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The current level of aliphatic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons was determined in suspended particulate matter of waters (mainly in surface waters) and in upper layer of bottom sediments of coastal areas in the Caucasian sector of the Black Sea of the Russian Federation (September 2021, May and September 2022, March 2023). IR method was used to determine the aliphatic hydrocarbons, and the method of high performance liquid chromatography was employed for PAHs. The average concentration of aliphatic hydrocarbons was ≈20 μg/L and for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons ≈130 ng/L in suspended particulate matter in open surface waters of Gelendzhik and Golubaya bays. Their content naturally increased as they approached the coast. Despite the decrease in hydrocarbon concentrations in surface waters in recent years, the Kerch Strait and Novorossiysk remain the most polluted areas as before. Higher concentrations in the waters of the Taman Peninsula may be caused by the seepage of hydrocarbons from the sedimentary layer. Hydrocarbons are accumulated in bottom sediments, that leads to their rising portion in total organic carbon (e.g., aliphatic hydrocarbons up to 14.2 % in the Tuapse region and 13.1 % in the Novorossiysk region). Along with contamination from anthropogenic sources, natural processes also affect the hydrocarbon levels such as high biological productivity of the area and fluid flows from the sediment layer., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Macroalgae have long served as bioindicators of pollution in coastal marine environments. However, conventional pollution assessment methods often take a compartmentalized approach, either focusing on macrophyte biological parameters or independently analyzing heavy metal and oil product bioaccumulation within them. This study establishes connections between: (1) the characteristics of chemical pollution in brown, green, and red macroalgae, (2) organic pollution in the nutrient medium, and (3) the resulting changes in phytocenosis composition and macrophyte morphological characteristics. The research was conducted in the coastal zone near the Sochi River mouth on the Black Sea coast of Russia, encompassing the urban center of the Sochi metropolitan area. Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) analysis quantified the accumulation levels of 60 chemical elements within macrophyte algae. The novel aspect of this study is the development of a quantitative metric for assessing the overall chemical pollution impacting the ecologically crucial macroalgae Cystoseira. This systematic approach represents a significant advancement in the comprehensive evaluation and management of coastal water quality. The study identified two contrasting accumulation patterns: (1) pollution-tolerant annual algae exhibited an exclusion mechanism for chemical elements, while (2) Cystoseira displayed a non-exclusion accumulation pattern, potentially explaining its absence in the most heavily polluted zone. This approach paves the way for establishing a standardized scale for algal chemical pollution, reflecting a range from permissible to highly hazardous levels in seawater. This will enable rapid acquisition of both qualitative and quantitative pollution data, streamline monitoring efforts, and expedite the implementation of control measures., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Beached macrolitter (>2,5 cm) abundance and composition in the Russian (Eastern) part of the Barents Sea and the adjacent part of the Kara Sea was assessed for 2021-2023. Average densities of beach litter on the coasts are 675 items/100 m and 37 kg/100 m (0.27 items/m 2 and 0.015 kg/m 2 ). Annual litter budgets for Cape Zhelaniya beaches are 0.49 items/m 2 per year and 0.023 kg/m 2 per year. The northernmost tip of Novaya Zemlya is shown to be a beach litter accumulation hot-spot on Novaya Zemlya archipelago, where litter is brought by surface currents and trapped by sea ice margins. Up to 80 % of beached marine macrolitter is made of plastics, originating from vessels. A certain accumulation strip of a beach was identified (14 m - 27.5 m distance from the waterline), and significance of the beach backshore was shown in litter accumulation. Beach litter accounting methodologies on the Arctic beaches are discussed., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Research on rare-earth elements (REEs) in urban soils of Russian industrial cities is extremely limited. This study investigates the potential sources and human health risks of REEs contained in the topsoils of the industrial Russian city of Chelyabinsk. The study also takes into account natural sources of REE as the city is located on the border of granites (Urals) and sedimentary rocks (Western Siberia). We analyzed the concentration and distribution of REEs in the soils of four types of locations: residential courtyards, city parks, roadsides, and industrial locations. The total REE concentrations ranged from 44 to 255 mg/kg, with average concentrations of 140, 124, 113 and 89 mg/kg in the courtyards, roadsides, industrial location and city parks, respectively. The REE content in courtyard soils could be influenced by poor cleaning of fallen leaves. The ratios of light REE (LREE) to heavy REE (HREE) ranged from 9.5 to 10.1, revealing an obvious fractionation between them. The fractionation of LREE and HREE, and the REE/ES (European Shale) pattern showed that REE accumulation in Chelyabinsk soils has been disturbed by human activities. It was shown that the dust from industrial emissions was the main anthropogenic source of REE accumulation in urban soil. The largest amounts of REEs are emitted from an electrometallurgical plant and zinc production plant. Fortunately, the estimated daily intakes of REE from soils for children and adults were well below the safety thresholds. At the same time, in order to prevent social tension and reduce the anthropogenic load on the urban area, it is recommended to use phytoremediation technologies, smart landscaping of industrial and residential areas, more thorough cleaning of fallen leaves and road dust. It is also recommended to move the most dangerous production processes outside the urban area., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The increasing popularity and recognition of citizen science approaches to monitor soil health have promoted the idea to assess soil microbial decomposition based on a standard litter sample - tea bags. Although tea bag initiatives are expanding across the world, the global datasets remain biased in regard to investigating regions and biomes. This study aimed to expand the tea bag initiative to European Russia, which remains a "white spot" on the tea bag index map. We also added urban soils into the analysis, which were underestimated previously. We compared the standard and local tea brands to explore possible adaptations of the standard approach to regions with limited access to standard tea brands. The established monitoring