils on Ni uptake and tolerance by serpentine-endemic species Alyssum murale Waldst. et Kit. and A. pintodasilvae T.R. Dudley in comparison with cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. var. capita) in a nutrient solution study. The levels of Ca and Mg used were based on serpentine and normal soils, and Ni was based on achieving over 1% Ni in Alyssum shoots in preliminary tests. Varied solution concentrations of Ni (31.6–1,000 μM for Alyssum, 1.0–10 μM for cabbage) and Ca (0.128–5 mM) were used in a factorial experimental design; 2 mM Mg was used to mimic serpentine soils. Alyssum spp. showed much greater tolerance to high Ni, high Mg, and low Ca solution concentrations than cabbage. For Alyssum spp., Ni induced phytotoxicity was only apparent at 1,000 μM Ni with relatively low and high Ca/Mg quotient. In the 1,000 μM Ni treatment, shoot Ni concentrations ranged from 8.18 to 22.8 g kg^?1 for A. murale and 7.60 to 16.0 g kg^?1 for A. pintodasilvae. Normal solution Ca concentrations (0.8–2 mM) gave the best yield across all Ni treatments for the Alyssum species tested. It was clear that solution Ca levels affected shoot Ni concentration, shoot yield and Ni translocation from root to shoot, but the relation was non-linear, increasing with increasing Ca up to 2 mM Ca, then declining at the highest Ca. Our results indicate that Ca addition to high Mg serpentine soils with very low Ca/Mg ratio may reduce Ni phytotoxicity and improve annual Ni phytoextraction by Alyssum hyperaccumulator species. Removal of shoot biomass in phytomining will require Ca application to maintain full yield potential.     

Cross-Sectional Relationship Between Chronic Stress and Mineral Concentrations in Hair of Elementary School Girls

Chronic stress exposure is associated with diverse negative health outcomes. It has been hypothesised that stress may also negatively affect the body's mineral status. This study investigates the association between chronic stress and long-term mineral concentrations of calcium (Ca), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), magnesium (Mg), phosphorus (P) and zinc (Zn) in scalp hair among elementary school girls. Complete information on child-reported stress estimates (Coddington Life Events Scale (CLES)), hair cortisone and hair mineral concentrations, and predefined confounders in the stress–mineral relationship (i.e. age, body mass index, physical activity, diet, hair colour and parental education) was provided cross-sectionally for 140 girls (5–10 years old). The relationship between childhood stress measures (predictor) and hair minerals (outcome) was studied using linear regression analysis, adjusted for the abovementioned confounders. Hair cortisone concentrations were inversely associated with hair mineral concentrations of Ca, Mg, Zn and the Ca/P ratio. Children at risk by life events (CLES) presented an elevated Ca/Mg ratio. These findings were persistent after adjustment for confounders. This study demonstrated an independent association between chronic stress measures and hair mineral levels in young girls, indicating the importance of physiological stress–mineral pathways independently from individual or behavioural factors. Findings need to be confirmed in a more heterogeneous population and on longitudinal basis. The precise mechanisms by which stress alters hair mineral levels should be further elucidated.     

Concentration of Zinc,Copper, Iron,Calcium, and Magnesium in the Serum,Tissues, and Urine of Streptozotocin-Induced Mild Diabetic Rat Model

A survey carried out in Lake Tana in 2015 found that Hg levels in some fish species exceeded internationally accepted safe levels for fish consumption. The current study assesses human exposure to Hg through fish consumption around the Lake Tana. Of particular interest was that a dietary intake of fishes is currently a health risk for Bihar Dar residents and anglers. Hair samples were collected from three different groups: anglers, college students and teachers, and daily laborers. A questionary includes gender, age, weight, activity. Frequency of fish consumption and origin of the eaten fish were completed by each participant. Mercury concentrations in hair were significantly higher (P value <0.05) for anglers (mean?±?standard deviation 0.120?±?0.199 μg/g) than college students (mean?±?standard deviation 0.018?±?0.039 μg/g) or daily workers (mean?±?standard deviation 16?±?9.5 ng/g). Anglers consumed fish more often than daily workers and college group. Moreover, there was also a strong correlation (P value <0.05) between the logarithms of total mercury and age associated with mercury concentration in scalp hair. Mercury concentrations in the hair of men were on average twice the value of the women. Also, users of skin lightening soap on a daily basis had 2.5 times greater mercury in scalp hair than non-users. Despite the different sources of mercury exposure mentioned above, the mercury concentrations of the scalp hair of participants of this study were below levels deemed to pose a threat to health.     

