Biogeochemical studies have been carried out on seven lakes of the Altai Territory, situated in different landscape-geochemical zones. The biogeochemical background contents of heavy metals in the biological objects have been estimated. These contents serve as references in monitoring of the increase in element concentrations caused by human activity in the vicinity of the lakes. The method of cluster analysis was used to carry out a computer-aided classification of correlations between chemical compositions of biological objects, bottom sediments, and regional soils. It has been established that the accumulation of trace elements in the living matter differs considerably from their accumulation in bottom sediments. The bottom sediments accumulate chiefly Cr, Ni, and Co, whereas the living matter accumulates Hg, Zn, Cd, and Mn. There are zones of local pollution in Lake Bol’shoe Yarovoe with elevated concentrations of mercury in biological objects and bottom sediments, resulting from industrial waste of a chemical plant in the town of Yarovoe.

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