Trace element status of populations living in areas with anthropogenic anomalies and methods of correction

Abstract

The trace element composition of hair is an integral indicator that can be used to assess the state of an individual’s health, after which an optimal diet can be selected. The trace element status of volunteers of the South Ural region of Russia was investigated to determine a means of correction. The upper limit of the permissible level of nickel was found in the hair of all age groups of volunteers. Most volunteers aged ≥30 years experienced a high load of heavy metals that included cadmium, lead, mercury, chromium, and trace amounts of iron and manganese alongside significant selenium and iodine deficiency. The average values of zinc and copper concentrations in the hair of volunteers of all age groups were found to be within the permissible levels but with aging the risk of developing trace element deficiency increased slightly.

Keywords

• heavy metals
• trace elements
• ecology
• elemental status
• enriched foods