[en] An attempt was made to monitor community exposure to environmental As, Cd, Cr, Hg, Mn, Pb and Se using hair analysis by instrumental neutron activation analysis and atomic absorption spectroscopy. Hair samples were collected from male and female subjects from six Japanese localities. Samples from each locality were respectively mixed and analysed for elements of interest. The results indicated that this approach was effective in revealing geographical differences of hair elemental levels. The method is suitable for a routine monitoring programme of community exposure to environmental metal pollutants