HIGH LEVEL OF ARSENIC REAFFIRMED FOR HUMAN HAIRS IN MONGOLIA

Abstract

We have analyzed the hair of inhabitant of a district in Mongolia where the arsenic contamination is doubted. The study area includes a village where the authors noticed possible arsenic contamination in 2004 (S. Murao, B. Tumenbayar, K. Sera, S. Futatsugawa and T. Waza, Finding of high level arsenic for Mongolian villagers' hair, Int. J. PIXE 14 (2004) 125–131). The investigation team visited each family, explained the purpose of visit, obtained their consent, and cut the untreated virgin hairs. The result reaffirmed high arsenic concentration, up to 11ppm, for most of the subjects. Since the arsenic anomaly in the study area is observed regardless the occupation, it is highly probable that the area is contaminated on a regional scale.