Fine Particles in Ambient Air of the Cities Included in the Clean Air Federal Projectas Health Risk Factors and Control Objects

Introduction: Fine respirable particles РМ10 and РМ2.5 are known to affect human health; in certain concentrations, they are able to induce additional cases of respiratory, cardiovascular, and immune diseases and increased mortality rates. Objectives: To evaluate fine particle concentrations in some cities included in the Clean Air Federal Project, to assess health risks posed by these chemicals, and to analyze prospects of pollution control. Materials and methods: The empirical base included over 10,000 concentrations of PM10 and РМ2.5 measured within the public health monitoring system maintained by the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing (Rospotrebnadzor) in 11 cities involved in the Clean Air Federal Project. Risks posed by exposure to PM10 were assessed using hazard quotients at the upper limit of the 95 % confidence interval of mean annual levels. Parameters of emission sources were analyzed using information from consolidated databases created for the selected cities. Results: We established that in the cities of Krasnoyarsk, Novokuznetsk, Lipetsk, Magnitogorsk, Mednogorsk, Chelyabinsk, Chita, and Omsk, ambient PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations were up to 2.3 and 2.8 times higher than the average annual maximum allowable concentrations, respectively. In Krasnoyarsk and Novokuznetsk, PM10 exposures posed high unacceptable risks of respiratory diseases (HQ95 = 3.61–4.73). In the cities of Omsk, Lipetsk, Magnitogorsk, Mednogorsk, and Chita, health risks were assessed as unacceptable and alerting (HQ95 = 1.1–1.9). In summary databases of stationary emission source parameters, PM10 and PM2.5 are not specified. Conclusion: Improvement of the air quality management system involves developing and implementing calculation methods for establishing the composition of dust emissions with the allocation of fine fractions; developing and legally securing methods for instrumental measurement of PM10 and PM2.5 in industrial emissions. PM monitoring results and changes in health risks should be considered as objective indicators of effectiveness of measures aimed at reducing harmful emissions, including those implemented within the Clean Air Federal Project.