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Table 1 An overview of typical concentrations of toxic trace metals reported in non-invasive human matrices (arithmetic mean (rangea))

From: Applicability of non-invasively collected matrices for human biomonitoring

 

As

Cd

Hg (total)

Pb

Urine

(μg/l)

6.4 (ND-157)

[37]

0.34 (ND-31.5)

[37]

0.89 (ND – 34.8)

[37]

1.3 (0.1–4.6)b

0.8 (0.02–4.8)c

[38]

Urine

(μg/g creatinine)

4.9 (ND-163)

[37]

0.27 (ND-22.4)

[37]

0.59 (ND-16.0)

[37]

0.8d (0.2–3.4)b

0.5d (0.1–4.6)c

[38]

Placenta

(ng/g wet weight)

6 (3–12)

[13]

4 (1–6)

[13]

8 (2–13)

[13]

34 (5–60)

[13]

Cord blood

(μg/l)

15.7 (2.9–74.6)

[33]

0.02 (ND-0.08)

[34]

10 (ND-75)

[35]

11.2 (0.9 – 122)

[34]

Exhaled breath (μg/l)

-

- (ND-1.70)

[60]

-

- (ND-1.4)

[60]

Breast milk

(μg/l)

0.3 (0.1–0.8)

[41]

0.1 (0.1–3.8)

[41]

2.7 (0.64–257.1)

[41]

5 (ND-41.1)

[41]

Hair

(μg/g)

0.65 (0.2–8.2)

[44]

0.08 (ND-8.19)

[45]

0.2 (0.04–1.73)e

[46]

2.26 (ND-583.5)

[45]

  1. a Range may include high levels at which adverse effects are expected; b Data for children; c Data for adults; d Geometric mean; e Mean (P10-P95); f ND: below detection limit