Assessment of Organization of Environmental Quality Monitoring in the Russian Arctic

Abstract

Introduction: The relevance of this study is determined by the importance of taking disease prevention and control measures on the basis of complete, reliable, and high-quality information. Method approaches to organizing environmental quality monitoring have been substantiated recently. Objective: To assess organization of environmental quality monitoring and laboratory testing in the populated areas of the Russian Arctic for compliance with modern requirements. Materials and methods: We scrutinized ambient air, water, and soil quality monitoring programs programs for the year 2023 in seven regions of the Russian Arctic. The analysis and visualization were carried out using Microsoft Excel and ESRI ArcGIS 9.3, respectively. Results: In 2023, environmental quality was monitored at 865 sites in 297 settlements of the Russian Arctic. Ambient air quality was monitored at 49 sites in 30 settlements, soil – at 251 sites in 106 settlements, water in the centralized water supply system – at 565 sites, including 280 sites in the distribution network. Two to 12 quality indicators were determined in ambient air, 2 to 20 in soil, and 9 to 31 in water from centralized water supply systems. Discussion: The coverage of the areas under study with environmental quality monitoring varies significantly: from 9 settlements in the Arctic territories of the Krasnoyarsk Krai to 88 in the Murmansk Region. The pronounced difference in the scope of environmental quality monitoring, on the one hand, impedes objective comparison of environmental conditions between the regions and, on the other hand, makes it impossible to link adverse environmental factors with human health effects due to the limited data collected. Conclusion: This is the first comprehensive analysis of organization of ambient air, water, and soil quality monitoring in seven regions of the Russian Arctic. We have prepared recommendations for updating environmental quality monitoring programs taking into account modern requirements.