[Heavy metals as a factor of possible environmentally caused illnesses in the Astrakhan region].

There are presented data about heavy metals as pollutants of the environment and the factors of environment-related diseases. There is given the brief information about the appearance of heavy metals in the environmental objects and the possible occurrence of diseases caused by trace elements deficiency in the region. There are discussed difficulties of the clinical and laboratory diagnosis, associated with general symptoms of many diseases and lack in the medical facilities the equipment for objective detection of heavy metals in human biosubstrates.