Dachang and Chehe are towns in a polluted mining area in southern China. There is concern that pollution in these towns could affect the health of the residents, especially children. To investigate this, hair samples were collected from 56 children 5–13 years old. The samples were analyzed for seven metals and the results compared with national and international reference values. As, Cd, Pb, and Zn concentrations in the exposed group hair samples were elevated. The sources of the metals could be the polluted mining environment, the high natural geochemical background concentrations, or a combination of both. The As and Pb concentrations were higher in hair samples from younger children than older children, implying that children less than 10 years old may be more at risk. Elevated As, Cd, Pb, and Zn concentrations in the body cause the concentrations of the essential elements Cu and Mg to decrease.

Keywords: Hair; heavy metals; children; mining area