US EPA

1031791 

Journal Article 

Arsenic in fingernails 

Pounds, CA; Pearson, EF; Turner, TD 

1979 

0 

Journal - Forensic Science Society
ISSN: 0015-7368
EISSN: 1876-4282 

19 

3 

165-173 

English 

536727 

10.1016/s0015-7368(79)71269-2 

WOS:A1979JD76300003 

Experiments are described in which fingernails were taken from 5 volunteers who had been given a therapeutic dose of arsenious oxide. Fingernail clippings taken over a period of 180 days from the date of ingestion were analysed for arsenic by neutron activation analysis. Plots showing the amounts of arsenic in the nail clippings show peaks which are attributable to arsenic entering the nail root via the blood stream. Therefore the sectional analysis of fingernails taken from victims of fatal arsenical poisoning may well offer an alternative to hair as a method of estimating times of exposure.





Experiments are described in which fingernails were taken from 5 volunteers who had been given a therapeutic dose of arsenious oxide. Fingernail clippings taken over a period of 180 days from the date of ingestion were analysed for arsenic by neutron activation analysis. Plots showing the amounts of arsenic in the nail clippings show peaks which are attributable to arsenic entering the nail root via the blood stream. Therefore the sectional analysis of fingernails taken from victims of fatal arsenical poisoning may well offer an alternative to hair as a method of estimating times of exposure.