The concentrations of copper, zinc, manganese and selenium in the hair of newborn piglets and their dams.

Instrumental neutron activation analysis was employed to determine the levels of certain trace elements in the hair of newborn piglets and their dams. The mean concentrations (mumoles/mg) of copper, zinc, manganese and selenium in the neonatal piglet hair samples were 222 +/- 55, 4940 +/- 1728, 12.7 +/- 17.1 and 8.9 +/- 5.5, respectively, and in sow hair samples the mean concentrations (mumoles/mg) were 156 +/- 22, 5124 +/- 1927, 31.7 +/- 22.2 and 6.5 +/- 3.7, respectively. The mean copper level was higher (p less than 0.05) in piglet hair compared with sow hair. However the mean concentration of manganese was lower (p less than 0.05) in piglet hair. There was no relationship between the trace mineral levels found in the piglets' hair and the dams' hair. The levels of copper, zinc, manganese and selenium found in piglet hair were shown to be unrelated to the piglet body weight. The feasibility of using porcine hair as a practical biopsy material for trace element analysis is discussed.