Concentration Of Certain Elements Research Articles

Enhancing Gardenia Leaf Nutrients via Shading, Vermicompost, and Chelated Iron

This study aimed to investigate the impact of shading, vermicompost, and chelated iron on the leaf content of certain elements in Gardenia jasminoides plants. Conducted at a private nursery in Erbil during the 2022 agricultural season, the experiment utilized gardenia plants propagated by cuttings and grafted onto one-year-old rootstocks. Over five months (April to October 2022), the effects of two shading levels (0% and 75% direct sunlight), vermicompost application at two levels, and chelated iron application at three levels (0, 0.1, and 0.2 g.L-1) were assessed. Results indicated that 75% shading significantly increased leaf nitrogen (1.72%) and iron content (73.94 mg.kg-1). Vermicompost at 25% significantly enhanced leaf nitrogen (1.75%), phosphorus (0.248%), potassium (1.36%), and iron (67.95 mg.kg-1). Chelated iron at 0.2 g.L-1 markedly improved leaf nitrogen (1.78%), phosphorus (0.256%), potassium (1.28%), and iron (78.45 mg.kg-1). The study utilized one-year-old uniform seedlings, grown in 15-liter pots with river loam soil, and standard care practices were followed. Data analysis was performed using ANOVA and Duncan’s Multiple Range Test at a 0.05 significance level. The findings suggest that specific shading, organic fertilizer, and chelated iron treatments can significantly enhance the nutrient content of gardenia leaves, potentially improving plant health and growth.

Multi-element analysis of metals in human pathological and unchanged thyroid glands - pilot study.

Disturbances in the homeostasis of the elemental composition of thyroid tissue may have serious metabolic and health consequences. It is believed that the accumulation of some metals or the deficiency of others may even cause lethal tumours. Due to the fact that metallomics most often uses human serum to analyse macro and microelements as well as trace elements, it was decided to use material that is more difficult to obtain, but also adds credibility to the research - thyroid tissue samples biopsy. The experiments were conducted on 17 patients diagnosed with: nodular (10) and colloidal goitre (2), chronic thyroiditis (2), follicular adenoma (2) and papillary carcinoma (1). They were recruited by collecting a tumour fragment, control fragment and serum from each of them. The content of Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn was examined using ICP-OES (Inductively Coupled Plasma - Optical Emission Spectrometers). Simultaneously, biochemical methods were used to determine the markers of inflammation, glycation and peroxidation: malondialdehyde, pentosidine, reactive free amine content, compounds with thiol groups and galectin 3 in the sera of the examined patients. Three statistically significant correlations were identified: Ca-Mg and Cu-Zn in control tissues (p < 0.05) and Cr-Mn in pathological tissues (p < 0.05). A comparison of individual groups of patients shows that there are some potentail tendencies to increase or decrease in the concentration of certain elements or markers of inflammation and glycation, therefore we discuss potential relationships between a given parameter and a thyroid disorder. The pilot study is an introduction to a deeper analysis aimed at tracing the pathomechanism of the development of thyroid diseases, so that the risk of developing these diseases can be effectively minimized.

Allocation of Nutrients and Leaf Turnover Rate in Poplar under Ambient and Enriched Ozone Exposure and Soil Nutrient Manipulation.

An excess of ozone (O3) is currently stressing plant ecosystems and may negatively affect the nutrient use of plants. Plants may modify leaf turnover rates and nutrient allocation at the organ level to counteract O3 damage. We investigated leaf turnover rate and allocation of primary (C, N, P, K) and secondary macronutrients (Ca, S, Mg) under various O3 treatments (ambient concentration, AA, with a daily hourly average of 35 ppb; 1.5 × AA; 2.0 × AA) and fertilization levels (N: 0 and 80 kg N ha-1 y-1; P: 0 and 80 kg N ha-1 y-1) in an O3-sensitive poplar clone (Oxford: Populus maximowiczii Henry × P. berolinensis Dippel) in a Free-Air Controlled Exposure (FACE) experiment. The results indicated that both fertilization and O3 had a significant impact on the nutrient content. Specifically, fertilization and O3 increased foliar C and N contents (+5.8% and +34.2%, respectively) and root Ca and Mg contents (+46.3% and +70.2%, respectively). Plants are known to increase the content of certain elements to mitigate the damage caused by high levels of O3. The leaf turnover rate was accelerated as a result of increased O3 exposure, indicating that O3 plays a main role in influencing this physiological parameter. A PCA result showed that O3 fumigation affected the overall allocation of primary and secondary elements depending on the organ (leaves, stems, roots). As a conclusion, such different patterns of element allocation in plant leaves in response to elevated O3 levels can have significant ecological implications.

