Trace element status and health of Northern populations: a scientific review
- Authors: Gorbachev A.L.1
-
Affiliations:
- Federal Research Center for Comprehensive Study of the Arctic named after Academician N.P. Laverov
- Issue: Vol 32, No 4 (2025)
- Pages: 225-238
- Section: REVIEWS
- Submitted: 13.01.2025
- Accepted: 16.06.2025
- Published: 28.07.2025
- URL: https://hum-ecol.ru/1728-0869/article/view/646046
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.17816/humeco646046
- EDN: https://elibrary.ru/ILROFE
- ID: 646046
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Full Text
Abstract
Available publications define the objectives of biogeochemistry and introduce its key concepts: living matter and biogenic migration of chemical elements. According to studies, the biochemical parameters of living organisms depend on the geochemical environment and the content of essential elements within it. Researchers suggest that the physiological system of trace elements in living organisms serves as a structural and functional basis for metabolic processes.
Biogeochemical provinces are areas with imbalanced concentrations of chemical elements. Trace element imbalance is geochemical diseases in humans and animals, with defined mechanisms of formation. Evidence shows that both deficiencies and excess of bioelements in the human body contribute to psychosomatic disorders, such as lifestyle diseases, reduced fertility, an increase in infertile marriages, and various forms of deviant behavior.
Regional biogeochemical research is needed to study the distribution of chemical elements in the environment, plants, animals, and the human body. The natural and climatic conditions and the biogeochemical profile of northern regions are still poorly studied, particularly with regard to the elemental status of residents in the Arctic areas. Low levels of essential elements in the biosphere of the North create a biological burden for the population and contribute to an increased risk of trace element imbalance. Studies have identified common features of elemental status among residents of both the Asian and European North, including widespread deficiencies of cobalt, selenium, calcium, and iodine. Among migrants to the North, lower levels of iron, selenium, and fluoride lead to an acclimatization-related deficiency of these elements.
The published data also indicates that the biosphere of the North is polluted. Arctic contamination affects soil and vegetation, drinking water, and leads to bioaccumulation of toxic elements such as mercury, lead, cadmium, and arsenic in living organisms.
Nutritional patterns in the North are characterized by a reduced share of traditional food products in the local diet. The natural deficiency of essential elements, enhanced by the loss of biologically valuable nutrition, contributes to further deficiency of iron, zinc, cobalt, copper, manganese, iodine, and selenium, reducing the human body’s adaptive potential in northern conditions.
An analysis of ecological and medical issues related to iodine allows clarifying its physiological role, assessing iodine sufficiency among the Russian population, identifying iodine deficiency as a public health concern, and proposing corrective measures.
In conclusion, maintaining the health of northern populations requires biogeochemical monitoring of Arctic regions, identification of territories predisposed to biogeochemical endemics, and prevention of diseases of geochemical origin.
Full Text
At the present stage of development of society, human vital indicators (health, life expectancy, its quality) are becoming increasingly dependent on the state of the environment. Chemical elements act as a link between inert nature and the biosphere, and in this sense, biochemical and physiological parameters of living organisms are derived from the geochemical environment. It has been suggested that in the process of evolution, it was chemical elements (microelements, bioelements, metals of life) that became the basis for the formation of all regulatory mechanisms (endocrine, immune, nervous), which are a superstructure in relation to the system of bioelements [1, 2]. The physiological system of microelements in higher organisms is integrating, uniting neuro-immune-hormonal regulatory complexes [3]. The biological role of microelements lies in their participation in the construction of macro- and microstructures of living organisms and in ensuring metabolic processes, due to maintaining the activity of enzymes, hormones, vitamins, cytokines and other biological molecules. Since the second half of the last century, there has been an active evolution of the elemental composition of the biosphere, caused by anthropogenic impact on the natural environment and increased migration of chemical substances. The consequence of the technogenesis of the biosphere was the transformation of biogeochemical cycles and the formation of artificial geochemical provinces [4, 5], characterized by a violation of the content of chemical elements in the soil and water, as well as in the body of plants, animals and, accordingly, humans living in this territory. The high dynamism of socio-ecological processes, technogenic transfer of inorganic matter, an increase in the rate of biospheric exchange of chemical elements, socially conditioned migration of food products lead to a violation of elemental homeostasis and a transformation of the elemental profile of human populations, unable to dynamically respond to revolutionary changes in society and the geochemical environment. Microelement homeostasis implies high resistance of an individual to the effects of the external environment. But excessive environmental loads, accompanied by changes in the chemical composition of the environment, lead to an imbalance of bioelements in living organisms (deficiency, excess). As a result of violation of the standard concentrations of individual elements and their relationships, destructive changes in cellular and tissue components, disturbances in metal-ligand complexes, dysfunctions of regulatory systems and the development of microelementoses - diseases of the biogeochemical nature of humans, animals, plants - occur [6, 7]. Moreover, such diseases are usually based on polyelement disorders, where one of the elements is the leading factor in the pathology. Well-known environmentally-induced diseases include iron deficiency anemia (iron, magnesium, copper and other elements), iodine deficiency diseases (iodine, selenium, etc.), immunodeficiency states (selenium, zinc, iodine, etc.), cardiovascular diseases (potassium, magnesium, selenium, iron), diseases of the musculoskeletal system (calcium, magnesium, strontium, silicon) and other structural and functional disorders associated with