network included natural and urban sites in six vegetation zones along a 3000 km latitudinal gradient. There was a very close linear relationship (R 2  = 0.94-0.98) in the mass loss of alternative and standard tea litter. The mass loss of green tea in soil along the latitudinal gradient showed an increasing trend from north to south. Variations in the microbial decomposition of green tea were mainly explained by the latitudinal gradient, with low soil temperature identified as key factors hampering decomposition. Mass loss of the more recalcitrant rooibos tea was mainly determined via land use, with decomposition rates on average 1.3 times higher in urban soils. This pattern was in line with higher soil temperatures and pH in urban sites compared to natural counterparts. The findings of our study could prove valuable in extending the tea bag network of soil decomposition assessment into broader territories, including urban areas. Additionally, they could facilitate the involvement of citizen science and complete the database for C cycle modeling depending on climatic conditions., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The Northern Dvina River is one of the main sources of microplastic pollution entering to the White and Barents Seas. The coastal and bottom sediments of this river play an important role as a transfer link of microplastics. With Py-GC/MS and μFT-IR methods, it was found that the sediments contain up to 350 mg/kg or 650 particles/kg of microplastic (dry weight). The unique hydrologic conditions of the river branching area contribute to the formation of a microplastic pollution hotspot. The hotspot accumulates >30 % of microplastic pollution, mainly ABS plastic particles smaller than 0.3 mm with roughness and cracks, which increases the hazard class (from II to IV) of microplastic pollution. Obtained data and high annual variability of pollution indicates that this area acts as a place of accumulation, degradation and gradual release of microplastics into the White and Barents Seas, i.e. into the Arctic region., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The paper presents the results of a study of the content of 12 polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the snow cover of the city of Ivanovo (Russian Federation). It is shown that their average content exceeds the background level by 6.6 times, which made it possible to identify for which compounds the admission channels are associated with transboundary transport (naphthalene, pyrene, benz [b]fluorantin, benzo [a]pyrene and dibenz [a,h]anthracene), and for which with local emission sources (anthracene, phenanthrene, fluoranthene, chrysene, benz [k]fluorantin, and benzo [g,h,i]perylene). According to the known indicator ratios of the concentrations of PAHs, the main sources of release (pyrogenic and mixed) PAHs into the environment were estimated. The combination of experimental data in combination with factor analysis allowed identifying priority PAHs (naphthalene, fluoren, fluoranthene, benzo [a]pyrene and benzo [g,h,i]perylene), which should be included in the environmental monitoring programs of the region. Environmental risk assessments are given, which showed that the level of pollutant does not always adequately reflect the environmental impact for the territories. Thus, the contribution to the total PAH concentration of benz [b]fluorantin is only 9%, and to the amount of environmental risk - 51%. This must be taken into account in order to prioritize the control of individual components of PAHs in environmental objects., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In compliance with the fundamentals of the government's policy on nuclear and radiation safety, Russia is continuing to implement its national program for decommissioning its nuclear legacy. Under this program, the State Atomic Energy Corporation, 'Rosatom', is carrying out decommissioning and remediation of the Navy's former shore technical bases (STBs) in the Russian Far East. Along with the 'old problems' accumulated during the operation of STBs in the past, new challenges arise because of the planned intensification of radioactive waste (RW) management on the site in the nearest future. The paper presents the results of comprehensive environmental monitoring at the site of temporary storage for spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and RW at Sysoeva Bay, located in Primorsky Krai. One of the site's features is the cross contamination of the environment with radioactive substances and nonradiological pollutants. The dominant radionuclides in the environmental media are 137Cs, 90Sr, and a minor contribution from 60Сo. The soil contamination with artificial radionuclides predominantly relates to the category of industrial waste with local areas classified as very low-level RWs. The contamination penetrated the underground water via migration from the damaged SNF and RW storage facilities. Along with cesium and strontium radionuclides, widespread groundwater pollution with heavy metals (I–III hazardous classes), including Be and As, was revealed. Moreover, the exceedance of permissible levels of Cd reaches 1000 times, and that of radionuclides (90Sr)reaches 50 times. It dictates the necessity to improve the environmental impact assessment by accounting for the nonradiological pollutants in monitoring design. The radiological conditions in the residential area are characterized by the regional background levels. The average annual effective dose of public exposure due to artificial sources does not exceed 40 µSv. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The exploitation of mineral deposits is followed by the formation of huge amounts of wastes, which have strong negative impacts on the surrounding environment. This paper presents the results of the compilation of data on general environmental problems in sites of waste disposal from mining and ore processing in Russia, based on the analysis of published data and own research. The own research of the authors relates to the estimation of the environmental hazards of mining waste using geochemical investigations and biotesting, as well as the development of the classification of technogenic mineral resources counting the reasons of the accumulation of precious components in them and findings on their environmental impact. The influence of waste disposal was determined as significant and diverse, leading to the transformation of all natural compartments surrounding waste disposal sites. The situation is especially aggravated when there are some mining and processing facilities within one relatively small territory. As a result, strong influence zones are formed. These zones have pronounced geochemical features reflecting the specificity of extracted rocks and produced raw materials. The analyzed information can serve as a basis for the development of nature protection measures for the mining waste disposal sites in Russia. Such measures using modern technical means for monitoring can minimize environmental damage from technogenic mineral formations.