Evaluation of the Degree of Pollution in Trace Metal Elements (TME) of the Dam in the Rural Commune of Korsimoro, Burkina Faso

The objective of this study was to evaluate the level of pollution in trace metal elements from the dam in the rural commune of Korsimoro. Thus, nine (9) water samples were taken at different points of the dam and analyzed at the laboratory of the Bureau of Mines and Geology of Burkina (BU.MI.GE.B). A total of eight (8) metallic trace elements including As, Cr, Mo, Mn, Hg, Pb, Se and Ni were characterized and quantified using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP/OES). The results reveal that if the contents of certain elements are low in certain samples, others on the other hand have sometimes very high contents of Hg and Se. For Hg, concentrations range from an average of 25.74 µg/kg to a maximum of 148.91 µg/kg against a threshold of 1 µg/kg recommended for water intended for irrigation. As for Se, its concentration ranges from an average of 14.67 µg/kg to a maximum of 37.01 µg/kg against a standard of 20 µg/kg for irrigation. Thus, the high concentrations of Hg and Se in the waters of the Korsimoro dam constitute a public health problem since they strongly contribute to the contamination of market garden products via the soil. Also, the animals which drink there as well as the resources fish (fish, shellfish, etc.) could be contaminated. And, by bioaccumulation and/or by biomagnification, humans at the end of the food chain can in turn be severely contaminated. Thus, it is imperative to find a solution, especially on the Hg pollution of the dam when we know that it constitutes a real public health problem with its excessively high content.

Effect of harvesting site on mineral concentration of browse species found in semi-arid areas of South Africa

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of the harvesting site on the mineral concentration of selected browse species found in semi-arid areas of South Africa (North West and Limpopo province sites). Five trees from each of the 52 woody browse species were randomly identified and harvested in the North West and Limpopo provinces, South Africa, dried and ground for laboratory analysis. One-way ANOVA was used to analyse the mineral composition of browse species that were not common in both harvesting sites, while a two-way factorial design within a completely randomized experimental design was used to analyse the mineral composition of browse species that were common in both harvesting sites. MANOVA tests were also used in order to assess the species and harvesting site effects on mineral concentrations of species common in both sites. Through ANOVA and MANOVA, there were significant species, harvesting site, and species × harvesting stage effects on all the measured parameters (both macro and micro mineral elements). Phosphorus and calcium concentrations were the highest in Adansonia digitata species, whereas the lowest was obtained in Androstachys jonhsonii browse species in the Limpopo harvesting site. Within each province, Schinus molle found in the North West site had the highest phosphorus, potassium and sodium values when compared to all species within the same province. Vachellia nilotica subsp. kraussiana , M. azedarach and Ziziphus mucronata found in Limpopo province had the highest level of magnesium when compared to other species found within the same province. Senegalia caffra , Grewia flava , Vachellia karroo , Vachellia nilotica subsp. kraussiana , Searsia leptodictya and Melia azedarach found in the Limpopo province had the highest phosphorus level when compared to the same species found in the North West province. Senegalia caffra , Peltophorum africanum , Grewia flava , Vachellia hebeclada and Terminalia sericea found in the North West province had the highest iron levels when compared to the same species found in Limpopo province. There is a need to provide supplementation to those animals exposed to species that have a lower concentration of certain elements.

Geochemistry of Major and Trace Elements in Recent Balakian River Sediments, Northern Iraq: Evidence for Provenance and Source Rocks

