Levels of arsenic in human hair as biomarkers of arsenic exposure in a mining community in Ghana

Abstract

Arsenic levels were determined in human hair samples collected from a mining and non-mining community in Ghana. Hair samples were digested and analyzed using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometer (ICP–AES). Elevated levels of arsenic were found in the samples obtained from the mining community, the mean levels in the hair ranged from 0.0142–0.0515 μg/g, whereas arsenic was not detected in the hair samples from the non-mining community. The values obtained from the mining community were all below background levels set by the Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry (ATSDR). The results therefore indicate that arsenic pollution may indeed be associated with mining, inducing human environmental exposure.