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Human Health Risk Assessment of Pollutant Levels

in the Vicinity of the ‘Chervonogradska’ and Vizeiska’ Facilities

in Vilshyna, Ukraine

Prepared by:

Mark Chernaik, Ph.D.

Staff Scientist

Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide

September 2005

This document expresses the opinion of its author and not necessarily the opinions of the U.S. office of the Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide or other individuals or oganizations affiliated with the Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide.

At the request of Ecopravo-Lviv, I evaluated environmental quality data pertaining to air and water samples in the town of Vilshyna, near the ‘Chervonogradska’ and Vizeiska’ coal processing and coal mining facilities. What follows is my assessment of how exposure to these pollutant levels would impact human health.

Pollutants in air

According to the World Health Organization and other international health experts, human exposure to particulate matter, including dust and soot, causes the following adverse health effects: premature death, respiratory illnesses, and asthma attacks. For each increase of 1 ug/m3 in particulate matter in ambient air, health experts predict the following excess incidence of disease will occur: 6.72 premature deaths per year per 100,000 persons; 690 respiratory illnesses per year for each 100,000 children; and 32,600 asthma attacks per year each 100,000 asthma sufferers.[1]

Under Ukrainian law, the maximum permissible concentration for public exposure to soot – a form of particulate matter – is 75 ug/m3. Air quality monitoring data from Vilshyna shows that ambient air samples contained soot at up to 1.5 times the maximum permissible concentration. This would equate to soot levels of more than 110 ug/m3 – 35 ug/m3 greater than the maximum permissible concentration.

Exposure to these levels of soot in Vilshyna would increase the incidence of premature death by 235 deaths per year per 100,000 persons, increase the incidence of respiratory illness by 24,150 cases per 100,000 children, and increase the incidence of asthma attacks by more than 1 million attacks per year per 100,000 asthma sufferers.

Pollutants in well water

Mercury:

Under Ukrainian law, the maximum permissible concentration for public exposure to mercury in drinking water is 0.0029 milligrams per liter (mg/L).  This compares unfavorably to international health-based standards for exposure to mercury in drinking water.  For example, the World Health Organization (WHO) drinking water guideline for total mercury is 0.001 mg/L. 

The predominant human health effect of exposure to inorganic mercury in drinking water is kidney disease, including: ketonuria, tubular necrosis, renal nephropathy.  Because the half-life of mercury in the body is so long, these effects are often persistent or even irreversible.  See:

Water quality monitoring data from Vilshyna shows that well water samples contain mercury at levels 25 times the maximum permissible concentration.  This would equate to mercury levels in drinking water of 0.725 mg/L.   Considering these on-going exposures to mercury, I would expect that people in Vilshyna consuming well water with these levels of mercury would have a substantially elevated risk of persistent, if not irreversible, kidney disease, including ketonuria, tubular necrosis, renal nephropathy.

Cadmium

Under Ukrainian law, the maximum permissible concentration for public exposure to cadmium in drinking water is 0.004 milligrams per liter (mg/L).  This is slightly higher than international health-based standards for exposure to cadmium in drinking water.  For example, the World Health Organization (WHO) drinking water guideline for cadmium is 0.003 mg/L.  

The predominant human health effect of exposure to cadmium in drinking water is also kidney disease, especially nephropathy.   Because the half-life of cadmium in the body is exceedingly long, these effects are practically irreversible.  Cadmium is also a potential human carcinogen. Exposure to cadmium is associated with both lung cancer and prostate cancer.  See:

Water quality monitoring data from Vilshyna shows that well water samples contain mercury at levels 4 times the maximum permissible concentration.  This would equate to mercury levels in drinking water of 0.012 mg/L.   Considering these on-going exposures to cadmium, I would expect that people in Vilshyna consuming well water with these levels of cadmium would suffer from a substantially elevated risk of irreversible, kidney disease, especially renal nephropathy.  I would also expect that people consuming well water with these levels of cadmium would suffer from an elevated risk of lung and prostate cancer.

Signed.

___________________

Mark Chernaik

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[1] World Bank (1997) "Vehicular Air Pollution: Experiences from Seven Latin American Urban Centers," World Bank Technical Paper No. 373, p. 34. 

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