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.
http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/dwq/gdwq3_8.pdf
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: http://www.oehha.ca.gov/water/phg/pdf/hg_f.pdf
Water quality monitoring data from Vilshyna shows that well water samples contain
1
World Bank (1997) "Vehicular Air Pollution: Experiences from Seven Latin American Urban Centers,"
World Bank Technical Paper No. 373, p. 34.
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. http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/dwq/gdwq3_8.pdf
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: http://www.oehha.ca.gov/water/phg/pdf/cadm_f.pdf
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