The chemical characterization study of the river sediment contributes to understanding the weathering and transportation trend and their impacts on the nature of the source rocks in the catchment region. Accordingly, sixteen samples of recent stream sediment were collected from the Balakian River, northern Iraq. The significant correlation coefficients for the major oxids (CaO, MgO, K2O, Na2O) with the majority of the trace elements indicate that the abundance of carbonate and clay minerals significantly influenced the concentrations of these elements during the weathering and transport of BR sediments. The average values of the Chemical Index of Weathering (CIW = 57.77%) and Chemical Index of Alteration (CIA = 60.70%) reflect moderately intense weathering in the basin. The Upper Continental Crust and Post-Archean Australian Shale normalized ratios, as well as a comparison between the sediment chemistry and the composition of the source rocks, would suggest that these elements were lost from source rocks during weathering, with Na2O experiencing a significant degree of loss. Moreover, the Fe2O3, MgO, and CaO normalized ratios show that these elements were derived from the closest supplied outcrops of source rocks, which are represented by the Late Campanian carbonate and clastic rocks (Tanjero and Shiranish) formations and the Pliocene (Red Bed Series) in the catchment areas. Available Upper Continental Crust and Post-Archean Australian Shale normalized ratios for trace elements showed high enrichment values of most trace elements and slightly enriched values of Sr. This means that Sr is effectively more solubilized and more mobile than other metals. Thus, this demonstrates how distinct rock sources from different geological formations contributed to an enrichment in the concentration of certain elements in the river sediments.

Evaluation of the mineral profile of wild plant raw materials and products of its processing for the creation of functional food products

Vegetable raw materials and their processed products are a source of necessary biologically active nutrients and are widely used in food production when creating functional and specialized nutrition products. Studies of the mineral profile of wild cranberry berries (Vaccinium oxycoccos) growing in the Republic of Karelia and berry processing products (juice and cake) with different methods of processing raw materials have been carried out. Studies of the mineral composition of fresh cranberry berries and their processed products obtained by various methods showed a high content of essential macro- and microelements in fresh berries, juices and cakes and allowed us to establish the regularity of migration and distribution of micronutrients depending on the method of pre-processing of raw materials. The data obtained during the experiment allow us to judge the high mineral profile of wild cranberry berries and its processed products and the content of certain elements (in particular phosphorus and manganese) in a physiologically significant amount, which explains the prospect of using products of processing wild berry raw materials to enrich food with micronutrients. Studies of the mineral composition of edible packaging films based on concentrated cranberry juice have shown a higher mineral profile of all samples of films with the addition of juice obtained with pretreatment of berry raw materials with steam, regardless of the type of structure-forming matrix, which is due to a higher content of concentrated juice solids. It has been established that the pre-processing of berry raw materials with steam before extracting the juice, as well as its subsequent concentration, allows processing raw materials with maximum preservation of essential components with a high degree of biological activity.)

Assessments and Historical Changes the Water Quality of Sawa Lake, Southern Iraq for the Period 1977-2020

This investigation pertains to the evaluation of water quality in SAWA Lake, located in the Al-Muthanna province of Southern Iraq, from 1977 to 2020. Understanding the water quality and assessments of this Lake is of great importance. The Lake is home to small, transparent, blind fish measuring approximately 10 cm and is often referred to as the "wonderful" or "strange" Lake due to its many unique features. The study focuses on several elements to represent water quality, including total dissolved solids (TDS), electrical conductivity (EC), pH, and temperature (T), which were measured directly in the field. Additionally, scientific concepts such as K+, Ca2+, Cl-, HCO3, and KSO4 were used in each sample. Scientists have analyzed the density and salinity of the lake water and found that its water density exceeds that of seawater, and its salinity exceeds that of the Gulf of Arabia by about 1.5 times. The water is salty, surrounded by natural lime, and is automatically renewed by nature when it is broken. Its hardness also characterizes it, and its water volume fluctuates depending on the wet and dry seasons. The Lake is roughly 4.74 km in length, and all the elements under study showed an increase in concentration during the periods of 1977, 1983, and 2003 with NaSO4, which later changed to MgCl between 2007 and 2011. The study found that Sawa Lake water was unsuitable for drinking or irrigation purposes between 2016 and 2020 due to the increased concentration of certain elements. This increase in concentration is attributed to the Lake's location, nutrition, and the lack of rain, which means it relies solely on groundwater.

