Section III

Many research programs for studying and establishing trace element concentrations in human hair have been implemented since 1965 by the International Atomic Energy Agency. These programs were coordinated under Nuclear-Based Methods for the Analysis of Pollutants in Human Hair. Since that time the use of hair as a biological marker has been presented at many scientific conferences worldwide. For example, the Human Hair Symposiums held in Atlanta, Georgia included a vast number of contributors from universities and research centers, some of which include:

Laboratory accuracy

You can be assured that PNC's mineral testing of the hair is both accurate and reproducible, when the hair is properly sampled and submitted for analysis. The laboratory instruments and equipment in use by our labs are state-of-the-art in the industry, providing high sensitivity and selectivity for all minerals reported. As in most technically advanced labs, all instruments are controlled by computers with highly sophisticated programs for both quantitative analysis and the monitoring of in-line quality control during each daily run. You can further be assured that rigorous, comprehensive quality control and quality assurance programs are maintained to insure continuous adherence to CLIA guidelines for precision, reliability and overall good laboratory practices.

To be more specific, Personalized Nutrition Consultants' labs utilize ICP-Mass Spectrometry for the analysis of all reported minerals. Also used is the most advanced temperature-controlled microwave digestion technique available. The laboratory is equipped with a trace element class clean room complete with dual HEPA filtration systems. High sensitivity balances used for calibration/QC check standards and specimen weighing are calibrated with weight sets traceable to the National Institutes of Standards and Technology (NIST). All stock standards used for daily calibration and quality control are sourced from NIST standard reference material and prepared by a leading ISO 9001 certified laboratory. Additionally, the laboratory uses 16 megohm double-deionized water and acid-leached, triple-rinsed glassware and plasticware. All glassware when used is Class A.

PNC labs conduct monthly QA/QC studies to confirm and validate all aspects of test methodology, personnel training, laboratory reporting, safety, etc. The laboratory is also continuously evaluating the different aspects of daily laboratory performance, such as; reagents, QC reference materials, split specimen analysis, spiked samples, calibration-verification studies and routine daily monitoring of patient data trends, before, during and after each daily analytical run. This attention to detail assures that you are receiving data obtained by the highest standards. In addition, PNC labs successfully participate in an on-going international program involving clinical laboratories that utilize high-resolution instrumentation in North America and Europe. Also participating in various other interlaboratory test comparison studies, PNC labs are committed to reporting the most precise and reliable test data.

PNC labs are a licensed and certified clinical laboratory that undergoes regular inspections with the clinical Laboratory Division of the Department of Health and Human Services, HCFA. All clinical laboratories must be certified by this agency and adhere to their established standards and protocol. However, the quality assurance/quality control programs at PNC labs go far beyond these guidelines and requirements as they are continuously refining and improving this valuable laboratory technique. We are able to do so because for this front line nutritional analysis, our lab for this is unique in that they specialize in hair tissue mineral analysis. Unlike other laboratories, they do not run countless other clinical tests and only perform hair mineral analysis on a part-time basis. At PNC, for this gateway test, our full attention is directed toward hair mineral analysis. Taking into consideration all of these factors, you can truly be assured of accuracy when a properly obtained sample has been submitted for analysis.