Population health as a target function and criterion for assessing efficiency of activities performed within “Pure air” federal project

Abstract

We took several cities (Bratsk, Krasnoyarsk, Norilsk, and Chita) included as priority ones into the “Pure air” federal project as an example and showed that it was not sufficient to only aim at reducing gross emissions of pollutants and apply it as a criterion to assess efficiency of air-protecting activities performed in a city. Health risk calculations, and comparative analysis of risk assessment and medical statistical data on population applying for medical aid, combined with the results of profound targeted examinations, revealed that medical and demographic losses (additional population mortality and morbidity) occurred due to a significant number of chemical admixtures, including those, who were not included into a list of pollutants which had to be reduced. Consequently, air-protecting activities don’t necessarily result in relevant improvement of a sanitary-hygienic and medical-demographic situation. Residual health risks still remain high. We showed that there were several significant aspects related to developing and working out in detail complex regional action plans within the “Pure air” federal project. They were a necessity to constantly and profoundly inform a wide circle of people who make decisions on ambient air protection about adverse impacts exerted by specific components in emissions on population health and actual medical and demographic losses on a territory; to assess whether it was technically possible to achieve recommended emission levels and to discuss it with economic entities in order to work out optimal decisions as regards orientation and urgency of specific activities in the sphere; to integrate assessments of air-protecting activities efficiency with prospect city-planning in a region, and to include compensatory medical and prevention activities into regional action plans that should help achieving acceptable health risks levels.

Keywords

• "pure air" federal project
• sanitary-hygienic situation
• ambient air pollution
• risk
• population health