Features of population impact on soil pollution in small towns

The study of the ecological condition of soils in small towns as a factor of sustainable development of territories is substantiated. Various samples were collected from the territories of small towns in the Leningrad Oblast (Russian Federation) and the suburbs of St. Petersburg (for example, the town of Pushkin). The influence of the city size and population number on the processes of soil pollution is considered on the basis of the generalized data. Quantitative information about the accumulation of metals by soils in different categories of settlements is given. The concentration of certain elements in soils in the cities grouped by the number of inhabitants is determined, as well as the environmental hazards of pollution. The ecological hazard of the accumulation of chemical elements in soils and the primary role of Pb and Zn as pollutants in all cities are considered. The accumulation in the soil cover in significant concentrations of Cd, Co and Ca, which significantly change the ecological and geochemical situation in urban landscapes, has been noted. It was determined that such elements as As, Cu and Cl are the key ecological-geochemical pollutants in four groups of settlements. Groups of settlements with different values of the absolute variation of element concentrations have been established.

Research of semi-finished sponge cakes made with the addition of willow-herb

Flour confectionery products, including semi-finished biscuit products, are of interest for conducting experiments aimed at obtaining new types of enriched products with various micronutrients. For the enrichment of the products, a powder from the grass of the willow-herb was used. Because it is known from the literature that willow-herb contains a large amount of micronutrients and is a medicinal plant. The collection of the herb willow-herb also has many medicinal properties and has a positive effect on the human body. In this paper, we consider the recipes for the production of semi-finished biscuit products with the replacement of flour in them with the powder of willow-herb in different percentage concentrations. The obtained samples of semi-finished biscuit products were examined in order to determine their quality indicators. An organoleptic evaluation was carried out, which allowed us to identify the best sample. Studies have been conducted to determine the amount of content of certain elements. The dependence of the content of these elements on the amount of the addition of willow-herb to the recipes of experimental samples of sponge semi-finished products is revealed. The quantitative indicators of the content of elements such as iron and phosphorus, important for the human body, in the samples were determined. Infrared spectra of experimental samples of biscuit products were obtained, and their analysis was carried out.

Automated real-time solids content and salinity analysis of well construction fluids using in-line XRF measurements

Measurements and monitoring of solids content and salinity in fluids to maintain these at ideal levels is essential for optimum well construction operations during drilling, completion, workover and abandonment phases. Currently, API measurements are used for solids and salinity determination, which have certain drawbacks and are difficult to automate.As an alternative, a novel in-line X-ray fluorescence (XRF) measurement approach was investigated to make determination of solids content and salinity of well construction fluids much simpler and more efficient through automation. Laboratory experiments were conducted to generate a comprehensive dataset of X-ray photon counts from an in-line XRF setup coupled to a flow loop to evaluate common solids and solutes in well construction fluids. Using this dataset, calibration curves were generated to determine the high-gravity solids (HGS) and low-gravity solids (LGS) content as well as the salinity of water/brine, oil, and synthetic-based fluids at a high level of accuracy in real-time with full automation.It was observed that with the XRF measurements, certain solids can be measured and monitored by analyzing the concentration of certain elements in the compounds (i.e., barium (Ba) for barite concentration, potassium (K) for potassium chloride concentration, iron (Fe) for clay concentration). The mean average errors in estimating the HGS, LGS and salinity values were found to be less than 2%. Using this method together with automated rheology, density and water-cut measurements decreases these errors to significantly lower levels.The system presented here offers the possibility for real-time solids content management and optimization, opening the door to fully automated fluid measurements, maintenance, and solids control in well construction operations. This will benefit well construction efficiency (e.g. lowering drilling costs), quality, productivity (e.g. reducing reservoir impairment from unwanted solids) and safety (e.g. lowering incidence of well control and lost circulation events due to better equivalent circulating density (ECD) management in narrow margin drilling environments).

High-Temperature Oxidation of High-Entropic Alloys: A Review.

Over the past few years, interest in high-entropic alloys (HEAs) has been growing. A large body of research has been undertaken to study aspects such as the microstructure features of HEAs of various compositions, the effect of the content of certain elements on the mechanical properties of HEAs, and, of course, special properties such as heat resistance, corrosion resistance, resistance to irradiation with high-energy particles, magnetic properties, etc. However, few works have presented results accumulated over several years, which can complicate the choice of directions for further research. This review article presents the results of studies of the mechanisms of high-temperature oxidation of HEAs of systems: Al-Co-Cr-Fe-Ni, Mn-Co-Cr-Fe-Ni, refractory HEAs. An analysis made it possible to systematize the features of high-temperature oxidation of HEAs and propose new directions for the development of heat-resistant HEAs. The presented information may be useful for assessing the possibility of the practical application of HEAs in the aerospace industry, in nuclear and chemical engineering, and in new areas of energy.

