Bencko V, Geist T, Arbetová D, Dharmadikari D M, Svandová E
J Hyg Epidemiol Microbiol Immunol. 1986;30(1):1-10.
The extent of environmental pollution and resulting human exposure to hazardous toxic chemicals in the environment is often difficult to assess. One of the possible alternative approaches to this problem is the use of the biological indicators to demonstrate environmental pollution. This approach appears to be particularly suitable for demonstrating exposure to potentially toxic trace elements. In addition to analyses of plant and animal specimens the element content of human hair as an indicator of exposures to arsenic, mercury, cadmium, lead, antimony, manganese, nickel and cobalt has been repeatedly confirmed as reliable, provided the analyses were carried out and evaluated on group diagnostic basis and were done in groups of individuals occupationally not exposed to these metals. Preferably groups of 10-year-old children are to be used when only environmental pollution is to be taken into account. Hair samples are incomparably easier to collect, transport and store than the alternative biological material such as blood and urine used commonly to demonstrate exposure to various toxic agents. Biological monitoring of environmental pollution cannot replace the standard procedures of measuring air, water and soil pollution; however, the technique appears to have the potential of being an effective tool search for the extent of environmental pollution and for delimitation of territorial boundaries of areas affected most by hazardous emissions containing potentially toxic trace elements.
环境污染的程度以及由此导致的人类在环境中接触有害有毒化学物质的情况往往难以评估。解决这个问题的一种可能的替代方法是使用生物指标来证明环境污染。这种方法似乎特别适合于证明对潜在有毒微量元素的接触。除了对植物和动物标本进行分析外，人发中的元素含量作为砷、汞、镉、铅、锑、锰、镍和钴接触情况的指标，已被反复证实是可靠的，前提是分析是在群体诊断的基础上进行并评估的，且是在职业上未接触这些金属的个体群体中进行的。如果只考虑环境污染，最好使用10岁儿童群体。与通常用于证明接触各种有毒物质的替代生物材料（如血液和尿液）相比，头发样本的采集、运输和储存要容易得多。环境污染的生物监测不能取代测量空气、水和土壤污染的标准程序；然而，这项技术似乎有可能成为一种有效的工具，用于探寻环境污染的程度以及划定受含有潜在有毒微量元素的有害排放影响最严重地区的领土边界。
