Table 4. Trace element concentrations reported in mature human milk.

Trace Element	Country	Analysis Methoda	n	Median	M b	SD	Unit	Reference
Calcium
	Brazil	ICP-AES	31		250	31	mg/L	[35]
	Gambia	Methyl thymol blue	120		208.93c	24	mg/L	[29]
	Japan	ICP-AES	1170		250	71	mg/L	[36]
	Nigeria	Thermo Labsystems Arsenazo III Kit	105		186	41	mg/L	[37]
	Sweden	ICP-MS	60		305	45	mg/L	[12]
	US	AAS	20		279.2	127.90	mg/L	[38]
Copper
	Brazil	AAS	116		0.3	0.1	mg/L	[39]
	Honduras	AAS	105		0.16	0.21	mg/L	[40]
	Japan	ICP-AES	1169		0.35	0.21	mg/L	[36]
	Kuwait	AAS	17		0.608c	0.027	mg/L	[41]
	Poland	GF AAS	320		0.137	0.092	mg/L	[42]
	Sweden	AAS	86		0.12	0.22	mg/L	[40]
	Sweden	ICP-MS	60		0.471	0.075	mg/L	[12]
	Turkey	ICP-OES	75		0.446c	0.197	mg/L	[13]
	US	AAS	30		0.27	0.11	mg/L	[38]
	Vietnam	ICP-AES	59		0.19	0.05	mg/L	[43]
Iron
	India	AAS	16		0.168c	0.406	mg/L	[44]
	Brazil	ICP-AES	31		0.9	0.5	mg/L	[35]
	Brazil	AAS	116		0.3	0.2	mg/L	[39]
	Honduras	AAS	105		0.21	0.25	mg/L	[40]
	Japan	ICP-AES	1155		1.19	2.51	mg/L	[36]
	Japan	AAS	24		0.32	0.16	mg/L	[45]
	Kuwait	AAS	17		0.4c	0.040	mg/L	[41]
	Sweden	AAS	86		0.29	0.21	mg/L	[40]
	Sweden	ICP-MS	60		0.339	0.134	mg/L	[12]
	Turkey	ICP-OES	75		1.072c	0.841	mg/L	[13]
	US	AAS	41		0.36	0.19	mg/L	[38]
	Vietnam	ICP-AES	59		0.43	0.15	mg/L	[43]
Manganese
	Brazil	ICP-MS	58	0.33			ug/L	[46]
	Japan	ICP-AES	1167		11	23	ug/L	[36]
	Japan	AAS	24		9.5	6.3	ug/L	[45]
	Kuwait	AAS	17		4.71c	0.16	ug/L	[41]
	Sweden	ICP-MS	60		3	11.4	ug/L	[12]
	Turkey	ICP-OES	74		124c	156	ug/L	[13]
	US	AAS	116		4.9	3.9	ug/L	[33]
Zinc
	Brazil	ICP-AES	31		1.5	0.6	mg/L	[35]
	Brazil	AAS	116		2.7	1.3	mg/L	[39]
	Brazil	ICP-MS	58	0.0462			mg/L	[46]
	Honduras	AAS	105		0.7	0.18	mg/L	[40]
	India	AAS	50	2.5			mg/L	[47]
	India	AAS	47	1.37			mg/L	[47]
	India	AAS	50	1.17			mg/L	[47]
	Japan	ICP-AES	1165		1.45	1.35	mg/L	[36]
	Kuwait	AAS	17		2.56c	0.136	mg/L	[41]
	Poland	GF AAS	320		1.62	1.76	mg/L	[42]
	Sweden	AAS	86		0.46	0.26	mg/L	[40]
	Sweden	ICP-MS	60		3.471	0.979	mg/L	[12]
	Turkey	ICP-OES	75		3.454	1.970	mg/L	[13]
	US	AAS	30		1.45	1.37	mg/L	[38]
	Vietnam	ICP-AES	59		0.56		mg/L	[43]
Arsenic
	Croatia	ICP-MS	123	0.2			ug/L	[48]
	Greece	ICP-MS	39	0.8			ug/L	[48]
	Italy	ICP-MS	602	0.3			ug/L	[48]
	Japan	ICP-MS	9	1.4			ug/L	[49]
	Slovenia	ICP-MS	287	0.4			ug/L	[48]
	Sweden	ICP-MS	60		0.33	0.041	ug/L	[12]
	Taiwan	AAS	90		0.215c	0.81	ug/L	[50]
Lead
	Brazil	ICP-MS	58	0.26			ug/L	[45]
	Iran	AAS	37		7.11	3.96	ug/L	[51]
	Iraq	AAS	32		31.65	22.19	ug/L	[14]
	Iraq	AAS	36		19.59	13.66	ug/L	[14]
	Japan	ICP-MS	9	0.29			ug/L	[49]
	Palestine	GF AAS	89	4			ug/L	[11]
	Poland	GF AAS	320		6.33	4.61	ug/L	[42]
	Sweden	ICP-MS	60		1.5	0.9	ug/L	[12]
	Taiwan	AAS	90		17.17c	2.18	ug/L	[50]
	Turkey	ICP-OES	56		261c	171	ug/L	[13]

^a Abbreviations: AAS = Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy, GF AAS = Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy, ICP-AES = Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy, ICP-MS = Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry, ICP-OES = Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry

^b Means have been standardized to a common unit for each element.

^c Weighted population mean calculated with data reported for sub-groups.