Room Temperature Ionic Liquid-Based Dispersive Liquid Phase Microextraction for the Separation/Preconcentration of Trace Cd2+ as 1-(2-pyridylazo)-2-naphthol (PAN) Complex from Environmental and Biological Samples and Determined by FAAS

The current work develops a new green methodology for the separation/preconcentration of cadmium ions (Cd²⁺) using room temperature ionic liquid-dispersive liquid phase microextraction (RTIL–DLME) prior to analysis by flame atomic absorption spectrometry with microsample introduction system. Room temperature ionic liquids (RTIL) are considered “Green Solvents” for their thermally stable and non-volatile properties, here 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate [C₄mim][PF₆] was used as an extractant. The preconcentration of Cd²⁺ in different waters and acid digested scalp hair samples were complexed with 1-(2-pyridylazo)-2-naphthol and extracted into the fine drops of RTILs. Some significant factors influencing the extraction efficiency of Cd²⁺ and its subsequent determination, including pH, amount of ligand, volume of RTIL, dispersant solvent, sample volume, temperature, and incubation time were investigated in detail. The limit of detection and the enhancement factor under the optimal conditions were 0.05 μg/L and 50, respectively. The relative standard deviation of 100 μg/L Cd²⁺ was 4.3 %. The validity of the proposed method was checked by determining Cd²⁺ in certified reference material (TM-25.3 fortified water). The sufficient recovery (>98 %) of Cd²⁺ with the certified value. The mean concentrations of Cd in lake water 13.2, waste water 15.7 and hair sample 16.8 μg/L, respectively and the developed method was applied satisfactorily to the preconcentration and determination of Cd²⁺ in real samples.     

The Concentration of Vanadium in Pathologically Altered Human Kidneys

This study evaluated serum and hair mineral and trace element levels as well as levels of other nutritional factors affecting growth and appetite in young children with non-organic failure to thrive (NOFTT) based on the presence or types of feeding difficulty (FD). Between August 2012 and July 2015, 136 children less than 6 years of age with NOFTT were included. FD was diagnosed based on Wolfson criteria and divided into subtypes according to Chatoor’s classification. Clinical data were reviewed, and serum and hair mineral levels were measured. Of all assessed serum and hair minerals, only hair sulfur contents differed significantly between subjects with and without infantile anorexia (39,392 ± 2211 vs. 40,332 ± 2551 μg/g, P = 0.034). There were no differences in serum and hair mineral levels between children with and without sensory food aversion. Hair copper contents were significantly lower in children with FD of reciprocity (12.3 ± 6.0 vs. 22.4 ± 25.1 μg/g, P = 0.049). While hair zinc contents were also lower, the difference was not statistically significant (49.2 ± 26.8 vs. 70.6 ± 41.0 μg/g, P = 0.055). Only hair manganese contents were significantly lower in children with posttraumatic FD (0.12 ± 0.04 vs. 0.26 ± 0.73 μg/g, P = 0.037). In conclusion, there were no differences in most serum and hair mineral levels in children with NOFTT, except for relatively lower hair levels of sulfur, copper and possibly zinc, and manganese in infantile anorexia, reciprocity, and posttraumatic types of FD, respectively.     

Disparities of Selected Metal Levels in the Blood and Scalp Hair of Ischemia Heart Disease Patients and Healthy Subjects

Imbalances in the concentrations of trace metals have become an increasingly recognized source of infirmity worldwide particularly in the development of ischemia heart disease (IHD). Present study is intended to analyze the concentrations of Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Li, Mg, Mn, Na, Pb, Sr, and Zn in the blood and scalp hair of the patients and counterpart controls by flame atomic absorption spectrometry after wet-acid digestion. On the average, Cd, Co, Cr, Fe, K, Li, Mn, Na, and Pb revealed significantly elevated concentrations in the blood of the patients compared with the controls (p < 0.05), whereas mean levels of Ca, Cd, Fe, K, Li, Pb, and Sr in the scalp hair were significantly higher in the patients than the controls (p < 0.05). Most of the metals exhibited noticeable disparities in their concentrations based on gender, abode, dietary/smoking habits, and occupations of both donor groups. The correlation study and multivariate statistical analyses revealed some significantly divergent associations and apportionment of the metals in both donor groups. Overall, comparative variations of the metal contents in blood/scalp hair of the patients were significantly different than the controls; thus, evaluation of trace metals status may be indicative of pathological disorders, such as IHD.     

