[Heavy metal contamination and public health risk assessment in North Yamal]

The foods that were available in the local raw materials base and imported from other regions of Russia to Yamal were tested for cadmium, lead, nickel, and chromium. The objective of the investigation was to analyze the contamination of food products by with heavy metals and to predict a human risk to the North Yamal population. The levels of heavy metals in foods were measured by an atomic absorption method in acetylene-air flame, by using a Spectr AA-50B spectrophotometer (Varian, Australia). The investigations showed that the contamination of traditional foods in indigenous peoples of the North was higher than that made in other regions of Russia. The intensive development of the Arctic leads to increased man-made pressure on the health of indigenous ethnic groups.