imbalance of bioelements. The idea that a violation of the elemental profile in the body is the environmental and pathological basis of diseases of civilization (cardiovascular diseases, oncology, diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases, etc.) has been formulated and substantiated [8]. Among residents of ecologically unfavorable regions with a deficiency of vital elements, fertility disorders [2], an increase in the frequency of infertile marriages, a growing demographic crisis [9, 10], as well as depopulation processes of small northern peoples [11, 12, 13] are noted. Features of the elemental status of residents of certain biogeochemical territories can determine the psychophysiological traits of a person. The potential role of biologically significant elements in the development of various forms of deviant behavior in humans (aggressiveness, depression, risk of alcoholism, drug use) has been shown [14, 15]. The listed problems are studied by a relatively new scientific direction Bioelementology - an interdisciplinary science that studies the unity of the inorganic and organic worlds based on the chemical composition of the ecological systems of the biosphere, including the human body [16, 17, 18, 19]. One of the areas of Bioelementology is Medical Elementology, the tasks of which include the study of the bioelement profile of a person with mineral metabolism disorders, its correction, as well as the development of scientific and practical measures for the prevention of elementoses [20, 21, 22]. According to researchers, the elimination of bioelement deficiency and the correction of the metal-ligand complex are comparable in physiological significance to the editing of the genetic apparatus [9].
Taking into account the medical and social significance of the inorganic component of the biosphere, knowledge of regional biogeochemistry, distribution of chemical elements in the environment (water, soil) and the body of humans, animals, and plants are of fundamental importance. In this regard, many developed countries study natural and anthropogenic factors that determine the content and distribution of chemical elements in soils, their availability to plants, and their ability to pass into the hydrosphere and atmosphere. In recent decades, regional population surveys have been conducted to establish reference values of chemical elements in human biosubstrates. Based on the data obtained, conclusions are made about the elemental status of populations, and the policies of states and international organizations (WHO, UNICEF, UNESCO, etc.) are formed regarding population nutrition, food and environmental security [23, 24]. Large-scale projects devoted to studying the provision of the population of different territories with iron, iodine, selenium, as well as technogenic loads of heavy metals, and above all mercury, lead, cadmium, arsenic, are well known. Within the framework of the federal program "National System of Chemical and Biological Safety of the Russian Federation (2009-2014)" a large-scale study of the microelement status of the population of Russia was conducted. Information was obtained on the background levels of chemical elements in residents of various regions (federal districts), on the basis of which a 5-volume manual "Elemental Status of the Population of Russia" was published [25]. According to the results of the specified elemental screening, the northern regions of Russia turned out to be the least studied. The poor biogeochemical study of the North was explained by financial, personnel and methodological difficulties associated with the study of hard-to-reach and sparsely populated northern territories. Meanwhile, the North of Russia is a huge biogeochemical province with reduced adaptive capabilities of humans, where mineral metabolism disorders manifest themselves at the population level and require medical and ecological control [26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33]. Moreover, biogeochemical studies indicate a common elemental status of residents of the Asian and European North, which is consistent with geochemical data and indicates a biogeochemical kinship of the northern territories of Russia. It is assumed that the uniform picture of elemental deviations indicates common mechanisms of human biochemical adaptation to environmental conditions [34]. The geochemical environment of the northern regions, due to mineral-poor podzolic soils and low-mineralized drinking water, is characterized by an extremely low content of biogenic elements. The soil and hydrological conditions of the North create biological loads for the local population and predetermine the risk of developing manifest and latent forms of microelementoses. One of the ecological and medical problems of the residents of the North is a deficiency of calcium and magnesium salts, which is associated with the predominant use of surface water by the population, which is characterized by weak mineralization and low hardness [35, 36, 32, 37, 38]. Differences in circulatory diseases and mortality depending on the "hardness" of drinking water have been established: a low concentration of Ca2+ and Mg2+ ions in water correlates with an increase in morbidity and mortality [10]. A deficiency of these elements contributes to the development of cardiovascular diseases, including hypertension. In regions with soft water, the incidence of hypertension is 25-30% higher than in other regions. The leading role in the development of arterial hypertension is given to magnesium: its deficiency is considered as the primary link in pathogenesis [39, 40, 41]. At the same time, with a sufficient level of calcium, magnesium or essential microelements, a protective effect of hard water has been noted, in particular a decrease in mortality rates [42]. A reduced calcium content is a key indicator in residents of the North. In addition to the use of soft drinking water, calcium deficiency is caused by the action of other northern-specific factors: hypoinsolation (deficiency of vitamin D), acclimatization decrease in the element, chronic action of low temperatures (participation in thermoregulation). The decrease in calcium in residents initiated by the cold is based on classical concepts about the role of calcium ions in maintaining temperature homeostasis [43]. It has been shown that the adaptation of the body to cold leads to a reliable decrease in calcium ions in the blood [44]. Low-mineralized (ultra-fresh) water, in addition to cardiovascular diseases, is the cause of secondary vitamin deficiencies. Possible vitamin deficiency is associated with the physiological (competitive) role of minerals (copper and iron salts) in the assimilation of certain vitamins (vit. B1, B12) by the body [45].
