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Larissa I. Privalova,¹ Karen E. Wilcock,² Boris A. Katsnelson,¹ Susan E. Keane,² Kathleen Cunningham,² Sergey V. Kuzmin,¹ Sergey A. Voronin,¹ Boris I. Nikonov,³ and Vladimir B. Gurvich³

¹Department of Environmental Epidemiology, the Urals Branch of the Center for Preparation and Implementation of International Projects on Technical Assistance, Yekaterinburg, Russia
²Abt Associates, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
³Federal State Institution "Sverdlovsk Regional SanEpid Center," Yekaterinburg, Russia

Abstract

The highly industrialized small town of Verkhnyaya Pyshma (in the Urals region of Russia) was chosen as the site of a multimedia-multipollutant risk assessment using the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency methodology. The assessment was based on routine environmental pollution monitoring data for ambient air, soils, drinking water, and food, and the international environmental epidemiology literature. Using an a priori set of the preliminary health-based criteria, we selected nine pollutants for risk assessment: total suspended particles (TSP) , sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, benzo(a) pyrene (BaP) , ammonia arsenic, copper, cadmium, and lead. We used dose-response functions derived from epidemiologic studies to assess individual and population risks for TSP, SO₂, NO₂, As, Cd, and Pb. We assessed both cancer (for BaP, As, and Cd) and non-cancer (for all the chosen pollutants but BaP) responses, but in this paper we discuss only the assessments of noncarcinogenic risks due to TSP, SO₂, NO₂, Pb, and Cd as examples of how the quantitative estimates of health effects can be produced by using a risk function approach. We also schematically present a modified conceptual model of multimedia-multipollutant risk assessment taking into account the experience gained with this study. Key words: industrial pollution, population health, risk assessment, Russia. Environ Health Perspect 109:7-13 (2001) . [Online 27 November 2000]

http://ehpnet1.niehs.nih.gov/docs/2001/109p7-13privalova/ abstract.html

Address correspondence to L.I. Privalova, Office 503, 3 Otdelny Lane, Yekaterinburg, Russia 620078. Telephone/fax: +7-3432-74-17-25. E-mail: LarisaP@ocsen.mplik.ru

The study was implemented within the framework of the International Project on Environmental Management in the Russian Federation (RF) and an agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the World Bank for Reconstruction and Development 3806 from 6 February 1995.

Received 9 June 2000 ; accepted 4 August 2000.