Quantitative analyses of copper in fine and solid particles of snow and hair in the population of Gorno-Altaysk

Abstract

Background: Thermal power facilities using coal are in the first place in terms of emissions. From the burning of coal, about 2,100 tons/year of copper (Cu) falls to the Earth's surface annually. Prolonged inhalation intake of Cu into the human body as part of solid particles of atmospheric air from coal-fired boilers leads to accumulation of trace elements in tissues, the development of hyperelementosis.
 Aim: to identify the level of Cu accumulation in the hair of the population of the administrative center of the Altai Republic in relation to the content of trace elements in solid particles of snow cover.
 Methods: In 122 residents permanently residing in Gorno-Altaysk, the Cu content in the hair was determined in compliance with the necessary exclusion criteria. In the districts of 10 coal-fired boiler houses of the city, snow samples were taken for analysis for the content of Cu in snow water and solid snow particles. The concentration of Cu in the studied samples was determined by atomic absorption method (Kvant-2, Russia). The Mann - Whitney criterion and Spearman correlation coefficient were used for statistical analysis.
 Results: the Cu content in the hair of the examined does not depend on gender (U = 1741; p = 0.580), at the age of 4-21 years, the Cu concentration decreases (U = 29; p = 0.05). The concentration of Cu in the hair of residents of Gorno-Altaysk, compared with other regions of the world, corresponds to low values (10.0 mg / kg), hypo- (7.5 mg / kg 31.9%) is more common among the population than hyperelementosis (25 mg / kg - 5.7%). The Cu content in meltwater from all snow intakes in the areas of coal-fired boilers (0.019-0.049 mg / l) does not exceed the permissible concentration (MPC 0.1 mg / l). In the solid phases of snow from 10 samples (19.37-67.42 mg/kg), only three (56.4-67.2 mg/ kg) showed a slight excess of MPC (55 mg/ kg). No correlation was found between the concentration of Cu in the hair of the population and the content of trace elements in solid particles of snow.
 Conclusions: The assumption about the accumulation of Cu in the hair of the population of Gorno-Altaysk in elevated concentrations, inhalation intake of trace elements from coal boilers was not confirmed in this study.