P1  A DATABASE OF ELEMENTAL AND TRACE ELEMENTAL DISTRIBUTIONS WITHIN THE VIRGIN SEGMENT OF CAUCASIAN SCALP FIBRES.

¹B Forslind and ²B Stocklassa, ¹EDRG, Department of Medical Biophysics, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden, and ²Cox Analytical Systems AB, Gothenburg, Sweden

A reference database on normal elemental and trace elemental content valid for Caucasians of Nordic origin based on single hair fibre analysis is presented. Anagen fibres analysed in a virgin segment ensures that time dependent effects are minimized so that biological variation remains the main factor of uncertainty. The present data, retrieved from a conceivably ethnically homogenous set of individuals, represents to our knowledge the first of its kind.  It represents the first step towards a more generalized compilation of hair data to be used in diagnosis, especially of genetic disorders and will provide a basis for future analyses of pathological hair fibres and in forensic analysis of hair fibres.

Based on X-ray fluorescence, our new energy dispersive technique for elemental analysis has a high reproducibility at revisits. Evaluation of other technical and instrumental characteristics of the ITRAX X-ray spectrometer shows that attenuation variations of the fluorescent X-rays in hair bulk mass at analysis of sulfur, calcium and zinc close to the root of one hair fibre with elliptical cross section. Rotation of the hair fibre and successive analyses made from the same part of the hair fibre showed that concentrations of elements, e.g., S and Ca, varied as functions of the diameter. This variation is less pronounced for the heavy Zn than for the light S and K. Our results correspond to “live concentrations” at a level of trace element sensitivity. In summary, the ITRAX instrument allows a precise, fast, non-destructive, simultaneous, quantitative recording of elements and trace elements down to levels of 1 ppm (mg/g). The elemental concentrations recorded in this study are in agreement with previous PIXE data (Forslind et al. 1986, Scanning Electron Microsc./1986/I:237-241), albeit these former data were not corrected for variations in cross sections.