Methods to Improve the Performance of Aluminum Alloy

Aluminum alloy has a lot of benefits including high strength, great ductility and low density. It is widely used in vehicle engineering, aviation, aerospace and so on. However, there is a higher requirement for aluminum alloy in these fields. For instance, higher strength, higher hardness, higher elongation and other performances are needed. Changing the content of certain elements, combination with graphene, plasma spraying and heat treatment might be four effective methods to improve the performance of the aluminum alloy. The experiments verify the effectiveness of each method. Still, there should be more studies on these methods to reveal the principle of each method.

Phenotypic, genetic and expression profiling of a vindoline-rich genotype of Catharanthus roseus

Catharanthus roseus is known for its scarce and expensive anticancer bisindole alkaloids, vincristine and vinblastine, which are derived from the coupling of monomeric terpenoid indole alkaloids, catharanthine and vindoline. Vindoline represents the bottleneck in bisindole semi-synthesis as unlike catharanthine, its biosynthesis is restricted to the plant leaves, which are the only commercially-viable source for it. For reducing the exorbitant cost of bisindoles, identification of C. roseus genotypes accumulating higher-than-usual amount of vindoline is urgently required. Here, one such vindoline-rich genotype (CIMAP866) was identified and characterized. It was comparatively analyzed with elite varieties, Dhawal and Nirmal, for morphology, genetic profile, leaf vindoline content (% dry weight), elemental composition, and expression pattern of alkaloid biosynthetic genes. Its vindoline content (~0.20%) was significantly higher than that of Dhawal (~0.09%) and Nirmal (~0.04%). CIMAP866 possesses dwarf character, spreading/bushy growth, wider canopy, shorter petiole and internodes, more laticifers, higher chlorophyll content, altered content of certain elements and distinct genetic profile, as compared to the other genotypes. Significantly higher dat expression in CIMAP866 was a key determinant for its vindoline-rich nature. Vindoline content was a direct function of dat expression and laticifer number. This study has provided a lead towards developing an industrially-useful C. roseus variety.

Elemental concentration and migratability in bioplastics derived from organic waste

In line with the Circular Economy approach, the production of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) with organic waste as the feedstock may a biotechnological application to reduce waste and recover high-value materials. The potential contaminants that could transfer from bio-waste to a PHA include inorganic elements, such as heavy metals. Hence, the total content and migratability of certain elements were evaluated in several PHA samples produced from different origins and following different methods. The total content of certain elements in PHA ranged between 0.0001 (Be) and 49,500 mg kg−1 (Na). The concentrations of some alkaline (Na and K) and alkaline earth (Ca and Mg) metals were highest, which are of little environmental concern. The feedstock type and PHA stabilisation and extraction procedures affected the element contents. Several sets of experiments were conducted to evaluate the migration of elements from the PHA samples under different storage times, temperatures, and pH levels. The total contents of some heavy metals (As, Cd, Fe, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn) in PHA produced from fruit waste or crops (commercial PHA) were lower than those in the PHA samples produced from the mixture of the organic fraction of municipal waste and sludge from wastewater treatment. Both the PHA obtained by extraction from wet biomass (acid storage) with aqueous phase extraction reagents and commercial PHA were below the migration limits stipulated by the current Toy Safety Directive and by Commission Regulation (EU) October 2011 on plastic materials and articles intended to come into contact with food under frozen and refrigerated conditions.

Effects of calcareous and serpentinite parent material on the mineral characteristics of soils and plant material of Teucrium montanum L. (Lamiaceae)

The objective of this study was to determine eco-edaphic characteristics and influence of different substrates on mineral characteristics of facultative serpentinophyte. The total concentration of 20 elements Al, As, B, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Li, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, P, Pb, S, Se, and Zn in soil samples and aboveground parts of medicinal plant species Teucrium montanum from various calcareous and serpentinite habitats in the territory of Serbia was determined. The concentration of the elements was established by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry-ICP-OES. The obtained results showed that the quantities of certain elements Al, As, B, Ca, Cd, Cu, K, Li, P, Se, and Zn were detected more in the soil samples from calcareous habitats in comparison to the quantities of other metals Co, Cr, Fe, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, which were more frequently found in the soil samples from the serpentinite habitats. Analyzed plant samples from calcareous habitats contained higher concentrations of Al, Ca, Li, and Zn as opposed to serpentinite containing higher concentrations of Co, Cr, Fe, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, and Se. Examined species can accumulate macro- and microelements in different quantities, depending on the substrate type. Differences in the concentration of certain elements in the soil samples and aboveground parts of the T. montanum from calcareous and serpentinite habitats indicate significant phenotypic plasticity of the investigated species as well as the existence of specific serpentinite ecotypes developed by the activity of various edaphic factors.

