Trace Elements in Medicine (Moscow)
2018, 19(4): 3-9
TOPICAL PAPERS

SOME PROBLEMS OF BIOGEOCHEMISTRY OF THE NORTHERN TERRITORIES OF RUSSIA

A.L. Gorbachev

North-Eastern State University, Portovaya str. 13, Magadan, 685000, Russia

DOI: 10.19112/2413-6174-2018-19-4-3-9 

ABSTRACT. The natural and climatic characteristics of the areas of the North are given, its extreme character is shown, including the geochemical environment. A brief review of biogeochemical studies in the Russian North was made. It is shown that the elemental status of the inhabitants of the North is analyzed mainly among the inhabitants of the Circumpolar regions. Due to objective difficulties, the Arctic regions remain practically unexplored. The emphasis was placed on technogenic contamination of the biosphere of the northern regions by heavy metals, and first of all by mercury, which has a neurotoxic effect. On the example of mercury and selenium antagonistic relations between chemical elements in a living organism are shown, which may result in the formation of secondary microelementoses. It is shown that geochemical zoning of the modern Arctic regions is necessary for the development of the Arctic territories of Russia, and the identification of the «predisposition» of individual territories to biogeochemical endemias.

KEYWORDS: North, microelements, disadaptation, endemia.