Abstract—The results of ecological monitoring of the status of springs in Western Kazakhstan are presented: three of these springs are located in the Atyrau region and twelve are located in the Western Kazakhstan Region. The following properties of spring water samples were determined in accordance with water quality hygiene standards of the Republic of Kazakhstan (RK) and the Russian Federation (RF): temperature, рН, debit, turbidity, total hardness, permanganate index, solid residue, total spring mineralization, content of dissolved oxygen, cations (ammonium, calcium, magnesium, sodium, and pot assium), anions (nitrites, nitrates, carbonates, hydrocarbonates, chlorides, sulphates, and polyphosphates), heavy metals (copper, zinc, lead, cadmium, iron, chrome, manganese, cobalt, and nickel), petrochemicals, and phenols. The microbiological indicators of the waters (total microbial number, total coliform bacteria, and thermotolerant coliform bacteria) and spring bacterial contamination factors were determined. All springs were found to have small debits except the Tilepbulak spring in the Atyrausk region, which was a semi-debit. The water of almost all springs studied was neutral except the Ainabulak spring in the Western Kazakhstan region, the water of which was weakly acidic and did not meet the standard indicators of the RF and RK. The sprigs studied differed by their hydrochemical indicators. The water in most of the springs and did not meet the hygienic standards of the RF and RK. In all the springs of the Atyraus region, the contents of iron, chrome, manganese, nickel, and phenol exceeded the hygienic standards. In the water of Ashituzbulak spring, the content of petrochemicals slightly exceeded accepted standards. High iron concentrations were found in two springs of the Western Kazakhstan region (Taskal-5, Serebryakov). The chrome concentration was high in six springs (Taskal-5, Krasnenkoye, Tsiganovo-2 (Yegendibulak), Bol'shaia Itchka, Ainabulak, Serebryakov). The manganese content was high in two springs (Taskal-1, Serebryakov). The nickel content high was in four springs (Taskal-5, Krasnenkoye, Bol'shaia Itchka, Ainabulak, Serebryakov). The phenol content was high in five springs (Taskal-5, Krasnenkoye, Tsiganovo-2 (Yegendibulak), Bol'shaya Itchka, Ainabulak). In the springs of the Atyraus and Western Kazakhstan regions, no deviations from the hygienic standards were found. The instability of microbiological indicators of the water was due to the fact that most of the springs studied were located near human settlements and actively used for domestic purposes and consumption by farm animals. This paper suggests practical recommendations for the rational use of springs in Western Kazakhstan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this paper we summarize the results of the satellite monitoring of various types of wildfires, as well as emissions of carbon-containing the CO and CO2 gases and the fine PM2.5 aerosol into the atmosphere due to wildfires, throughout the Russian Federation and several of its regions in 2005-2017. The methodology and features of the satellite system used for the monitoring are described. An analysis of the overall estimations of the total wildfire areas, areas of burnt-out forests, as well as the volumes of harmful contaminant emissions due to them, is given. It is shown that between 2005 and 2017 the total areas of all types of wildfires in Russia, including forest fires, more than halved due to the measures taken on urgent fire detection and well-timed actions to extinguish them. The burnt-out areas reached a peak of 234 700 km2 in 2006 were minimal (74 000 km2) in 2013. The largest areas of burnt-out forest were in the Siberian Federal District. Fires spread to a maximum of 53 600 km2 in this region in 2012, while the total burnt-out areas covered 65 000 km2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results from estimating the predictability of the seismicity of Shiveluch Volcano based on the earthquake catalog for the Northern Group of Kamchatka Volcanoes for 1971-1996 and 1999-2013. The mathematical model that we employed is a nonlinear second-order differential equation, while the algorithms of optimization and predictability are ours. The calculations show that seismicity can be successfully predicted for time intervals of a few weeks to a few months during phases of higher activity and for times of between a few months and a few years during phases of lower seismicity. The prediction distances are in excess of the error by factors of 20 to 50 on average. The nonlinearities in both times of higher and lower rates are close to the law of an equilateral hyperbola. We concluded that the predictability of seismicity can possibly be used in an integrated complex to predict extrusive and effusive activity and accompanying explosive activity. The prediction of major bursts of explosive activity related to failure in the existing volcanic edifice requires additional monitoring of the dome structure and the stability of the rocks that make up the dome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper compares the distributions of dissolved and particulate forms of Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb in the estuaries of the largest rivers in East Asia: the Amur River and the Changjiang (Yangtze River). High suspended solid concentrations, elevated pH, and relatively low dissolved trace metal concentrations are characteristics of the Changjiang. Elevated dissolved Fe and Mn concentrations, neutral pH, and relatively low suspended solid concentrations are characteristics of the Amur River. The transfer of dissolved Fe to suspended forms is typical in the Amur River estuary, though Cd and Mn tend to mobilize to solution, and Cu and Ni are diluted in the estuarine system. Metal concentrations in suspended matter in the Amur River estuary are controlled by the ratio of terrigenous riverine material, enriched in Al and Fe, and marine biogenic particles, enriched in Cu, Mn, Cd, and in some cases Ni. The increase in dissolved forms of Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Cd, and Pb compared with river end-member is unique to the Changjiang estuary. Particle-solution interactions are not reflected in bulk suspended-solid metal concentrations in the Changjiang estuary due to the dominance of particulate forms of these metals. Cd is an exception in the Changjiang estuary, where the increase in dissolved Cd is of comparable magnitude to the decrease in particulate Cd. Despite runoff in the Amur River being lower than that in the Changjiang, the fluxes of dissolved Mn, Zn and Fe in the Amur River exceed those in the Changjiang. Dissolved Ni, and Cd fluxes are near equal in both estuaries, but dissolved Cu is lower in the Amur River estuary. The hydrological and physico-chemical river characteristics are dominated at the assessment of river influence on the adjoining coastal sea areas despite differences in estuarine processes., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In the paper there is presented the rationale for differentiated sanitary protective zones in the present conditions both of the increase of volumes of production and introduction of various technological solutions on the example of battery recycling enterprise. It is established that the in acting regulations the classification of enterprises recycling of non-ferrous metals, fails to take into account such the hazard risks criteria of the enterprise, as volume of emissions of priority substances, the height of their arrival in the atmosphere, etc., and also does not take into account increased significantly in the current time processing volumes. The results of the performed research allowed to offer new positions in the classification of production of secondary lead from used batteries (I to IV class), depending on the volume of production (from 20 000 to 160 000 tons per year), the amount of emissions of lead (0.2 to 1, 6 tons per year) and release height (15 to 60 m).