Essential elements in synovial fluid samples obtained from patients living in Northern Poland

Many people after 50 year of life suffer pains caused by osteoarthritis (OA), which make their life difficult and painful. There is a probable association of OA with the concentration of certain elements in body fluids. Therefore the aim of the study was to relate the level of essential elements in synovial fluids of patients with OA with the treatment using antiarthritic drugs. Thus, flame-atomic absorption spectrometry was used to determine the concentrations of Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn, Na, K, Ca and Mg in 74 samples of synovial fluids taken from 36 patients. Prior to analysis, the samples of synovial fluids were centrifuged and obtained supernatants were digested by microwave technique. It was found that the level of investigated essential elements was differentiated in patients suffering with OA. High correlation between Zn and K, Na and K, as well as Cu and Mn were revealed. Based on cluster analysis, synovial fluids of patients treated with Diprophos, Euflexxa and Synocrom, can be found almost in all clusters. ANOVA has shown that there is a significant difference between Na level in synovial fluids of patients treated with antirheumatic drugs, and those who were not treated. For the patients treated with Euflexxa, similar relations for Ca and K exist. Principal component analysis has shown that essential elements responsible for variability within studied samples, are Ca, Mg, Cu, Mn and Fe. However, there were no statistically significant relations between the studied macro- and microelements, and treatment using specific preparations.

Phyto-dewatering of sewage sludge using Panicum repens L.

Experiments in the field environment have been conducted to study the growth of Panicum repens L., an aquatic plant, in the sewage sludge matrix. The experiments were also carried out to investigate the ability of this plant to dewater sewage sludge to increase the capacity of conventional drying beds. In addition, the ability of Panicum repens L. to reduce the sludge contents of certain elements (copper (Cu), Iron (Fe), Sodium (Na), lead (Pb), and Zinc (Zn)) was also investigated. All experiments were carried out in batch reactors. Different plant coverage densities were tested (0.00 to 27.3 kg/m2). The liquid sewage sludge was collected from a wastewater treatment plant in Helwan city, Cairo Governorate, Egypt. The collected sludge represents a mixture of the primary sludge and waste activated sludge before discharging into drying beds.

Concentration of Selected Metals in Whole Blood, Plasma, and Urine in Short Stature and Healthy Children.

The short stature in children is defined as height below the third percentile from the mean for age and gender. This problem affects about 3% of young people. More than 20,000 children in Poland have problems with short stature. There is not much information available in the literature on the study of metals in blood, plasma, and urine in children with short stature. The study was conducted on a group of 56 short stature Polish children and 35 healthy children. The content of metals was determined using high-performance ion chromatography and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry methods. The study revealed significant differences between the content of selected metals in body fluids between a short stature group and healthy children. There were significant differences in the Fe, Cu, and Ni concentrations between the groups with respect to the hormonal therapy. There were no significant differences between the groups with respect to the area where the children lived. The results showed no statistically significant differences between metal concentration and age, body weight, and height. The study demonstrated statistically significant differences between the content of metals in body fluids in short stature children compared with the healthy children. It seems that the difference in the concentration of certain elements may also be the result of growth hormone therapy and the interaction between various metals. Both the alterations in the content of metals and their mutual interactions may play an important role in the pathogenesis of short stature children.

Age and gender features of the content of macro and trace elements in the organisms of children from the European North

The content of 28 macro and trace elements (Al, Ag, Li, B, Ba, Bi, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ga, In, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, Mo, P, Zn, Se, Tl, Pb, Sr, S, and Si) in the hair of children and teenagers living in the European North of the Russian Federation (Arkhangelsk oblast) was studied by atomic emission spectrometry with inductively coupled argon plasma. Both a decrease and an increase in the content of certain elements were detected. The dynamics of the content of the above-mentioned elements in the hair of the same children in different years was traced. Significant individual variability of macro- and trace element status of northern children and certain gender dependence was revealed.