Determination of Lead and Copper in Hair by Non-Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry

Abstract

Abstract The possibility of differentiating between hairs from different people by comparing trace element concentrations (< 1000 ppm) in the hair has stimulated a good deal of discussion by forensic scientists in the last decade. Because of its relative ease of removal from the scalp, especially during crimes of aggression, hair is often found at the scene of a crime. Sometimes only a single hair is recovered; and, consequently, sophisticated analytical techniques are required to determine satisfactorily the concentration of trace elements.