This paper provides the description of Land Use Regression (LUR) modeling and the result of its application in the study of nitrogen dioxide air pollution in Ekaterinburg. The paper describes the difficulties of the modeling for air pollution caused by motor vehicles exhaust, and the ways to address these challenges. To create LUR model of the NO2 air pollution in Ekaterinburg, concentrations of NO2 were measured, data on factors affecting air pollution were collected, a statistical analysis of the data were held. A statistical model of NO2 air pollution (coefficient of determination R2 = 0.70) and a map of pollution were created.

The aim of this paper was to ascertain chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) prevalence among industrial workers in the Russian Federation and determine relative contribution of smoking and occupational factors to COPD. We recruited 1,375 workers aged 30 or over. Six hundred and twenty-four of them were occupationally exposed to vapours, gases, dust, and fumes (VGDF). Physical examination and baseline spirometry were performed for all the participants of the study. Those with airfl ow limitation of FEV1/FVC<0.70 were considered having COPD and those with presence of cough and sputum production for at least three months in each of two consecutive years were considered having chronic bronchitis (CB), with no overlapping between these 2 groups. Data on occupational history and VGDF levels in the working area were collected from all participants. In total, 105 cases of COPD and 170 cases of CB were diagnosed in the cohort of examined workers. Occupational exposure to VGDF was twice as often present among COPD patients than among both patients with CB and the control group of healthy workers (p<0.05). More than 40 % of COPD patients were occupationally exposed to VGDF above the value of 3.0 of the occupational exposure limit (OEL) and more than 20 % to 6.0 OEL and higher. Overall odds ratio for COPD development due to occupational VGDF exposure was 5.9 (95 % CI=3.6 to 9.8, p=0.0001). Both smoking and VGDF seem to be important for the development of COPD. Analysis of the combined effect of tobacco smoking and occupational noxious particles and gases on COPD development has shown the following order of risk factors based on the strength of their infl uence: VGDF levels, smoking index, age, and heating microclimate. There is a statistically signifi cant level of relationship and "dose-effect" dependence between occupational exposures to VGDF and the development of COPD. The effect of VGDF composition on the probability of COPD development was not found in the study. Results of this study were used to substantiate the inclusion of COPD into the National List of Occupational Diseases of the Russian Federation.

