Behaviour of trace element concentration in human organs in dependence of age and environment

To study the behaviour of trace elements in dependence of age and environment, samples of skin, lung, heart, aorta, kidney, liver, and brain were assayed for concentrations of Fe, Zn, Rb, Co, Cr, Se, Sc, Sb, Cs, Al and partly Eu. Nearly all element concentrations changed with progressing age, but they showed no clear correlation to either parameter assessed. The non-essential elements Sc, Sb, and Sc were increasingly concentrated in all organs except the skin. Comparing lung samples of patients from highly industrialized regions with those of lesser industrialization, the elements Sc, Al, Sb, Eu and Co were accumulated by a factor of 10 to 100. Thus the concentrations of trace elements in human organism also depends on the degree of industrialization.