Hair, Health and Pollutants

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And what if we looked closer at our hair?

In our latest episode, our guest is Prof. Brice Appenzeller, head of the Human Biomonitoring Research Unit at the Luxembourg Institute of Health. After reminding our listeners what exposome is, Brice elaborates on the various agents we may be exposed to, including physical, microbiological, and chemical pollutants. He emphasizes that while we often hear about individual pollutants, the reality is that we are exposed to a complex mixture of chemicals on a daily basis. This multifaceted exposure can significantly impact our health, making it crucial for us to understand and monitor these interactions.

One of the key methods Brice discusses is biomonitoring, which involves analyzing biological samples—such as urine, blood, and hair—to detect the presence of chemicals or their by-products. Hair samples, in particular, offer a fascinating insight into long-term exposure and can reveal compounds that may not be detectable in other types of samples. And this is Brice's specialisation.

USEFUL LINKS

Brice Appenzeller on LIH Website - https://researchportal.lih.lu/en/persons/brice-appenzeller/projects/

Society of Hair Testing - https://www.soht.org/

RELATED EPISODES:

- Interview with Prof. Emma Schymanski: https://www.scilux.eu/episodes/unknown-chemicals

- Interview with Dr. Dagny Aurich: https://www.scilux.eu/episodes/exposomics

- Interview with Dr. Guy Fagherazzi: https://www.scilux.eu/episodes/colive-voice

The episode cover is designed using a graphic downloaded from vecteezy.com