Mercury content levels in hair of rural population of the yamal-nenets autonomous district

Mercury is capable of atmospheric transfer by large distances, offers resistance to the environment, is able to bioaccumulation in ecosystems and leads to significant negative consequences for the public health. Aim: to study the mercury content in the hair of rural residents of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District and assess the population health risks. Methods: A single-step epidemiological study was conducted with the formation of a representative selection of rural residents in the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous District. The hair samples were taken from the occipital part of the head using a standard WHO technique. Chemicoanalytical study of samples wwas carried out in a licensed laboratory using mass-spectrographic method with inductively coupled argon plasma. The statistical analysis was performed using the Statistica v.8.0 program. Differences were assessed as statistically significant at p < 0.05. Results: Mercury concentration in the hair of the inhabitants living in the rural sett