Determination of Heavy Metals Content in Hair in Different Collectives of Albania.

Abstract

The determination of heavy metals, such as mercury, lead, copper, zinc
and iron content in hair, for exposed dental workers and unexposed groups
of people living in Albania was carried out. The influence of factors such
as the age, the sex, the method of daily treatment of hair and the time
exposed to mercury, has been in consideration.
The mean value of mercury content in hair for the subjects under the
study (0.705  μg/g) was found to be lower than the value referred from the
World Health Organization (WHO) for the people who do not consume
fish with a high methyl mercury content (1-2  μg/g). The content of Hg in
different people is found to be different, when exposed and unexposed
groups of people were evaluated separately.  A significant negative correlation
of Fe and Zn was found. The overall mean values of lead, copper,
iron and zinc content in hair samples were found to be within the range
considered as normal for normal population. Some high' values on iron and
zinc content were found for old people. It may not be only the attribution
of the age, when oxidizing processes on the organism are more significant,
but also of the colour used in hair and relatively high air pollution in Tirana.
It was shown, too, that the mean value of iron and zinc in young people
(20 to 25 years old) are very close to normal values.