The northern regions of the Arctic (Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, capital Salekhard – Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug) and the Subarctic (Khanty-Mansiysk – Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug), in addition to their vital economic importance (oil and gas production), also play a key military-political role in the development of the Northern Sea Route and the protection of the Russian Federation's Arctic borders. Currently, Russia's priority is national security, which will be guaranteed in the near future by a healthy future generation. The development of acclimatization-related elemental deficiencies as a result of prolonged exposure to low temperatures has been proven. This primarily concerns Ca, which is involved in cold adaptation, and trace elements with antioxidant activity: Mg, Zn, Cu, and Se.
Objective: To study the calcium, magnesium, zinc, copper, and selenium content in the hair of primary school children living in the Yamalo-Nenets and Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrugs.
Material and methods. A total of 100 primary school children (ages 7–10) were examined, 50 each from Salekhard and Khanty-Mansiysk. Using the ISM-MS method, concentrations of Ca, Mg, Zn, Cu, and Se were determined in hair samples from the children at the Central Biomedical Institute (Moscow).
Results. Median levels of these elements in the bio substrate were within physiologically adequate limits, but closer to the lower limit, with significantly lower levels in the Arctic group: Ca (p=0,002), Mg (p=0,035), Cu (p=0,032), Zn – 1,2 times lower, Se – 1,1 times lower than in the Subarctic group.
Conclusion. Increasing the levels of Ca, Mg, Zn, Cu, and Se in the diet, combined with their administration as a vitamin-mineral complexes, represents the most effective prevention of metabolic disorders associated with their deficiency.
KEYWORDS: Arctic, Subarctic, primary school students, calcium, magnesium, zinc, copper, selenium.
For citation: Fomicheva T.P. Comparative assessment of bioelement content in hair in children aged 7-10 years old – residents of the arctic and subarctic. Trace elemets in medicine. 2026;27(3):50−58. DOI: 10.19112/2413-6174-2026-27-3-50-58
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Information about the author:
Tatiana P. Fomicheva – Post-graduate Student of the Department of Medical and Biological Chemistry
E-mail: n35f92@mail.ru; http://orcid.org/0009-0007-5835-0387; SPIN: 8815-1316
Conflict of interest
The author declares no obviousand potential conflicts of interest related to the publication of this article.