The impact of atmospheric pollution on public health: diagnosis, assessment, and prevention

Abstract

Introduction. Modern epidemiological studies indicate atmospheric air pollution to be one of the leading risk factors for the development of non-communicable diseases. The problem of assessing the impact of atmospheric air pollution on the health of the Russian Federation population is extremely urgent and requires solutions at the federal and regional levels. The purpose of the work was to analyze modern methodological approaches to diagnostics, assessment of the impact of atmospheric pollution on public health and to develop proposals for improving the risk management system to ensure sanitary and epidemiological well-being. Materials and methods. An expert-analytical study was carried out. Analysis materials are scientific publications both on the problem of assessing of the atmospheric pollution impact on health and developing a risk management system based on international experience and the possibility of its implementation in Russia; the results of earlier field studies of atmospheric air, and the results obtained during the implementation of the federal project “Clean Air”. Results. The main directions of further development of the methodology for assessing the adverse impact of atmospheric pollution on health are formulated to solve methodological and practical problems of minimizing the risk to public health. Positive results in managing air quality and reducing its negative impact on health can be achieved by increasing the volume of conducting the best reliable research on establishing links between air pollution and public health, improving approaches to the justification of hygienic standards for atmospheric pollution, improvement of methodological and analytical support for field research, and introduction of a systematic approach to the process of regulation of atmospheric air quality. Limitations. The limitations of the study are related to the fact that this article does not reflect the results of our own epidemiological studies to establish the negative impact of atmospheric pollution on public health. Conclusion. The need to regulate the quality of atmospheric air for the purposes of maintaining and improving the health of the population requires the development and implementation of long-term programs to ensure sanitary and epidemiological well-being, the basis of which should be the placement of health and environmental priorities established by the results of a system analysis, including the establishment of a causal relationship, the identification of priority chemicals and their sources, if reliable data on levels of exposure to the population are available.