Investigation of exposure factors for toxic metals in the hair of traffic police officers in Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Scalp hair samples of traffic police officers were analyzed for 11 selected metals. The concentration of Pb and Co in the hair of traffic police officers in the city center had significant differences with other areas (p < 0.05). Also, the concentration of Al, Zn, and Cu in the hair of police officers in the south of Tehran was mainly different from other regions (p < 0.05). In this study, the concentrations of all studied elements were lower in traffic police officers who used masks and a considerable difference was observed between the concentrations of Co, Cu, Pb and Cd between the two groups (p < 0.05). In this study, a significant positive relationship was found between fish consumption and Cd concentration (r = 0.310; p < 0.01). A negative correlation was found between the intake of fruits and the levels of heavy metals Co, Zn, and As in hair. This study also found a negative correlation between BMI and hair concentrations of Cu, Zn, Cr, and Fe (r = -0.78, p > 0.02; r = -0.70, p > 0.05; r = -0.64, p > 0.05; r = -0.63, p > 0.05 respectively) in individuals classified as underweight (BMI ≤18.49 kg/m², n = 8).

Keywords: Heavy metals; Police; Scalp hair; Tehran.