Forms of Element Migration in Natural and Drinking Waters of Krasnoshchelye Village (Kola Peninsula, Russia) and Human Health Risk Assessment

This work is a logical continuation of the study of the chemical composition of the waters of the Lovozersky district (Kola Peninsula, Russia), where an indigenous population resides. The problem statement is caused by the discovery of rare and rare earth elements in drinking water and the high rate of illness among the residents of the Lovozersky district. The goal of this work is to assess the quality of natural waters in the village of Krasnoshchelye (Kola Peninsula, Russia) and compare it with the composition of other waters in the Kola Peninsula, taking into account sanitary standards (maximum permissible concentrations) and biologically significant concentrations. As a result, the chemical composition of surface and groundwater was studied, their quality was characterized, and the forms of element migration in the “solution–crystalline substance” system in water and the human body (using the stomach as an example) were examined. The results of studies of drinking water in the village of Krasnoshchelye indicate that the macro-(Ca, Mg, Na, K) and microelement (Co, Cu, Mn, Ni, V, Zn, Cr) composition has lower concentrations in terms of biological significance for the elemental balance of humans than the recommended levels for them. The exceptions are the elements U, Th, and Y, whose concentrations are several times higher than their lower limits of biologically significant concentrations. In the human body, within the “water–gastric juice” system, the forms of the migration of elements and newly formed phases depend not only on the acidity of the stomach but also on the amount of gastric juice, which are individual characteristics of a person and their age. It has been established that well water contains rare elements and up to 50 µg L−1 of rare earth elements, and changes in their migration forms can lead to accumulation in the human body and become a cause of diseases of the nervous system and other organs.