Hair Collection Protocol

ATTACHMENT 14 STUDY HAIR COLLECTION PROTOCOL

Measurement of Maternal Life Experience Study

Hair Collection Protocol

A small section of hair will be collected from each participant from the posterior vertex of the head. For participants with longer hair, the sample may be taken from the back of the head, where longer hair from above will fall and cover the sample area.

1. Section the hair across the cranial bone and pin the top portion to the top of the head (you will not be using this portion of hair for the sampling). Comb the lower section of hair and separate out a section of hair about a 0.5 centimeter in diameter (approximately the width of a pencil) from just above the nape of the neck. (The exact number of strands will depend on the thickness of the person’s hair).

2. If the hair is ≤ 3 cm in length, do not use the tape, but cut the hair with ceramic scissors as closely to the scalp as possible and place the cut hair into the 50 ml polypropylene centrifuge tube. Follow steps 6 and 7.

3. For hair > 3 cm, pull the hair taut and wrap a piece of tape¹ around the non-scalp end of the hair, making sure all of the hairs are taped. The scalp end of the hair is used for analysis.

4. Using a ceramic scissors, cut the selected section of hair as close as possible to the scalp.

5. With the hair securely taped, place the cut hair sample into the 50 ml polypropylene centrifuge tube.² When hair is long: spiral or coil the hair into the tube.

6. Cap the tube.

7. Label the tube.

Tubes containing hair samples will be filed by participant ID number within file boxes. Hair samples can be stored indefinitely and stably at room temperature within the file box. File boxes of hair samples should be shipped in lots of 25-50 tubes to:

Eric Vigoren

University of Washington

Institute for Risk Analysis and Risk Communication

4225 Roosevelt Way NE, Suite 100

Seattle, WA 98105-6099

1 Use 3M Polyester Tape 8992 1/2 X 72YD;
$7.59 /roll http://www.rshughes.com/products/051115_25752.html

2 Fisher Corning* 50mL Graduated Plastic Centrifuge Tubes With centristar caps; O.D. x L: 28 x 115mm; 25/rack 05-526B Corning No.:430828 Case of 500 for $98.23 *(or equivalent)