US EPA

4843931 

Technical Report 

The Distribution of Trace Metals in the Human Body 

Tipton, IH 

1960 

Binding in Medicine 

Results are given of analyses for 17 elements in 11 tissues of 121 adults and 67 infants and children in the United States as a contribution in determining the maximum amount of radionuclide that might be taken into the body without exceeding safe levels of exposure. Emission spectrography was used for the analysis, and the samples were autopsy specimens from victims of instantaneous death by accident, which included some cardiovascular accidents, some alcoholics and some with acute pulmonary edema and other diseases. Extensive tables give ash and dry weights expressed as percent of wet weight and concentrations in micrograms per gram of ash of the minor essential elements cobalt (7440484), copper (7440508), molybdenum (7439987), manganese (7439965) and zinc (7440666) in aorta, brain, heart, kidney, liver, lung, ovary, pancreas, prostate, spleen and testis. Other tables include abnormal elements elements with no known function in the same organs. Copper, manganese and zinc occurred in every sample of every tissue; molybdenum was observed in every sample of liver and kidney but infrequently in the other tissues. Cobalt was seen infrequently and in low concentration in every tissue except ovary. Age factors regarding the distribution of the elements are given. Variation between laboratories and the necessity for measurement standard are discussed.