Chemical state analysis of sulfur in hair samples by high resolution XRF

Abstract

Double-crystal high resolution XRF was applied to the chemical state analysis of sulfur in biological samples of human hairs. Both S^2- (average value 95.4%) and S⁶⁺ (average value 4.6%) states are present in all hairs. The total sulfur and S^2- state sulfur in male hairs were higher than those of female hairs in the same country. Furthermore, the abundance of S^2- state in gray hairs was found to be less than normal, but S⁶⁺ content was slightly higher than that in normal hairs.