Environmental health indicators

Achieving and maintaining good health and prosperity requires a clear and harmonized environment. Studying the environment to protect human health aims to determine the type of pollutants and to monitor their impact on humans. Pollutants include the chemical, physical and microbiological pollutants. It is believed that the best way of studying the interaction between the population and the environment is the method that allows selection of representative, easily measurable and routinely controlled environmental indicators and health status. The World Health Organization recommends "DPSEEA" (Driving Force, Pressure, State, Exposure, Effect and Action) system. "DPSEEA" describes a closed circuit system of interdependent factors of the environment and human health which can be defined as a cause _ effect model. Application of "DPSEEA" system to assess the influence factors of the environment on human health is defined by studying the air quality of the environment, water and sanitation, noise and health, housing, traffic accidents, chemical accidents, and radiation. The use of complex indicators by "DPSEEA" system in our country so far has been used to assess the environmental situation, but not for systematic assessment of the impact factors of the environment on human health. AIM: Aims of the research are based on determining the type of microbiological, physical and chemical hazards in the environment of Novi Sad, exposure of the population and assess the impact of identified hazards to human health, as well as determining the significance of the application of environmental factors as indicators of impacts on human health. METHODOLOGY: Identifying hazards present in the environment of the City of Novi Sad (air quality, drinking water quality, noise) in 2006 were carried out based on the statutory methodology for sampling, microbiological, physical and chemical analysis and preparation of expert opinions on the hazards present in the environment. There were sampled, analyzed and professionally studied 9936 air samples, 6474 samples of drinking water and 648 individual measurements of daily levels of noise. Determination of population-level exposure to environmental noise survey was conducted by applied poll concerning subjective population experience of noise and subjective assessment of noise impact on human health, based on 1079 valid completed questionnaires. Assessment of exposure to microbial, physical and chemical hazards from the environment and determine the impact of identified hazards from the environment on human health is determined in accordance with the "DPSEEA" methodology by using the 15 indicators. To assess the impact of air, water and noise on human health following indicators have been considered: Air_Exl, Air_El, Air_E2, Air_E3, WatSan_S2,WatSan_S3, WatSan_Exl, WatSan_Ex2, WatSan_Ex3, WatSan_Ex4, WatSan_El,WatSan_E2, WatSan_E3, Noise_El and Noise_E2. The questionnaire of the population of the subjective experience of noise and subjective assessment of noise impact on human health was conducted with the help of specially composed questionnaire, based on national surveys conducted. RESULTS: Out of the 15 indicators of "DPSEEA" system in our research 87 percents is considered accessible, 67 percents quality and 73 percents usable. Monitoring of air quality in the City of Novi Sad in 2006 indicates that average annual concentrations of sulfur dioxide (0.05). Reducing the average population exposure to suspended particles in 10 µg/m3 in the City of NoviSad, reducing the expected total number of deaths from 131 to 115, the expected number of deaths from cardiopulmonary disease (MKB 10:JOO-99 and MKB 1 0:120-25) in people aged above 30 with 42 to 37 and expected number of deaths from respiratory diseases (MKB 1 0:JOO-99) of children under five years from 0.036 to 0.03, statistically significant Cp>0.05). Increase the total suspended particles (TSP) In air of the City of Novi Sad for 10 µg/m causes the Increase rate of total mortality in 0.047 without statistical significance (p=0.29299) and increased rates of mortality from cardiopulmonary disease (MKB 10:JOO-99 and MKB 10:120-25) of people aged above 30 to 0.016, with no statistical significance . The decrease of total suspended particles (TSP) in air of the City of Novi Sad for 10 µg/m3 induced reduction of total mortality rate of 0.051 with no statistical significance (p=0.26355) and the reduction of mortality from cardiopulmonary disease (MKB 10:JOO-99 and MKB 1 0:120-25) of people aged above 30 years to 0.016 with no statistical significance (p=OA04055). By monitoring the presence of microbiological and physical-chemical hazards in treated drinking water from the water plant and water system of central water supply infrastructure and sewerage in the City of Novi Sad in 2006 showed the absence of microbiological and physical-chemical hazards in 94.50 percents (p