Man-made changes in the environment lead to an increase in the risk to public health. The greatest danger, in the opinion of ecologists, biologists and physicians, is technospheric pollution with heavy metals, including nickel. Nickel intoxication is accompanied by mutagenic, carcinogenic, cardiotoxic effects; it has hematotropic and immunotropic effects. The article purpose is to study the genetic status of children living in the Arctic and exposed to nickel. A survey of 136 children 3-12 years old was carried out. The observation group included 82 children with excess nickel in their blood. The comparison group included 54 children whose blood nickel content did not exceed the reference level. Genetic analysis of the frequency of polymorphism of the matrix metalloproteinase gene MMP9 (Gln279Arg, rs17576) was carried out by realtime PCR with further allelic discrimination. According to the results of studies of the health status of the child population, the presence of early changes in the immune system was revealed, which are manifested in the hyperproduction of class A immunoglobulins in children of the observation group (p < 0.05). It was found that the occurrence of the minor G allele of the MMP9 gene (rs17576) in the observation group is 45 %, which is 1.7 times higher than that in the comparison group (p < 0.05). The detected excess frequency of the G allele of the MMP9 gene (rs17576) in children of the Far North living in a technogenic "nickel" province is associated with insufficient processes of destruction of the extracellular matrix, which creates a danger of the emergence and development of proliferative and oncological conditions.