THE ANALYSIS OF LEAD, CADMIUM, ZINC, COPPER AND NICKEL CONTENT IN HUMAN BONES FROM THE UPPER SILESIAN INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT

The concentration of lead, cadmium, zinc, copper and nickel in autopsy samples of bones from adults living in the Upper Silesian industrial district (Poland) - an ecological disaster region - was determined by atomic absorption spectrometry (flame and flameless GF AAS). Lead conc entrations ranged from 20 mug/g to 200 mug/g bone wet weight, cadmium from 0.4 mug/g to 1.5 mug/g bone wet weight. About one-fourth of the b ones examined from Silesia, contained lead in the range from 100 mug/g to 200 mug/g. The were no significant differences in zinc, copper and nickel concentration between the control groups. The samples were min eralized in a microwave digestion system. To avoid anomalous results c aused by the influence of the matrix Ca3 (PO4)2 - the procedure of lea d determination was carried out at a temperature of 2000-degrees-C, th e cadmium determination at a temperature of about 1200-degrees-C.