A lab has collected 30,000 toenail clippings for a bizarre new study.
And apparently, it’s all for a very good reason.
30,000 people in Canada agreed to cut their toenails and mail the clippings to a research facility - all in the name of science.
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The collection is now located at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia and has become a Guinness World Record holder for the biggest collection of toenails clippings in the world.
But that isn’t all - the nails were actually part of a scientific study.
Apparently, experts have been using them to test potentially toxic elements, including arsenic.
Speaking to MailOnline, Professor Trevor Dummer, who is a health geographer at Dalhousie University, said: “Toenails are in individual plastic bags stored in filing cabinets – no special freezers or storage units required.
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“When a toenail is able to be clipped it's on average about 10 to 14 months old.
“Some environmental contaminants and heavy metals – including arsenic – are preferentially deposited in toenails.
“They have an affinity for keratin so naturally attracted to it through human biology.”
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He went on to say: “Participant toenails are processed individually so we can get a good estimate of metals body burden for each individual and then we can look at associations with health outcomes,' said Professor Dummer.
“We also have geocoding information – i.e., address details – so we can assess someone's metals body burden in relation to the environment where they live.”
Through the study, researchers are looking into the ways cancer and chronic diseases develop, and if long-term exposure to things such as arsenic through food and water plays a role.
Urine samples can’t be studied in the same way, according to the professor, because arsenic tends to excrete through urine in a short window, usually within 48 hours.
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Professor Dummer continued: “With urine the arsenic is removed from the body quickly, so urine is by contrast more useful for acute exposures.”
According to the NHS in the UK, it’s advised to cut your toenails every six to 12 weeks.
On the website, it instructs: “Cut them carefully and make sure you’re in a light room so you can see clearly.”
It goes on to say: “Cut them straight across and use a metal nail file to smooth and round off sharp edges. File your nails 2 times a week if you find it difficult to cut your nails.”