Clin Chem Lab Med. 2025 Jun 16. doi: 10.1515/cclm-2025-0076. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: Heavy Metals (HMs) concentrations vary with living environments, diet, and personal habits. This study aims to establish health-related reference intervals (RIs) for selected HMs in healthy, non-occupationally exposed young adults living in an urban environment.
METHODS: The Uni4Me study enrolled 154 healthy university volunteers (median age: 23 years) to assess the concentrations of seven heavy metals (lead, nickel, cadmium, zinc, chromium, cobalt, and mercury) using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) and Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-EOS). CLSI guidelines were followed to estimate the 2.5th and 97.5th percentiles as RIs.
RESULTS: Most metals were detected at low concentrations. Zinc showed consistent physiological levels in all participants. Mercury and chromium were the most frequently detected, indicating potential environmental or dietary exposure.
CONCLUSIONS: This study defines baseline values for HMs in an urban, healthy, young adult population. These results may support future biomonitoring efforts and public health initiatives targeting subclinical exposure in non-occupationally exposed populations.
PMID:40515585 | DOI:10.1515/cclm-2025-0076