Determination of Arsenic in Scalp Hair of Children and its Correlation with Drinking Water in Exposed Areas of Sindh Pakistan

This study was focused on the analysis of arsenic (As) levels in scalp hair of children (age, <10 years) collected from two towns of Khairpur, Pakistan, to evaluate the effects of As-contaminated groundwater. For comparative purposes, scalp hair samples of children were also collected from that area having low levels of As (<10 μg/L) in drinking water. Groundwater and scalp hair samples of children were collected and analyzed by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry prior to microwave-assisted acid digestion. The average As concentrations in groundwater samples of two towns, Thari Mirwah and Gambat, were found to be 28.5 and 98.3 μg/L, respectively. The range of As concentrations in scalp hair samples of children who belong to Thari Mirwah and Gambat was 1.25-1.61 μg/g and 1.73-3.63 μg/g, respectively. Twenty percent of the total children who belong to Gambat have skin lesions on their hands and feet. A positive correlation coefficient (R = 0.91-0.99) was obtained between As contents in drinking water and scalp hairs of children of both towns.     

Human Exposure to Metals: Levels in Autopsy Tissues of Individuals Living Near a Hazardous Waste Incinerator

The concentrations of a number of metals were determined in the brain, bone, kidney, liver, and lung of 20 autopsied subjects who had lived, at least 10 years, in the neighborhood of a hazardous waste incinerator (HWI) in Tarragona (Catalonia, Spain). Results were compared with those obtained in 1998 (baseline survey) and previous surveys (2003 and 2007). Arsenic, Be, Ni, Tl, and V showed concentrations below the corresponding detection limits in all tissues. Cadmium showed the highest levels in the kidney, with a mean value of 21.15 μg/g. However, Cd was found below the detection limit in the brain and bone. Chromium showed similar concentrations in the kidney, brain, and lung (range of mean values, 0.57–0.66 μg/g) and higher in the bone (1.38 μg/g). In turn, Hg was below the detection limit in all tissues with the exception of the kidney, where the mean concentration was 0.15 μg/g (range, <0.05–0.58 μg/g). On the other hand, Mn could be detected in all tissues showing the highest levels in the liver and kidney (1.45 and 1.09 μg/g, respectively). Moreover, Pb showed the highest concentrations in bone (mean, 1.39 μg/g; range, <0.025–4.88 μg/g). Finally, Sn could be detected only in some tissue samples, reaching the highest values in the bone (0.17 μg/g). The current metal levels in human tissues from individuals living near the HWI of Tarragona are comparable and of a similar magnitude to previously reported results corresponding to general populations, as well as those of our previous surveys.     

Health Risk Assessment Due to Groundwater Arsenic Contamination: Children Are at High Risk

Health risk assessment due to groundwater As contamination was conducted in two As-prone panchayats, Rampur Diara (RD) and Haldichapra (HC) of the Maner block of the Patna district, Bihar (India). All 100% of the water samples surveyed were found to be contaminated with As with a mean value of 52 μg/L (n = 10) in RD and 231 μg/L (n = 10) in HC, both exceeding the World Health Organization (WHO) guideline of 10 μg/L and the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) standard of 50 μg/L, respectively. The average calculated per capita consumption of As through drinking water in RD ranged from 120 μg/day for 5–10-year-old children to 320 μg/day for adults older than 41 years, while in HC the average calculated As through consumption ranged from 580 μg/day for 5–10-year-old children to 1470 μg/day for adults older than 41 years. Hazard quotients were calculated to be between 12.1 to 41.6 for the RD population and 58.3 to 192.5 for the HC population, both exceeding the typical toxic risk index 1. In addition, cancer risk of 19 per 1000 was found for RD children and 87 per 1000 for HC children. Visible symptoms of Arsenicosis were also observed in the area.     

