Biomonitoring Exposure to Platinum, Palladium and Rhodium in Young University Students from Leicester, England

We assessed the dietary exposure to platinum group elements [PGEs; platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd) and rhodium (Rh)] in young adults (18–23 yrs old) at De Montfort University (DMU, England). A total of 111 (20.45 yrs old; 78 female) DMU students participated. PGEs were analysed in scalp hair by ICP-MS. Pt was detected in hair from sixteen female [median and IQR, in µg/g: 0.00014 (0.000036, 0.000551)] and two male participants [P95 = 0.00205, in µg/g]; Rh was detected in seven female [P95 = 0.0038, in µg/g] and six male participants [median and IQR, in µg/g: 0.00097 (0.00028, 0.00335)]. Our results suggest that DMU students show minimal exposure to PGEs.