Elemental hair analysis is used for the detection of toxic and essential elements, and has been reliably used to determine long-term exposure. As a preliminary screening method for the presence of toxic substances, the advantages of hair analysis include the non-invasiveness, low cost, and the ability to measure a large number of, potentially interacting, toxic and biologically essential elements. Head hair analysis is increasingly used as a test to determine whether children haveabsorbed potentially toxic metals linked to behavioral and other health problems. ¹

Since environmental exposure is the most common cause of toxic metal exposure in children, we evaluated a number of toxic and biological essential elements in the hair of Arab, Asian and German children, living in different countries and environments. The aim was to see how environmental toxins affect various population groups. We also aimed to evaluate differences in nutritional status between the groups.