Rare Earth Elements Accumulation in the Hair of Malagasy Children and Adolescents in Relation to Their Age and Nutritional Status

Magdalena Zielińska-Dawidziak, Magdalena Czlapka-Matyasik, Zofia Wojciechowska, Jędrzej Proch, Ryszard Kowalski and Przemysław Niedzielski
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Magdalena Zielińska-Dawidziak: Department of Food Biochemistry and Analysis, Poznan University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 28, 60-637 Poznan, Poland
Magdalena Czlapka-Matyasik: Department of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, Poznan University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 28, 60-637 Poznan, Poland
Zofia Wojciechowska: Department of Food Biochemistry and Analysis, Poznan University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 28, 60-637 Poznan, Poland
Jędrzej Proch: Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Adam Mickiewicz University, 89b Umultowska Street, 61-614 Poznan, Poland
Ryszard Kowalski: Department of Meat Technology, Poznan University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 28, 60-637 Poznan, Poland
Przemysław Niedzielski: Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Adam Mickiewicz University, 89b Umultowska Street, 61-614 Poznan, Poland

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 1, 1-12

Abstract: Due to undesired influence, the accumulation of rare earth elements (REE) in the human body has been discussed recently. However, it is usually limited to the study of the population living where REE ores and mines are located. The aim of the experiment presented was to analyse the concentration of REE in the hair of children and teenagers living in two areas of Madagascar in relation to the place of residence, nutritional status, age and sex. REE concentration was determined in scalp hair of 262 of subjects (5–19 years old) by an inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometer. The content of total REE in the Malagasy hair was in the range of 0.79–44.15 mg/kg. The nutritional status was evaluated by Cole’s index, and malnutrition of children was observed more often in village areas. The concentration of these elements was also determined in 20 samples for the estimation of environmental exposure. No significant differences were detected in the content of these elements in the studied regions, although the mean value was always higher in soil samples from the Antananariva region. The obtained data suggest dependence between REE concentration in the hair and age, and nutritional status of the examined subjects. Even if the observed correlations are weak, they contribute significant knowledge on the accumulation of REE in the bodies of children living in areas that are not recognised as deposits of these elements.

Keywords: rare earth elements; nutritional status; Malagasy children and adolescent (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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