Risk Assessment for the Population of Kyiv, Ukraine As a Result of Atmospheric Air Pollution
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Research Risk Assessment for the Population of Kyiv, Ukraine as a Result of Atmospheric Air Pollution Oleksandr Popov,1 Background. According to the World Health Organization, 92% of the world’s population Andrii Іatsyshyn,1 lives in places where air quality levels exceed recommended limits. Recently, Ukraine had the Valeriia Kovach,1 most deaths per every 100,000 people (out of 120 countries) attributed to atmospheric air Volodymyr Artemchuk,2 pollution. High levels of atmospheric air pollution have been observed not only in typically Iryna Kameneva,2 industrial regions, but in Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, as well. Dmytro Taraduda,3 Objectives. The aim of the present study was to establish the state of air pollution in Kyiv and Vitaliy Sobyna,3 perform a risk assessment of associated human health effects. Dmitry Sokolov,3 Methods. Using official statistics and state monitoring data, the study aimed to identify Maksim Dement,3 and analyze risks to the health of Kyiv's population associated with air pollution. The Teodoziia Yatsyshyn,4 following methods were used: systematic, functional and comparative analysis, risk theory, mathematical modeling, probability theory and mathematical statistics, as well as geographic 1 State Institution, Institute of information system technologies for digital map design and objective-oriented methodology Environmental Geochemistry of National for software design systems. Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kiev, Results. The risk values across different areas of the city varied significantly, indicating that Ukraine atmospheric air quality remains unstable. Areas with the highest and lowest risk values were 2 Pukhov Institute for Modelling in identified. Energy Engineering of National Academy Conclusions. The environmental state of atmospheric air in Kyiv requires greater attention of Sciences of Ukraine, Kiev, Ukraine and additional research to identify the causes of air pollution, along with implementation of 3 National University of Civil Defense of measures to improve air quality. Ukraine, Kharkiv, Ukraine Competing Interests. The authors declare no competing financial interests. 4 Ivano-Frankivsk National Technical Keywords. air pollution, air quality, risk assessment, population health. University of Oil and Gas, Ivano-Frankivsk, Received July 8, 2019. Accepted November 22, 2019. Ukraine J Health Pollution 25: (200303) 2020 © Pure Earth Corresponding author: Valeriia Kovach Tel. +380967815496 [email protected] pollution of industrially developed The main sources of pollution in cities by toxic agents becomes Kyiv are motor transport and energy irreversible and has negative impacts enterprises (thermal stations), on the health of the population. enterprises of the construction Introduction industry, mechanical engineering, According to the World Health chemical-pharmaceutical, and the food Air pollution is a large problem in Organization (WHO), 92% of world industry. In 2015, the total amount many countries around the world. population breathes air polluted of pollutants in the atmosphere from The main sources of atmospheric air beyond the acceptable limits.2 Ukraine stationary and mobile sources in Kyiv pollution are transportation, power is no exception and recently (in amounted to 144.3 thousand tons. companies, chemically hazardous September, 2017) ranked first (out More detailed data on emissions from enterprises, metallurgy, machine- of 120 world countries) in deaths stationary technogenic facilities in building, metal-processing enterprises caused by atmosphere air pollution, Kiev are presented in Table 1.4 and industries, building materials per 100,000 people. Air pollution industries, and lumber operations, in Ukraine causes four times more The air monitoring system in Ukraine among others.1 Atmospheric pollution deaths per capita than the five cleanest is currently ineffective and has is considered to be the most dangerous countries altogether, according to the significant problems. There is no data form of pollution by volume, as WHO.3 collection and analysis center and 1 Journal of Health & Pollution Vol. 10, No. 25 — March 2020 Popov et al Research Atmospheric Air Pollution and Risk Assessment in Kyiv, Ukraine monitoring results are stored in paper Abbreviations form. Most atmospheric scientific research results with some elements MPC Maximum permissible PrJSC Private joint stock company of statistical and comparative analysis concentration do not consider the environmental RCI Risk of chronic intoxication risks to public health. Therefore, PJSC Public joint stock company a risk assessment of the health of RITE Risk of immediate toxic effects Kyiv`s population due to air pollution