Regional Variation in As, Cu, Hg, and Se and Interaction between Them

A comparative survey of trace elements in hair samples from three different regions of the world was carried out. The concentrations of the same trace elements in tissues from infants and adults from Glasgow are also presented. It was found that the Se levels in hair samples from Iceland are significantly lower than the levels found for the Glasgow area. The level of Hg was in the same range as that for the Glasgow area and the As level is much lower in Iceland. Comparison of the levels of Hg, As, and Se in hair samples from Iran and Glasgow revealed significantly lower levels of these trace elements in samples from Iran, but the Cu levels were similar. Comparison of adult and infant levels of Se and Cu revealed fetal storage of Cu in the livers of infants. Arsenic levels were higher in adult tissues. In the study of the interaction among trace elements in human tissues, a positive correlation between Hg and Cu in liver samples from the Glasgow area and hair samples from Iran was found. A positive correlation between Se and As was also found in spleen and lung tissues.