Scientists have been researching how isotopes in someone's hair can track where that person may be living. Water makes up more than half of an adult human's body weight; through several metabolic processes, some of that water is broken apart and the basic atoms are incorporated into body tissues, fingernails, and hair. Hair consists of keratin, which is a stable protein, meaning that most of its hydrogen and oxygen atoms are not lost to the environment.
(Researchers have generated maps that show the predicted average hydrogen (top map) and oxygen (bottom map) isotope levels in human hair across the United States.)
According to James R. Ehleringer, an environmental chemist at the University of Utah, any variations in the concentrations of hydrogen and oxygen isotopes in water should be recorded in the hair because much of the water that people consume comes from the area where they reside. Researchers suggest that about 27% of the hair's hydrogen and 35% of its oxygen come from local tap water. Overall, about 86% of the hair samples have hydrogen and oxygen isotopes that derive from the isotopic designation of the local water. However, definite proof of a person's region of residence may not always come from concentrations of hydrogen and oxygen because the concentrations may represent the isotopic signature of groundwater in several regions. Regardless, this brand of research may not always have clear evidence but it will reduce the amount of questions to help you eventually find the answer.
No comments:
Post a Comment