Scholarly record

GEOCHEMICAL FEATURES OF ELEMENTAL COMPOSITION OF CHILDREN-S HAIR IN THE IMPACT ZONE OF TAILING DUMPS (KOMSOMOLSK AND URSK TAILINGS, KEMEROVO OBLAST, RUSSIA)

Assist. Prof. Dina Narkovich, Assist. Prof. Marina Anufrieva, Prof. Dr. Natalya Baranovskaya

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to study geochemical features of childrenпїЅs hair in areas of influence of tailings from mining and identify how pollution in mining areas affects composition of hair. Children were selected for the study because they almost never migrate and are not occupationally exposed to pollution. Hair samples were collected from children living in two villages of Kemerovo Oblast (Russia) located in territories adjacent to Komsomolsk and Ursk tailings in 2015. 62 elements were detected in the hair by ICP-MS. Statistical analysis of the results made it possible to detect influence of the mining region specificity on elemental composition of childrenпїЅs hair. Rank correlation assessment shows that the strongest positive correlations in the hair of children from Ursk area are Ti-Ni-Cs-Sr, Y-Nd, and Bi-As. Strongest positive correlations in the hair of children from Komsomolsk area are As-P, Al-Dy, Yb-La-Ga, Er-Lu, and Be-Co. The results showed higher concentration of Ag (Cc=5.3), Au (4.4), Tl (3.7), Ba (2.9), B (2.8), Eu, (2.6), Re (2.6), and Li (2.5) in the childrenпїЅs hair of Komsomolsk village in comparison to the hair of children living in the background zone. The ecological biochemical specificity of Ursk village consisted in high concentration of Sb (Cc=5.2), Au (5.3), Re (5.0), Ag (4.5), Ta (4.4), Eu (4.0), U (3.6), Mg (2.5), Be (2.5) in the hair. Compared to the background zone, the impact one provided a wider range of elements with high concentrations (Cc>1.5), including rare-earth elements and uranium. Thus, hair of children can serve as an indicator of anthropogenic impact.

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