Use

Detection of nonacute arsenic, mercury, and lead exposure using hair specimens. Hair keratin accumulates arsenic, mercury, and lead and can be used to document exposure timing; arsenic and mercury bind to keratin and reflect past exposures, while segmented hair may indicate timing. Lead hair analysis may corroborate blood results or document past exposure. Hair source (e.g., head, axillary, pubic) can help interpret duration of exposure. Reference values are provided for arsenic, mercury, and lead concentrations in hair. Interpretation accounts for hair growth rate and external contamination, in context of clinical scenario.