Chromium Exposure in the Adult Population,Consuming Different Types of Smokeless Tobacco Products in Pakistan

The pervasive smokeless tobacco (SLT) consumption and diseases related to its use is a hot topic for the public discussion. In this study, concentrations of chromium (Cr) were measured in different SLT products [snuff (dry and moist), mainpuri, and gutkha] offered and used in Pakistan. The current study was also designed to assess the Cr levels in the biological (scalp hair and blood) samples of male and female subjects, age ranged from 25 to 60 years, chewing different SLT products. For comparative purpose, the healthy persons of the same age group, who did not consume any SLT products, were selected as referents. The concentrations of Cr in SLT products and biological samples were measured by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrophotometer after microwave-assisted acid digestion. The validity and accuracy of the methodology were checked by certified reference materials (CRMs). The resulted data indicated that the adult persons, who consumed different SLT products, have 2–3 fold higher levels of Cr in biological samples as compared to referent subjects (p < 0.01). The persons, who chew/sniff different SLT products, have 50–80 and 42–82 % higher levels of Cr in their scalp hair and blood samples as related to referents. The daily intake of Cr is lower as compared to the recommended value of 50–200 μg/day. It was expected that 10 g consumption of various kinds of SLT products (snuff, mainpuri, and gutkha) may subsidize 21.2–220, 17.7–122, and 18.4–273 % of the recommended daily intake of Cr, respectively.     

Fluoride Alters Serum Elemental (Calcium,Magnesium, Copper,and Zinc) Homeostasis Along with Erythrocyte Carbonic Anhydrase Activity in Fluorosis Endemic Villages and Restores on Supply of Safe Drinking Water in School-Going Children of Nalgonda District,India

The present study aimed to determine the serum trace elements (copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg)) along with erythrocyte carbonic anhydrase (CA) activity and effect of intervention with safe drinking water for 5 years in the school children of fluorosis endemic area. For this purpose, three categories of villages were selected based on drinking water fluoride (F): Category I (control, F?=?1.68 mg/L), category II (affected F?=?3.77 mg/L), and category III (intervention village) where initial drinking water F was 4.51 mg/L, and since the last 5 years, they were drinking water containing <?1.0 mg/L F. The results revealed that urinary F was significantly (P?<?0.05) higher in category II compared to categories I and III. A significant (P?<?0.05) increase in serum Cu and Mg was observed in category II compared to category I. Serum Zn and Ca was significantly (P?<?0.05) decreased in categories II and III compared to category I. The erythrocyte CA activity was decreased in the category II compared to category I. However, in the category III, erythrocyte CA activity was comparable to the control group. In conclusion, F exposure altered elemental homeostasis which has restored to some extent on intervention by safe drinking water for 5 years in school-going children.     

Comparative Assessment of Selected Metals in the Scalp Hair and Nails of Lung Cancer Patients and Controls

Lung cancer is seriously threatening human health and exposure to trace metals is the most important aetiology for lung cancer. Selected essential/toxic metals (Ca, Mg, Na, K, Fe, Zn, Cu, Sr, Li, Co, Mn, Ni, Cr, Cd and Pb) are measured in the scalp hair and nails of lung cancer patients and controls by atomic absorption spectrophotometric method employing nitric acid-perchloric acid-based wet digestion. Average concentrations of Pb, Cd, Mn, Co and Cu are found to be significantly higher (p?<?0.05) in the scalp hair and nails of lung cancer patients compared with the controls, however, appreciably higher concentrations of Zn, Ca, Na, Mg and Cr are noted in the scalp hair of the controls. Most of the metal levels reveal higher dispersion and asymmetry in the scalp hair/nails of the patients compared with the controls. Average metal levels are also compared to investigate probable differences based on sex, abode, food and smoking habits. The correlation study shows significantly diverse mutual variations of the metals in the scalp hair and nails of the patients and controls. Considerable variations in the metal levels are also noted for various stages and types of lung cancer (adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, large cell carcinoma and small cell lung cancer). Multivariate apportionment of the metals in the scalp hair and nails of the patients and controls are also significantly diverse. The study reveals considerably divergent variations in the metal levels in lung cancer patients in comparison with healthy subjects.