[Impact of the mineral composition of drinking water on the health status of children].

The study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of highly mineralized drinking water on the health status of children. Two Kazan districts that greatly differed in the conditions of water supply and in the mineral composition of water were chosen to define a relationship of the health indices in children to the chemical composition of water. Eight hundred and thirty three schoolchildren aged 7-9 years were interviewed by a questionnaire and examined for their objective status. The urinary levels of trace elements, such as copper, zinc, cadmium, and gross elements, such as calcium, magnesium, were measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometry on an AAS-SA 10 MP device.