Abstract
Seventeen articles from the PubMed database were reviewed because they reported whether a difference could be perceived in levels of trace elements in boys and girls. Specifically, the trace elements lead, mercury, cadmium, zinc, copper, and selenium were investigated. When a difference was shown, boys had higher levels of lead in blood, urine, or hair samples. The majority of the articles indicated that there was not a significant gender difference with mercury, cadmium, and selenium. Due to a lack of articles on zinc and copper, an assessment cannot be made regarding these elements. None of these articles investigated the discrepancies between boys and girls in depth. Members of the scientific community are urged to scrutinize gender differences in trace element uptake and biological effects in children.