Determining people's element status to assess the ecological safety of regions

By analyzing the elements present in human hair, it is possible to find the correlation between environmental pollution and its effect on human health. The human body throughout the lifespan is constantly exposed to various environmental factors, which are not only natural and geographic but also related to environmental pollution. The study of anthropogenic pollution is relevant for large cities. The element status of the populations of cities of Tomsk (Russian Federation) and Ust-Kamenogorsk (Kazahk-stan) has been studied to identify specifically hypo- and hyperelementoses of an an-anthropogenic nature. By using hair element analysis, hygienic indicators were established that reflect ecological and climatogeographic factors. The chemical composition of the hair for 23 elements was determined by arc atomic emission spectroscopy with a multichannel emission spectra analyzer (AAES with MESA) using the Grand complex, including the Vesuvius-3 generator and the Rowland polychromator (Optoelectronica, Russia). It was found that the Ust-Kamenogorsk population had an imbalance in 11 elements: barium, calcium, titanium, aluminum, lead, manganese, lithium, magnesium, nickel, and copper, indicating a significant imbalance. The regional specificity of accumulation of such elements as titanium, lead, lithium, and magnesium has been established. However, there are individual differences between the two localities despite the common accumulation of such elements as aluminum, barium, calcium, and manganese. Coefficients of the excess of content in Ust-Kamenogorsk in relation to the content in Tomsk are: k (Al) = 10; k (Mn) = 4-3.5; k (Ca) = 1.5. In light of that, we can conclude that the city of Ust-Kamenogorsk is characterized by unfavorable conditions of the environment caused by the intensive process of urbanization and the presence of industrial enterprises. Distinctive features of the hair composition of Tomsk residents are the excessive contents of silver, phosphorus, and tungsten. Tomsk is characterized by a more favorable environmental situation. The studies revealed significant differences in the element status of people from the two places and the ecological situations of the localities examined in the work.

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