Publication Details
Abstract
Technogenic environmental pollution is also one of the most serious risk factors for the health of children, especially in industrially developed regions. Exposure to heavy metals and an imbalance of essential trace elements may influence the growth process as well as the formation of general somatic health. This work was conducted to determine physical development and hair bioelement composition in children of primary schools living in districts of the Tashkent region with different levels of environmental burden. A total of 280 children aged 7-11 years, who had permanently lived in the study areas, including those from the industrial city of Chirchik (n=143) and those from the Bostanlyk district (n=137), were examined. Physical development was assessed by Z-scores for body mass index for age, height for age and weight for age using WHO standards. The concentration of chemical elements in the hair samples was measured by instrumental neutron activation analysis. Territorial differences were found: overweight and obesity were more often observed among the children living in Chirchik, while median BMI values prevailed in the Bostanlyk district. Hair analysis showed heterogeneity in the elemental profile with evidence of deficiency in a number of essential trace elements and high levels of some potentially toxic elements.