Assessment of the Level of Air Pollution and Aerogenic Risk to the Health of the People of Novocherkassk

Abstract

Introduction. Assessment of the level of urban air pollution and its impact on public health is a crucial scientific task. Ensuring the environmental safety of urban areas is impossible if the air quality does not meet the established standards. Despite well-developed methodologies for assessing the health risks of urban environments, the results of such research in the regional context are insufficient. Currently, almost half of the population of the Russian Federation lives in cities with high or very high levels of air pollution. Among these cities, Novocherkassk in the south of Russia was identified as one of the most polluted in the period from 2014 to 2021. This necessitates conducting scientific research to assess the health risks associated with atmospheric air pollution in Novocherkassk. The aim of this study was to evaluate the health risks posed to the population of Novocherkassk due to air pollution.Materials and Methods. The study used data from annual reports on the state of air pollution in cities in Russia from 2014 to 2021, which were prepared by the Federal State Budgetary Institution “Voeikov Main Geophysical Observatory” [1]. The authors used literary methods and methods of mathematical and statistical analysis in their work.Results. The level of atmospheric air pollution for the period from 2017 to 2021 reached dangerous values for public health. Suspended solids and carbon oxide contributed most to the risk of health problems. The values of the complex indicator P, estimated by average annual concentrations, showed that the level of atmospheric air pollution in Novocherkassk was 1.68 times higher than in the largest city in the region, Rostov-on-Don. The highest level of atmospheric air pollution in Novocherkassk was noted within Post II, located at the intersection of highways and close to the impact zone of industrial enterprises.Discussion and Conclusion. The calculations showed that exposure to polluted atmospheric air could cause symptoms of chronic intoxication in 240–280 out of every thousand people. When the maximum concentrations of pollutants in the atmospheric air of Novocherkassk were reached, from 579 to 692 people out of a thousand residents might experience adverse reflex reactions. In light of the identified health risks from air pollution, it is recommended to increase the number of green spaces and establish two additional monitoring stations for atmospheric pollution: one in the city's residential area and one near the Novocherkassk GRES power plant in the Donskoy district.