Abstract
The article examines the specific features of the formation of the elemental composition of the population living within the impact zone of the gold mining enterprise JSC “Altyntau Kokshetau” (Konysbay village, Akmola region). The concentration of chemical elements in human hair was determined using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP - MS), which enabled the assessment of a wide spectrum of trace, minor, and potentially toxic elements. The relevance of this research is driven by the high concentration of mining enterprises in Kazakhstan and the environmental risks associated with their activities, including the accumulation of potentially toxic elements in environmental compartments and biological substrates of the exposed population. Hair was used as an informative biomarker reflecting long-term exposure to both natural geochemical conditions and anthropogenic pollution sources. Statistical processing of the obtained data was performed, and the results were compared with reference data from other regions of Kazakhstan as well as with the noosphere Clarke values. The study revealed localized anomalies in the accumulation of several heavy metals and trace elements including elevated concentrations of Cr, As, Hg, and Zn. These findings indicate the combined influence of regional geochemical background and technogenic pressure associated with gold mining activities, highlighting the importance of biomonitoring in environmentally stressed mining areas.