Chronic exposure to heavy metals poses significant health risks. This study analyzed the concentrations of toxic (Cr, Pb, Cd, Ni) and essential (Cu, Zn, Se, Mn) elements in autopsy samples (the frontal pole area of the brain, the 6th intercostal space of the liver, and lungs (average of left and right lung samples) from 45 residents of South-Eastern Poland using ICP-MS. The aim was to determine the average body burden and organ-specific accumulation in a moderately industrialized region. HDBSCAN clustering revealed highly homogeneous elemental profiles, suggesting a unifying influence of local environmental factors. The liver acted as a metabolic hub, showing preferential sequestration (p Mn > Cd > Cr) reflected inhalation exposure. These findings emphasize the role of organ-specific sequestration in assessing long-term environmental exposure.
Flieger et al. (2026) studied this question.