Analytical Sciences


Abstract − Analytical Sciences, 36(5), 561 (2020).

Development of Human Hair Reference Material Supporting the Biomonitoring of Methylmercury
Koichi HARAGUCHI,*1 Mineshi SAKAMOTO,*2 Akito MATSUYAMA,*1 Megumi YAMAMOTO,*2 Dang T. HUNG,*3 Hiromitsu NAGASAKA,*4 Keisuke UCHIDA,*4 Yasunori ITO,*4 Hitoshi KODAMATANI,*5 Milena HORVAT,*6 Hing M. CHAN,*7 Matthew RAND,*8 Ciprian M. CIRTIU,*9 Byoung-Gwon KIM,*10 Flemming NIELSEN,*11 Akane YAMAKAWA,*12 Nikolay MASHYANOV,*13 Nikolai PANICHEV,*14 Elena PANOVA,*15 Tomoaki WATANABE,*16 Naoki KANEKO,*17 Jun YOSHINAGA,*18 Ranny F. HERWATI,*19 Alfrida E. SUOTH,*20 and Hirokatsu AKAGI*21
*1 Department of International Affairs and Research, National Institute for Minamata Disease, 4058-18 Hama, Minamata, Kumamoto 867-0008, Japan
*2 Department of Environment and Public Health, National Institute for Minamata Disease, 4058-18 Hama, Minamata, Kumamoto 867-0008, Japan
*3 Laboratory Center, Hanoi University of Public Health, 1A Duc Thang Road, Duc ThangWard, Bac Tu Liem District, Hanoi, Vietnam
*4 Institute of Environmental Ecology, IDEA Consultants, Inc., 1334-5 Yaizu, Shizuoka 421-0212, Japan
*5 Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Kagoshima University, 1-21-35 Korimoto, Kagoshima 890-0065, Japan
*6 Department of Environmental Sciences, Jozef Stefan Institute, Jamova Cesta 39, Ljubljana 1000, Slovenia
*7 Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie Curie, Ottawa K1N 6N5, Canada
*8 Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
*9 Centre de Toxicologie du Quebec, Institut National de Santé Publique du Quebec, 945 Wolfe Avenue, Québec G1V 5B3, Canada
*10 Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, Dong-A University, 32 Daesingongwon-ro, Seo-gu, Busan 49201, Korea
*11 Environmental Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, J.B. Winsloews Vej 17a, Odense 5000, Denmark
*12 Center for Environmental Measurement and Analysis, National Institute for Environmental Studies, 16-2 Onokawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8506, Japan
*13 Lumex-Marketing, Ul. Obruchevykh, 1 lit. b, St. Petersburg 195220, Russia
*14 Department of Chemistry, Tshwane University of Technology, 175 Nelson Mandela Drive, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa
*15 Institute of the Earth Sciences, St. Petersburg University, 7/9 Universitetskaya nab., St. Petersburg 199034, Russia
*16 Nippon Instruments Corporation, 14-8 Akaoji, Takatsuki, Osaka 569-1146, Japan
*17 Milestone General K.K., 3-2-1 Sakato, Kawasaki, Kanagawa 213-0012, Japan
*18 Department of Applied Biosciences, Toyo University, 1-1-1 Izumino, Itakura, Gunma 374-0193, Japan
*19 Balai Besar Laboratorium Kesehatan Jakarta, Jl. Percetakan Negara no.23B Johar Baru, Jakarta Pusat, DKI Jakarta 10560, Indonesia
*20 Research and Development for Environmental Quality and Laboratory Center, MOEF, Kawasan Puspiptek Gedung 210, South Tangerang, Banten 15314, Indonesia
*21 International Mercury Laboratory Inc., 426-2 Fukuro, Minamata, Kumamoto 867-0034, Japan
A certified reference material, NIMD-01, was developed for the analysis of mercury speciation in human hair. We collected the hair of Vietnamese males from a barbershop in Hanoi in 2016 and prepared 1200 bottles containing 3 g of sieved and blended hair powder. The certified value was given on a dry-mass basis, with the moisture content obtained by drying at 85°C for 4 h. Certified values with the expanded uncertainties (coverage factor, k = 2) were as follows: methylmercury, 0.634 ± 0.071 mg kg−1 as mercury; total mercury, 0.794 ± 0.050 mg kg−1; copper, 12.8 ± 1.4 mg kg−1; zinc, 234 ± 29 mg kg−1; selenium, 1.52 ± 0.29 mg kg−1. An indicative arsenic concentration of 0.17 ± 0.03 mg kg−1 was measured. Extended uncertainties were estimated by sample homogeneity, long- and short-term stabilities, and a characterization from measurements made by collaborating laboratories.