Question
My daughter underwent a trace element test at eight months and ten days old, with the results as follows: Zinc 11.1, Iron 272, Calcium 49, Magnesium 31, Copper 0.88, Lead 0.06. I would like to ask what the normal values should be for an eight-month-old?
Answer
In environmental geochemistry, trace elements refer to over 60 elements that make up less than 0.01% of the Earth’s composition, with their contents usually ranging from 1×10^-8 to 1×10^-88. In the medical field, trace elements refer to essential elements that make up less than one percent of body weight, such as iron, zinc, copper, manganese, chromium, selenium, tellurium, and iodine. These trace elements are present in very low amounts in the body, totaling less than one-fifth of a percent of body weight. The intake of these essential elements must be done through food and water, but whether it is for macronutrients or trace elements, excessive intake should be avoided as both excess and deficiency can lead to adverse effects, even causing diseases. The body has a series of enzymes that monitor the content of these elements to ensure they remain within a certain range. If the content of a certain element is too low, enzymes will promote the reprocessing of the element compound to generate the required element compound for the body; conversely, if an element is taken in excess, enzymes will excrete it from the body to maintain a balance of element content. Since enzymes are present in very low quantities in the body, adjustments to element metabolism