Levels of seven metals(Mn,Cu,Zn,Pb,Cr,Cd,and Se) in the scalp hair of Daicun and Xiangtian inhabitants were determined by ICP-MS/AFS.Daicun,as an experimental site,is near Dexing Copper Mine,Jiangxi Province,China,and exposed to mining pollution;Xiangtian,as a control site,is free from any mining and other industrial pollution.The heavy metal distribution in the scalp hair of the two diverse population segments exposed to different environments was discussed against the background of the heavy metal content of local plants,waters,and soils.The results show:1) Levels of Cu,Zn,Pb,Cr,and Cd in the scalp hair of Daicun inhabitants were higher compared with Xiangtian counterparts which showed higher comparative levels of Se and Mn.But there were no significant differences of the levels of Cu and Zn in the hair samples between the two villages.In the hair of the inhabitants in the two villages,the levels for Se,Zn,and Cu were lower,while the level for Mn was higher,than the corresponding levels from other regions of the world.Compared with the standard issued by the Trace Element Research Council of China for Chinese inhabitants there were serious Se,Zn,Cu and Cr-deficiency phenomena in the hair samples from Daicun and Xiangtian.2) Against the geological background of high levels of Zn,Cu,Se and Cr,there were deficiencies of Zn,Cu,Se and Cr in the hair samples of the Daicun population.This may have been caused by the distribution forms of the heavy metals in the soils,and antagonism among the elements.3) Principal Component Analysis(PCA) and Cluster Analysis(CA) indicated that the origins of the heavy metals in the hair samples from the two villages had some differences as well as some similarities,this should be contributed mainly to the influence of the mining activities. Levels of seven metals (Mn, Cu, Zn, Pb, Cr, Cd, and Se) in the scalp hair of Daicun and Xiangtian inhabitants were determined by ICP-MS / AFS.Daicun, as an experimental site, is near the Dexing Copper Mine , Jiangxi Province, China, and exposed to mining pollution; Xiangtian, as a control site, is free from any mining and other industrial pollution. The heavy metal distribution in the scalp hair of the two diverse population segments to exposed environments was discussed against the background of the heavy metal content of local plants, waters, and soils. The results show: 1) Levels of Cu, Zn, Pb, Cr, and Cd in the scalp hair of Daicun inhabitants were higher than with Xiangtian counterparts which showed higher Comparative levels of Se and Mn.But there were no significant differences of the levels of Cu and Zn in the hair samples between the two villages. the hair of the inhabitants in the two villages, the levels for Se, Zn, and Cu were lower, while the level for Mn was higher, than the corresponding lev els from other regions of the world. Compared with the standard issued by the Trace Element Research Council of China for Chinese inhabitants there were serious Se, Zn, Cu and Cr-deficiency phenomena in the hair samples from Daicun and Xiangtian. 2) Against the geological background of high levels of Zn, Cu, Se and Cr, there were deficiencies of Zn, Cu, Se and Cr in the hair samples of the Daicun population. This may have been caused by the distribution forms of the heavy metals in the soils , and antagonism among the elements.3) Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Cluster Analysis (CA) indicated that the origins of the heavy metals in the hair samples from the two villages had some differences as well as some similarities, this should be contributed mainly to the influence of the mining activities.