This paper describes the unique environmental conditions of the Kavkazskie Mineralnye Vody (Caucasian Mineral Waters) health resort region with special reference to its paramount importance for the national interests of Russia. It is emphasized, however, that the environmental conditions in the region under consideration are far from being satisfactory. In connection with this, the authors point out to the necessity of expanding areas of protective forest stands and prohibition of the implementation of new building projects in the frontal mountain sanitary zones; they draw special attention to the potential danger of degradation of mineral water springs under the influence of changes in the distribution of vertical hydraulic gradients in the upper part of the lithosphere leading to the deterioration of their composition and the contamination of ground and surface waters with municipal and domestic effluents. Special attention is given to the harm and impermissibility of illegal extraction of mineral waters from producing wells. An original method for water quality control and estimation of the optimal production rate is proposed. The authors hypothesize the possible causes behind the discontinuation of mud formation at the Tambukan deposits and substantiate the necessity of using the resource-saving technologies for processing raw materials and urgent measures to eliminate the factors responsible for desalination and pollution of this mineral mud lake. It is concluded that strict state control should be exercised in the region by means of the introduction of the multilevel automated information system for round-the-clock environmental monitoring. The authors believe that only joint efforts of scientists, legislative and executive authorities can preserve Kavkazskie Mineralnye Vody health resort region for the future generations.

The paper comparatively characterizes the content of Zn, Cu, Pb, and Cd in the hair of children aged 1 to 3 years, who reside in Yaroslavl and Kotlas, as well as rural communities of the Yaroslavl Region and the Republic of Komi. Differences have been found in the trace element status of children living in areas with various anthropogenic load and under climatic and geographic conditions.

The paper presents the results of passportization of carcinogenic dangerous undertakings in 1999-2007. It gives a detailed analysis of passportization records in 8 regions of the Russian Federation. The proportion of workers occupationally exposed to carcinogens in the passportized undertakings averages 11%. Among the people exposed, women are about 30%. The common drawback to passportization is that the enterprises to be passported are underestimated. The records of passportization suggest that there is inadequate monitoring of the working air level of carcinogenic substances; the workers lack adequate personal protection means; an oncologist is outside a group of specialists making preventive medical examinations at the carcinogenic dangerous enterprises. The employers' awareness of possible carcinogenic hazards at the enterprises should be increased.

Environmental pollution by lead and its effects on human health continue to remain one of the most urgent problems of environmental hygiene. The paper gives the results of basic environmental and epidemiological studies conducted in different regions of the country, which prove elevated lead levels in the blood of examined children. The role of the influence of household factors on the elevation of blood lead levels in a child is shown, by using a town that has no large sources of lead emission as an example. Evidence is provided that a program should be elaborated to reduce a risk for human lead poisoning, which involves the introduction of methods for the biomonitoring and treatment of children having elevated blood lead levels.

This paper compares the ignitability of Troll B crude oil weathered under simulated Arctic conditions (0%, 50% and 90% ice cover). The experiments were performed in different scales at SINTEF's laboratories in Trondheim, field research station on Svalbard and in broken ice (70-90% ice cover) in the Barents Sea. Samples from the weathering experiments were tested for ignitability using the same laboratory burning cell. The measured ignitability from the experiments in these different scales showed a good agreement for samples with similar weathering. The ice conditions clearly affected the weathering process, and 70% ice or more reduces the weathering and allows a longer time window for in situ burning. The results from the Barents Sea revealed that weathering and ignitability can vary within an oil slick. This field use of the burning cell demonstrated that it can be used as an operational tool to monitor the ignitability of oil spills., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The paper estimates the epidemic value of indicators for microbial contamination of waters from their main supply sources (waters from the Tsimlyansk Reservoir and the Nizhni Don River and drinking waters from the towns of Azov and Tsimlyansk) in the Rostov Region. The Tsimlyansk Reservoir water met the SanPiN 2.1.5.980-00 requirements for the normalizable indices of total coliform bacteria (TCB) and thermotolerant coliform bacteria (TtCB) in 54% of the samples; glucose-positive coliform bacteria (GPCB) and Salmonella were isolated in 100 and 60%, respectively. The Azov drinking water that met the SanPiN 2.1.4.1074-01 requirements for TCB and TtCB) was found to contain GPCB, Klebsiella, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in 5.7, 4.8, and 3% of the samples, respectively Direct detection of pathogenic and potentially pathogenic microorganisms and the integral GPCB index are of the greatest prognostic value in assessing a microbial risk for waterborne enteric infections.

