BASE-LINE LEVELS OF ELEMENTAL CONCENTRATIONS IN WHOLE-BLOOD, PLASMA, AND ERYTHROCYTES OF NIGERIAN SUBJECTS

In this pioneering effort on Nigerians, the arithmetic means, ranges, and standard deviations for the concentrations of the 13 elements, Br, Ca, Cl, Cu, Fe, K, Na, P, Pb, Rb, S, Se, and Zn, detected in freeze-d ried whole blood, erythrocytes, and plasma of 120 subjects drawn from different geographical regions of Nigeria are reported. Elemental anal yses have been carried out largely using instrumental neuron activatio n analysis (INAA) with both proton-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) and g raphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) serving as comple mentary techniques. Our values, compared with similar data from other parts of the world, show a general good agreement. Values in male and female subjects are compared. Correlations between different elements are also noted.