ON ASSESSING THE MORBIDITY OF THE POPULATION ASSOCIATED WITH THE ATMOSPHERIC AIR QUALITY ON THE EXAMPLE OF A RUSSIAN CONSTITUENT ENTITY

Abstract

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 24% of the global burden of diseases and 23% of all deaths associate with environmental factors. The presence of chemical impurities in the air can have an adverse effect on the health of the population. A connection has been established between the increased content of chemical impurities in the air and the development of such pathologies as diseases of the respiratory system, circulatory system, the formation of malformations, etc. Many countries implement projects to improve air quality. For the purpose of targeted development of management decisions aimed at minimizing the adverse impact of atmospheric air on the health of the population, the study of the morbidity of the population associated with the impact of priority atmospheric air hazard factors is relevant. The research goal is to characterize the morbidity of the population associated with air quality (on the example of Krasnoyarsk Krai) to identify the priority factors of atmospheric air that form the greatest contribution to the associated morbidity. The qualitative characteristics of the atmosphere and the level of morbidity of the population in Krasnoyarsk Krai are estimated on the basis of official data of federal and industry statistics. The analysis of the primary morbidity of the population, designated by the WHO as an indication of the effect of environmental factors, has been carried out. The authors calculate the number of third-party cases of diseases associated with the quality of the atmosphere and determine the priority risk factors. High proportions of air samples that do not meet the standards for the content of heavy metals, benz(a)pyrene, xylenes (59% of samples) have been registered over the territory of Krasnoyarsk Krai. Since 2012, there has been an increase of 0.2%–6.4% in the indicators of primary morbidity, indicated by the WHO as an indicator of the effect of environmental factors and a significant increase in congenital anomalies (the growth rate is 93.2%). Up to 231 thousand third-party cases of diseases of the general population with diseases affecting the respiratory organs, circulatory system, hematopoietic organs, nervous system, eyes and their appendages determine the presence of aromatic hydrocarbons, nitrogen dioxide, hydroxybenzene (as well as its derivatives), benz(a)pyrene, nitrogen oxide, ammonia, dihydrosulfide and carbon disulfide, sulfur dioxide in the air in concentrations exceeding the standards. The most substantial number of diseases associated with air quality forms in the class of respiratory diseases (2020 – 587.4 cases per 100 thousand population, 64.5% of the total air-associated morbidity).

Keywords

• morbidity
• exposure
• chemicals
• atmospheric air
• pathology