The paper discusses whether air quality can be hygienically and ecologically tested from respiratory disease mortality rates in children.

The paper presents the general principles and procedure of the development and implementation of measures to decrease and prevent environmental pollution with persistent toxic substances (PTS) in the Russian Arctic and, accordingly, to reduce a risk of the deleterious effects of PTS on human health. Based on the results of a study of PTS in the Russian Arctic (from the Kola Peninsula to Chukotka), the authors first systematized the basic lines and actions and formulated specific measures to reduce the North population's exposure to PTSs, such as polychlorinated biphenyls, organic chlorine pesticides (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, hexachlorocyclohexane, hexachlorobenzene, etc.), and heavy metals (mercury, lead, cadmium). A package of measures is aimed at maximally reducing the presence of PTS-containing objects and materials in the north (via detection, collection, and extermination), at neutralizing the soils in settlement lands, at setting up safe water consumption systems, at organizing effective control over the safe use of chemicals and the levels of PTS in raw food materials and foodstuffs, and at working out recommendations on safe procedures for food purchase, storage, and cooking.

The paper gives data on the nature of snow cover pollution in the urbanized areas in relation to the remoteness from the basic sources of ambient air pollution. The total snow content of carcinogens has been estimated.

The paper considers the unsolved problems of the safe use of constant magnetic fields. Whether the geomagnetic field attenuation factor is substantiated for different population groups is discussed.

The paper presents the results of studying the spectrum of influenza A and B viruses to rimantadine, arbidol, and oseltamivir and describes the methods used for these purposes for epidemiological surveillance. Different sensitivities to rimantadine were found among influenza A viruses. During the 2007-2008 season, the vast majority of influenza A(H3N2) virus strains were resistant to rimantadine (77%) while all influenza A(H1N1) virus strains preserved their resistance to this drug. The fact that the epidemic influenza A(H1N1) virus strains that carry the mutation responsible for resistance to the neuraminidase inhibitor oseltamivir (Tamiflu) circulated in the Russian Federation was first established. At the same time all the study influenza A(H1N1) virus strains preserved their susceptibility to rimantadine. The sensitivity of the epidemic strains to arbidol has been confirmed.

The paper analyzes the results of monitoring the number and species composition of arthropods, which are of epidemiological and sanitary important, in the city of Voronezh in 1998 to 2007. Many years' periodical observations have revealed the main places of breeding for blood sucking insects and ticks, their ecological features, including these under antropogenic stress. There is evidence for the changes in the species composition and the influence of some species on the recent epidemiological situation, which permits the approaches to and tactics of preventive measures to be corrected at the present budgetary stage oriented to outcome, with emphasis on the most significant sections of work.

The paper describes different guidelines used to develop a procedure for gas chromatographic determination of N,N-asymmetric dimethylhydrazine (NDMH) in various environmental objects in the area of a missile-dismantling base. The authors showed that the use of a capillary column with a 5-microm liquid phase layer on a Kristall-5000 chromatograph with a nitrogenous phosphoric detector (Russia) allowed development of a unified gas chromatographic procedure for determining NDMH in air, water, soil, biological material (urine), and plant cover (moss, couch-grass). The procedures differ in the way how to prepare samples and the analysis itself is based on conversion of NDMH to N,N-dimethylhydrazone-4-nitrobenzaldehyde, its liquid extraction from water, concentration of the extract via evaporation and assay by the internal standard test.

The paper presents the results of examining the snow cover polluted with heavy metals in the large industrial town of Ufa. The level of man-caused burden on the snow cover of the conventional parts of the town was estimated and compared upon exposure to a wide range of snow cover pollutants. The priority snow cover pollutants were identified among the test heavy metals.

The paper considers the basic approaches to regulating the economic activity of radioactive waste-recycling enterprises. The purposes, principles, forms, and methods for economic regulation are defined. Two ways of solving this problem are given: 1) state regulation of tariffs for basic kinds of work (operations associated with RW recycling); 2) setting standards for the basic expenditures arising in specialized organizations during RW recycling. Elaboration of a federal law on economic regulation of RW recycling is the basis of the economic regulation system.

The authors consider the organization of a system for monitoring of ambient air pollution by suspended matter (by fractions of less than 10 microm and less than 2.5 microm) as one of the most urgent tasks in the harmonization of the Russian and western methods for assessing the quality of the environment. The frame plan for organization of ambient air suspended matter monitoring in the countries of Eastern Europe, Caucasia, and Central Asia, proposed by the WHO European Regional Office provides basic guidelines for this system and may be adapted to Russian conditions, as evidenced by the author's experience. The paper summarizes the basic results of the studies that have established the association of respiratory disease in junior schoolchildren with exposure to PM10 and PM2.5.

