Ba–Sr–V as Geogenic and Traffic Tracers in Paediatric Hair from Urban–Industrial Spain, with Co-Located Topsoil Vanadium
Abstract
Urban–industrial environments can generate mixed geogenic and traffic-related metal signatures in paediatric scalp hair, yet interpretation is challenged by left-censoring and limited health-based guidance values for hair. We quantified barium (Ba), strontium (Sr) and vanadium (V) in archived scalp hair collected in 2001 from children (6–9 years, n = 120) and adolescents (13–16 years, n = 97) residing in Alcalá de Henares (central Spain). Samples were washed, digested and quantified by Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP–MS; laboratory processing in 2025); results below the limit of detection (LoD) were treated as left-censored using NADA2 (no substitution). In children, Ba and Sr were frequently quantifiable (medians 0.193 and 0.412 µg/g; 38.3% and 23.3%
Fields of Study & Subjects
Heavy Metal Exposure and Toxicity
Arsenic contamination and mitigation
Contact Dermatitis and Allergies
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Toxics
- Publisher
- MDPI AG
- Volume
- 14
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 268–268
- Publication date
- 19 March 2026
- Language
- EN