TLDR Human hair can effectively absorb arsenic from water.
The study investigated the arsenic absorption capability of keratin protein extracted from human hair, aiming to explore its potential as a water purifier. Human hair, typically a waste product, was used to create a matrix for studying the absorption of trivalent arsenic. The research employed various characterization techniques, including Electrophoresis, X-Ray Diffraction, and Scanning Electron Microscopy, to analyze the extracted protein. The findings suggested that human hair could effectively absorb arsenic, indicating its potential utility in removing arsenic from water, particularly in its challenging trivalent form.
1398 citations
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May 2008 in “Histochemistry and Cell Biology” Keratins are crucial for cell stability, wound healing, and cancer diagnosis.
19 citations
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December 2006 in “Journal of Structural Biology” Type I and Type II keratin chains can form heterodimers despite sequence differences.
62 citations
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August 2006 in “Journal of Chromatography B” Modern techniques have improved the understanding of keratin proteins, revealing their roles in various cells and potential in disease diagnosis.
226 citations
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January 2006 in “International review of cytology” Keratin-associated proteins are crucial for hair strength and structure.
18 citations
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November 2005 in “European Journal of Cell Biology” Keratin gene clusters in humans and marsupials are similarly organized.
203 citations
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June 2003 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology” Human hair, despite its different types, shares common traits that affect its structure and response to treatments.
90 citations
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July 1993 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology”
2 citations
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January 2013 Hair can help solve crimes by revealing personal and chemical information.
November 2023 in “IntechOpen eBooks” Arsenic exposure from contaminated water severely damages the skin, causing hair loss, pigmentation changes, irritation, and can lead to skin cancer.
January 2024 in “Current research in toxicology” Thallium is highly toxic, causing severe health issues, and Prussian blue is the best antidote.
78 citations
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December 2011 in “Clinical toxicology” Excessive selenium from a supplement caused toxicity but patients recovered with care.
January 2024 in “Collagen and leather” The conclusion is that using bovine milk permeate to remove wool from sheepskins is eco-friendly and results in smoother, higher quality leather compared to traditional sulfide methods.