| The goal of this study was to explore the use of laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) for a variety of human hair analyses.; Optimization of the inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) operating parameters, radiofrequency (RF) power and carrier gas flowrate, for solid sample introduction showed more than one operating condition can (1) produce a statistically similar maximum elemental signal and (2) have statistically similar optimum signal-to-noise (S/N) ratios. The use of an internal standard was shown to increase the number of operating conditions with statistically similar optimum S/N ratios, and the value of S/N ratios. The high degree of precision exhibited by 34S along hair strands from the same individual (2 - 3 % hair strand to hair strand RSDs) suggests that sulphur may be a suitable internal standard for elements in hair.; The single and multi ablation detection limits (DLs) obtained for elements in powdered hair certified reference materials (CRMs) were similar to what was expected for biological materials using LA-ICP-MS.; The possibility of using LA-ICP-MS to depth profile elements in a hair strand was explored. With the correct operating conditions, LA-ICP-MS may be an effective analytical tool for depth profiling elements in a hair strand.; LA-ICP-MS was used to construct mercury calibration plots using powdered hair CRMs and calibrated hair strands having R2 values of 0.9775 and 0.9522, respectively.; Exogenous deposits lead to confusion in the interpretation of findings from hair. LA-ICP-MS was used to remove an artificial exogenous deposit from a hair strand. |
