Analysis of Mercury in Sequential Micrometer Segments of Single Hair Strands of Fish-Eaters

The study analyzed mercury concentrations in single hair strands of 10 fish-eaters using laser ablation−inductively coupled plasma−mass spectrometry (LA−ICP−MS) to track time-resolved mercury exposure. It found significant differences in mercury concentrations when compared to cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry (CV-AAS), due to variable ablation efficiency and differences in the physical properties of the standards. The study demonstrated that LA−ICP−MS could effectively reconstruct mercury exposure over time, showing daily changes in mercury levels within hair segments corresponding to 1 month of growth, with individual variations in mercury concentration ranging from 26% to 40%.