POS Pollution observation supported by data and analysis is stations SMC Software-modeling complex urgently needed. The aim of the present study was to establish the state of air pollution in Kyiv and perform a risk assessment of associated human health effects. sulfide, phenol, hydrogen fluoride, states, there are approved MPCs for Methods ammonia, formaldehyde, and eight pollutants used for the assessment heavy metals. Their composition is of atmosphere air. Maximum Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, is one defined depending on the emissions permissible concentrations are of the biggest and oldest cities in of pollutants in atmospheric air from set for each substance and for Europe. Kyiv is situated in the south enterprises located in the area of the certain combinations of pollutants of Ukraine, on the border of Polissya. observation stations. The distribution in atmospheric air. Maximum The Dnipro River runs through the of POS in Kyiv is shown in Figure 1. permissible concentrations of city and there is forest steppe on either pollutants in the atmospheric air of side of the river. Kyiv has an area of In the countries of the former USSR, populated areas are regulated as daily 836 km². The climate is moderately health standards for permissible averages and maximum single MPC. continental, with mild winters and pollutants burden consists of warm summers. The average monthly maximum permissible concentration When the concentration values are temperature in January and July is (MPC), relatively safe impact levels taken, they are compared to maximum −3.5°C and +20.5°C, respectively, with and different complex values. In single values of those concentrations an average annual precipitation of Ukraine, and most post-Soviet (thus the amount of excess is defined). 649 mm. Forests, parks and gardens make up more than half of the almost 80 000 hectares. The population in Kyiv was 2.9 million in December 2017, according to data of the General Statistics Department.5 The present study was conducted from September 2016 till September 2018. In Ukraine, programs monitoring the quality of atmospheric air are aimed at the control of primary pollutants at stationary and mobile stations. In Kyiv, the Central Geophysical Observatory systematically monitors the content of pollutants in atmospheric air at 16 stationary (but manual) pollution observation stations (POS) with samples taken every 6 days, 3-4 times a day. These stations collect data on suspended substances, sulfur Table 1 — Dynamics of Emissions from Stationary Sources dioxide, carbonic oxide, hydrogen 2 Popov et al Journal of Health & Pollution Vol. 10, No. 25 — March 2020 Research Figure 1 — Primary enterprises impacting air quality in Kyiv (blue triangles, see Table 6) and atmospheric air pollution observation stations (red triangles) The average monthly or yearly values maximum permissible daily average reagent. It is characterized by the value are likewise compared with MPCs of concentration of a pollutant in the air; that lies within (0…1) interval, where daily average values. and βі is the dimensionless constant 0 indicates the absence of effect and 1 of reducing the damage of і-substance indicates the greatest effect. In order to assess atmospheric air to the damage of sulfur dioxide which pollution levels, the air pollution index accepts the values of 1.7; 1.3; 1.0; In order to assess the negative impact was used, following Equation 1. 0.9 for 1, 2, 3, 4 classes of hazard of of anthropogenic air pollution on pollutants, respectively. the health of a population which Equation 1 may manifest itself in immediate or The above-mentioned health standards chronic toxic effects (carcinogenic and characterize only the level of chemical immunotoxic), two groups of models air pollution of a territory under have been introduced: threshold investigation and do not define the and non-threshold.6 Acute toxicity impact of pollution on human health. (immediate toxic manifestations) has where, API is the air pollution index; Therefore, a risk assessment was a definite threshold character. In order Сі is the average concentration of conducted to determine the probability to assess the risk of immediate toxic і-additive in time (per month or per of negative effects on human health effects (RITE), the model of personal year) calculated for the station, city for individuals or groups of people impact thresholds is used. In terms of or a group of cities; MPCa.d.i is the affected by a particular chemical air pollution, this model is defined by 3 Journal of Health & Pollution Vol. 10, No. 25 — March 2020 Popov et al Research Atmospheric Air Pollution and Risk Assessment in Kyiv, Ukraine the formula in Equation 2: Equation 2 where, a, b are the parameters Table 2 — Coefficient values of а, b, β and K depending on toxicological properties of the substance; C is the toxicant