TOPCALL FOR HAIR SAMPLES

INSTRUCTIONS FOR HAIR SAMPLING

Sampling Population:

  • A critical step for the identification of possible local pollution of methylmercury is the selection of population in which residents' hair is collected for mercury analysis.
  • Population to be surveyed should contain frequent consumers of fish/shellfish that is caught in suspected methylmercury polluted water area.

    Note: Almost exposure to methylmercury occurs entirely from a single dietary category - fish, shellfish and marine mammal such as whales.

Explanation to Participants:

  • The aim of hair collection and mercury analysis should be provided to participants orally or by other appropriate manners.

    Note: The hair samples collected will be processed properly for chemical analysis. Methylmercury is found to contaminate in fishes and other marine creatures at trace concentrations through an aquatic food web. Methylmercury is readily absorbed from the digestive tract after ingestion of the contaminated foods such as fishes, and thereafter concentrates in hair. This is the reason we use hair samples for the estimation of methylmercury exposure of individuals. The hair sample will never be used for any purpose other than the mercury analysis.
  • The agreement of the participant on the collection of hair is the prerequisite for the sampling. Information provided to the participant should contain that the disagreement with the donation of his/her hair does not result in any disadvantage for him/her at all.
  • The name of the participant who agrees to the hair collection and the date of the agreement and/or the date of sampling should be recorded as the individual data for the agreed participant. The additional individual data recorded should contain identification (ID) number, sex, age (or date of birth), and sampling site.

    Note: The written agreement by the participant is not necessarily requirement for the hair sample collection following the ethical guideline of The Research Ethical Board of National Institute for Minamata Disease (NIMD) by which this research project has been approved in advance.
    Note: The application of local ethical guideline and the requirement of recommendation by local ethical board should be considered if necessary.
Collection of Hair Samples:
  • Cut scrap hairs with scissors at close site to hair root. A minimum amount requirement is twenty strands of hair each with about10 cm in a length. The shorter the length is, the more strands are required. If longer hair strand is available, a proximal portion of hair strand (a hair root side) with about 10 cm in a length may be kept by removal of excessive distal hair strand (a hair tip side) after cutting out of the entire hair strands.

    Note: A proximal portion of hair (a hair root side) is suitable rather than a distal part (a hair tip side) for the analysis in the aim of estimation for methylmercury exposure. The reason is that the contents of methylmercury might decrease during growth of hair under certain conditions including treatment with artificial hair waving.
  • Put the collected hair sample into envelope on which the identification (ID) number of the participant is indicated. Use one envelope for one participant.

Sending the Collected Hair Samples:

  • Collect and store hair samples until the number of participants exceeds 50 individuals, and thereafter send the samples with list of participants. The number of participants is not more than 100 for each sampling site.
  • The list of participants should include identification (ID) number, sex, age, date of sampling, and sampling site. Name of participants and their address are omitted from the list that is sent to National Institute for Minamata Disease (NIMD).

    Note: Personal information, including name and address, that can be used for identification of individual participant should be protected from free access. It should be under a strict control by specific administrator. The personal information might be necessary in certain cases, for example, a feed back of the analysis results to local community.
Any questions, please mail to @