It has been shown that in migrants from the North, as they live in extreme conditions, there is a decrease in the level of not only calcium, but also other essential elements - iron, selenium, fluorine, which is regarded as a functional depletion of their reserves and the formation of an acclimatization deficit [46, 47, 48]. The problem of natural (endemic) elementoses is significantly exacerbated by the anthropogenic factor. The unfavorable biogeochemical nature of the North is aggravated by environmental pollution, including drinking water [49, 50] and the accumulation of toxic elements in living organisms, mainly due to the global transfer of pollutants from the middle latitudes to the Arctic [51, 42, 52]. The increase in the content of chemicals in the biosphere, in particular in rivers and seas, as well as the deterioration of their sanitary and microbiological indicators are occurring so rapidly that they threaten unpredictable consequences for the ecology of water systems and human health [53]. According to the researchers, when considering the geographical differences in pollution of the Arctic territories, it is necessary to take into account the movement of air masses and ocean currents that carry pollutants over huge distances, as well as the range and geography of migration routes of birds, fish and marine mammals. Ecological studies of the Arctic environment indicate an increase in pollution by heavy metals. It was found that the content of Fe, Zn, V, Cu, Ni, Mo, Co in Arctic ice is significantly higher than in surface waters, and therefore the melting of glaciers is a potential source of heavy metals. The accumulation of toxic elements in plants (lichen), meat (venison, marine mammals), poultry, fish and seafood in the biosphere of the northern regions has been shown [54]. The complex of heavy metals through food chains provokes the pathogenesis of chronic heart failure, neurodegenerative pathology, inflammatory bowel diseases, chronic kidney diseases, immunoallergic disorders, and also develops reproductive toxicity and exhibits properties of endocrine system dysregulators [22, 55]. When comparing the levels of exposure to toxic substances of the population of the circumpolar Arctic with the corresponding biomonitoring data in other regions of the planet, it was shown that Arctic populations experience heavier loads of some pollutants. For example, mercury concentrations in the blood of Arctic residents are much higher than among the non-Arctic population of the USA and Canada [52]. Mercury is a pollutant that causes particular concern for the state of Arctic ecosystems and human health. In terms of its impact on living organisms, it is one of the most toxic metals, acting as a cumulative poison [55]. The World Health Organization considers mercury to be one of the 10 main chemicals that pose a "serious public health problem" [56]. A meta-analysis of mercury content data in samples of indicator organisms in the North demonstrated a clear tendency for the metal level to increase from west to east. Much attention has recently been paid to the study of mercury accumulation in aquatic ecosystems, in particular, an increase in mercury levels in Arctic lakes has been noted. The main food source of mercury in the Northern regions are freshwater and sea fish, seafood, and the meat of marine mammals, in whose muscle tissue mercury bioaccumulates in the form of the organic compound methylmercury, which is a potent neurotoxin. Mercury and lead levels have been found to increase in reindeer meat; in recent decades, mercury and selenium levels have increased significantly in the livers of polar bears in Canada, Alaska, and Greenland (excess selenium has a toxic effect) [57]. In pregnant women living in Greenland, mercury and cadmium levels in the blood have also been linked to seafood consumption. Mercury has been shown to pose a serious risk to fertility and pregnancy outcomes, as it can cause reproductive dysfunction [58]. Despite the fact that traditional Aboriginal food is an important source of macro- and micronutrients, it contains elevated levels of heavy metals, organochlorine compounds, and radionuclides. Thus, among all cases of contamination of food samples in the Russian Arctic, Siberia and the Far East, contamination with mercury, lead, arsenic and cadmium is distributed in approximately equal proportions [52]. Elevated mercury levels were noted in 96% of the aborigines of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug (continental region); the mercury level was increased by 4 times and correlated with the high content of this element in freshwater fish [59]. High mercury and lead levels were found in fish caught in Chukotka. Exceeding permissible mercury levels was shown in pink salmon caught in the rivers of continental Chukotka - sources of drinking water for local residents [60].Studies of residents of the Magadan Region and Chukotka showed the presence of mercury and lead in the hair of the indigenous population of coastal villages, whose diet is based on fish. The mercury concentration did not exceed the safe permissible level, but was higher than background indicators for the Russian Federation [61].
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About the authors
Anatoly L. Gorbachev
Federal Research Center for Comprehensive Study of the Arctic named after Academician N.P. Laverov
Author for correspondence.
Email: gor000@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-2432-3408
SPIN-code: 7050-3412
Dr. Sci. (Biology)
Russian Federation, 20 Nikolsky ave, Arkhangelsk, 163020References
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