A university that gathered more than 30,000 toenails, there was a reason
Dec 31, 2024
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Researchers at the University of Dahlhaus in Nova Scotia, Canada, have recently kept 36,86 claws.
Collecting toenails as part of a large-scale health project by the Canadian federal government.
Previously, the university was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records in 2013 with 24,999 claws.
The researchers are collecting claws for scientific research, not just collection. Most of them are donated claws that grow for 10-14 months.
They explained that by analyzing the claws, it is possible to determine whether they have been exposed to toxic substances such as arsenic in recent months.
Therefore, the researchers said that the habitat and analysis of claw donors can reveal specific areas with a lot of potentially dangerous substances.
The collected toenails are stored in individual plastic bags rather than special freezers or storage devices and stored in cabinets.
Professor Trevor Dermmer, a health geographer at the University of Dahlhaus, said, `Some environmental pollutants and heavy metals, including arsenic, accumulate in toenail keratin"Through this, we are investigating various factors contributing to the development of cancer and chronic diseases, including the long-term health effects of arsenic.", he explained.
He also added that "We know the address of the donor, so we can investigate the environment and health of the donor."
In general, the detection of arsenic is also possible with urine samples, but long-term accumulation and exposure are difficult to determine because most arsenic is discharged through urine within 48 hours.
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This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
