ANALYSIS OF TRACE ELEMENTS IN PRE- AND POST-NATAL TOOTH ENAMEL USING MICRO-PIXE
Abstract
Naturally shed deciduous teeth are potentially useful as a biomarker of environmental exposure. To assess the prenatal environment of child, we tried to present the neonatal line on the elemental maps and investigate the trace elements in pre- and post-natally formed tooth enamel using micro-PIXE. Generally, the neonatal line is observed more clearly in the tooth from child who has some difficulties at birth. In this study, five deciduous teeth from five children with developmental disorders were used for analysis. Seven trace elements (Na, Mg, Si, Cl, Fe, Zn, and Sr) were detected in enamel of all five teeth. The line, it was thought neonatal line, was observed on the elemental map of Ca and P in the tooth from the child with serious birth complications. In order to compare the elemental concentration between pre- and post-natal enamel, concentration variation of elements were projected along the line perpendicular to the neonatal line. Lower Ca concentration in prenatal enamel was observed. By tracing the location of neonatal line on the other elemental maps, the concentrations of detected trace elements were compared in the same way. The differences of concentration of these trace elements between pre- and post-natal enamel were not clear because of much statistic variation. We could determine the trace elemental profiles and concentrations around the neonatal line in the enamel from the child with serious birth complications.