The paper summarizes the results of implementation of the sociohygienic monitoring system in the Sverdlovsk Region, the stages of the populational and individual diagnosis, by using a risk-assessing methodology and current environmental and epidemiological studies. Sociohygienic monitoring allowed the priorities to be determined in health maintenance and promotion in the population of this region. The accumulated experience illustrated by some examples that have been earlier published in detail supports the need for a relationship of the above guidelines within the sociohygienic monitoring system, for the development of mechanisms responsible for risk management and further improvement of surveillance of the sanitary and epidemiological situation.

The present paper aims to map As and Zn contamination and assess the risk for agricultural soils in a wider disposal site containing wastes derived from coal beneficiation. Geochemical data related to environmental studies show that the waste characteristics favor solubilisation and mobilization of inorganic contaminants and in some cases the generation of acidic leachates. 135 soil samples were collected from a 34 km(2) area and analysed by using geostatistics under the maximum entropy principle in order to produce risk assessment maps and estimate the probability of soil contamination. In addition, the present paper discusses the main issues related to risk assessment in wider mining and waste disposal sites in order to assist decision makers in selecting feasible rehabilitation schemes.

The paper describes a case of contamination of sewage samples by a wild poliovirus type 1 strain (Mahoney) in one of the virological laboratories of the Russian Federation. It discusses the possible sources and the mechanism of contamination, as well as the problems in the implementation of the program for safe laboratory containments of wild-type polioviruses.

The paper analyzes the results of isolation of Newcastle disease virus (NDV) strains from 336 swaps of 31 wild bird species collected in the 2001 summer in the Volga estuary (Astrakhan Region). Twenty-seven NDV strains were isolated from little terns (Sterna albifrons) (n=11; infection rate, 24.4%), great cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo) (n=6; 11.1%), coots (Fulica atra) (n=8; 6.5%), sandwich terns (Sterna sandvicensis) (n=1; 100%), and common redshanks (Tringa totanus) (n=1; 50.0%). Four strains were sequenced by the 374 n. a. residue fragment from the beginning of the F gene, one of them was by the full F gene, and another (Stemal/Astrakhan/2755/2001) was by the full genome. Nucleotide sequences have allowed the authors to classify corresponding NDV strains as 5b genotype and the analysis of the amino acid sequence of the F-protein cleavage site has shown them to belong to a non-pathogenic group.

The paper deals with the evaluation of current trends in the application of pesticides and in the detection of their residues in the environmental objects of the Kursk Region. A reduction in the rate of use of pesticides and changes in their structure and range has been established. The amount of organic chlorides and organic phosphates has been decreased while the use of carbamates, heterocyclic compounds, pyrethroids, the derivatives of azoles, avermectins, meonicotinoids, and the derivatives of aryloxyphenoxypropionic acids increased. The degree of environmental danger of the applied pesticides to human health has decreased by 11.2 times in the past 18 years.

This paper summarizes medical experience during the six NASA-Mir flights from March 14, 1995, to June 4, 1998. There were 7 U.S. astronauts who were part of 6 Mir space crews and worked jointly with 12 Russian cosmonauts. Advances in space medicine have created a safer environment; however, experience shows that crewmembers experience traumatic injuries and illnesses of diverse etiologies during spaceflight. During these joint flights both Russian and U.S. medical kits were available to crewmembers who could access either medical kit as appropriate. The Russian medical team had primary responsibility for monitoring and care of all crewmembers and analyzing medical results. When medical incidents occurred, the appropriate Russian or U.S. medical team determined the plan for diagnosis and treatment. Each team kept the other informed regarding medical situations during the flights and strictly observed the principles of medical confidentiality. A summary of medical incidents by programmatic element is described as experienced by the crewmembers and the ground support medical teams. The most frequent medical cases were small traumatic injuries to the skin and mucous membranes and fluctuations in the cardiovascular system, manifesting primarily in the form of cardiac dysrhythmias. The ability to use both the Russian medical aids and the U.S. medical kit significantly increased the effectiveness and reliability of therapeutic and prophylactic care. The degree of medical care and cooperation established precedents for integrating these systems for the medical support of expeditions on the International Space Station.

The paper considers unfavorable consequences of the use of biotesting to define the conditions of effluent discharge into water objects. Evaluation of discharge hazard by the index "no toxicity" in the biological tests has been shown to allow both safe 100-1000-fold excesses of hygienic MAC in water; routine short-term experiments on biotest objects are not informative as to the substances that have carcinogenic and other long-term and specific effects; biotesting cannot replace the existing state system of sanitary standards and regulations which remain the basis of the population's health care in the field of water hygiene and sanitary protection of water reservoirs.

