Elements in the Sera of Preschool Children Living in Central Taiwan

This study assessed elemental concentrations in the serum of 154 preschool children in central Taiwan via instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). A total of eight elements, Br, Cl, Fe, Na, Rb, Sc, Se and Zn of sera for Taiwanese preschool children living at four residential areas:Taichung city, Taichung urban townships and in a remote area inhabited by two groups of aborigines, Atayal and Bunun were determined. Standard reference materials (tomato leaves, NIST-SRM 1570a, and lichen, IAEA-336) were used as quality control standards to crosscheck the accuracy. Residential area, socioeconomic status and gender were shown to significantly influence serum levels of the eight trace elements. Statistical analysis revealed several different gender patterns via the two-tailed student's test. A quantified index of agreement (AT) was used to classify these elements. Small AT indicated a close consistency, while large AT indicated a larger fluctuation, or less agreement, such that the correlation between the elements could be interpreted using a series of quantified indices at the serum levels of preschool children.