Infection is the main cause of severe complications and death in oncologic patients. The paper presents the results of a 3-year (2002-2004) local (regional) microbiological monitoring of hospital infections that complicated the main disease in patients of a regional oncologic hospital (Moscow region). The 3-year monitoring revealed the leading microorganisms being the etiological agents of the hospital infections. The dynamics of the resistance of the main hospital microflora to the antibiotics used in the hospital within the above mentioned period was studied. The results served as the basis for recommendations on optimization of the antibacterial therapy of oncologic patients with infectious complications under conditions of a regional oncologic hospital.

The paper presents the results of a sanitary-and-parasitological assessment of non-centralized water supply sources (shaft and pipe wells, spring cappings) for the population. It has been shown that the water of the wells contains helminthic eggs, the proportion of positive tests varies and depends on the improvement of a water source, on the presence of a sanitary zone, etc. The water on non-centralized water supply presents a risk for infection with intestinal parasitic diseases.

The paper presents new methodological approaches to gaseous mercury monitoring whose key link is to record the territorial background level of air pollution, which is calculated by using the frequency distribution diagrams of single measurements for uniform objects within an area by comparing them with logarithmically normal random distribution. The methodological approach has been used during surveys of schools and preschool children establishments in Moscow, Kaluga, and the Kaluga Region.

The paper provides a comprehensive hygienic assessment of the levels of the essential and toxic trace elements chosen in terms of regional features in drinking water and foodstuffs of locally manufactured products. Priority pollutants of drinking water and foodstuffs are defined in the eastern, western, and central lands of the Orenburg Region. A significant imbalance of essential trace elements was revealed. Daily oral intake of priority and toxic trace elements were calculated in foodstuffs and drinking water.

This paper discusses some of the difficulties in establishing the location of the Arctic treeline and forest line on a circumpolar basis, and the contribution that remote sensing, particularly from spaceborne platforms, can make in resolving them. Spaceborne techniques can provide spatial resolutions as fine as a few meters, although the requirements for regional or global coverage are likely to limit the resolution to 30 to 100 m. Since this will preclude the identification of individual trees, the definition of the treeline will be based on statistical parameters estimated from satellite images. The optimum criteria for these parameters remain to be determined. Most remote-sensing observations that are suited to the measurement of the distribution of vegetation, and identification of its type, are based on the visible and near-infrared (VIR) parts of the electromagnetic spectrum, although there is increasing interest in the use of active microwave (radar) techniques. We discuss the basis of both types of approach and the techniques that follow from them, and present 3 case studies from the Russian Arctic.

The paper provides measurements of asbestos fiber levels in water sources from the area of the Bazhenovskoye chrysotile asbestos deposit. All study water samples contained asbestos fibers at concentrations one to three orders below the values standardized in the USA (7 x 10(6) fibers/liter). All the identified fibers belonged to chrysotile asbestos and no amphibole asbestos, such as tremolite asbestos, has been identified. The anthropogenic load of asbestos fibers in Asbest City's environment is increasing in the volume of 5.770 x 10(14) fibers/liter or 10.2 kg of chrysotile asbestos. The authors consider it advisable to continue studies to measure asbestos levels in the water sources in the areas located in the vicinity of other Russian asbestos deposits.

The paper analyzes the parameters of epidemiological surveillance of nosocomial pyoseptic infections (NPSI) at surgical hospitals. It considers its basic concepts and presents the authors own findings. Particular emphasis is laid on guidelines for detecting NPSI cases and on epidemiological surveillance. A method of a follow-up is proposed to solve problems in the informational and analytical support of surveillance.

Since 1988, the Russian Federation has required that laws, plans, programs and all kind of projects undergo an environmental assessment. A mandatory component of the EIA in Russia is public participation. In this paper different case studies are used to find out to what extent public could influence environmental decision making processes from the early eighties until 2002. The cases selected include several where the public was passive or where it had limited activities, but also some where the participation was strong and projects were improved or stopped. As far as these case studies highlighted, the civil society in Russia can be described as an organized and sometimes strong factor in the approval process. The behaviour displayed by decision-makers, however, revealed at times a remarkable democratic deficit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper deals with control of the population's environment and health. It shows the leading role of public health services in this activity. A standard approach to controlling environmental quality is presented. The first stage of this process is to determine the population's health status. To estimate the hazard of adverse environmental factors to human health may be a token of success in implementing health-promoting programmes.

Contamination of the environment by lead is recognised throughout the world as one of the major environmental problems. The main goal of this paper is to present objective and systematic data on this problem in Russia. Here we show that in spite of a crisis of industry, the degree of contamination of various parts of the environment in urban areas remains very high. A considerable proportion of the urban population of the country, especially children, are running the risk of a detrimental effect of lead compounds in various parts of the environment and in foodstuffs.