Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)

Presentation at IPEN events during INC7
Olga Speranskaya, Eco-Accord, Oleg Sergeev, Chapaevsk Medical Association, Dmitry Levashov, ECO-SPES

In respect to health impacts of POPs pollution, many cities and entire regions of Russia may be classified as hot spots. So early as in 1989, in the former USSR, some specific data were provided on health effects of chemical environmental factors, especially dioxins. In particular, the substantial growth of incidence of birth defects and spontaneous abortions was emphasised.

Inadequate attention to dioxin-related problems facilitated extensive development of dioxin-generating technologies and import of underdeveloped foreign technologies. As a result, toxic substances polluted large areas, dioxins contaminated food, water bodies and air.

In Russia, high levels of dioxin releases accompanied:

According to expert estimates, at the territory of Russia, up to 1.5-2.0 million residents of cities, where production facilities of "Khimprom" Association operated, were exposed (and still may be exposed) to dioxin impacts. It is necessary to carry out environmental epidemiological studies to assess health status of residents of these cities and implement comprehensive environmental and proactive medical programs.

Chapaevsk city is located at the bank of Chapaevka river. People call the lakes near the chemical factories in Chapaevsk dead. They don't freeze even in winter. Water, saturated with poisonous waste, flows to a dead river and then goes to the town's water supply network. The service life of local water treatment installations expired long ago.

Chapaevsk is one of the most heavily polluted towns in Russia. From the overall area of the city of 187 km2, 51% are covered by sites of industrial facilities (the majority of them belong to the military-industrial complex). Health impacts of dioxins are exaggerated by hard socio-economic situation in the city - high unemployment rate, low level of citizens' incomes, inadequate nutrition of local children (deficit of calcium, vitamin A and b -carotine in diet).

Due to contemporary situation in the country, residents of Chapaevsk can hardly afford to migrate to other cities. Parents feed their children with food products, cultivated at soils contaminated by dioxins. They drink contaminated water and suffer serious diseases due to reduced immune status. Chapaevsk has the population of 70,000, most of whom are seriously ill.

Srednevolzhskiy Chemical Plant is the key environmental polluter in Chapaevsk area (the plant started to produce herbicides in 1960-s). Four thousand workers of the plant were (and still are) under occupational dioxin exposure. Even preliminary random measurements revealed serious toxic contamination of soils at large land areas around the plant. Wastewater, sludge of plant settling tanks and drinking water in the city were found to contain high levels of dioxins.

Chapaevka river, located in close proximity to the fertiliser plant, is so heavily contaminated by dioxins, that high levels of these substances were found in fish tissues. High levels of dioxins were also found in soils at the banks of Chapaevka river. In the point of inflow of toxic water into the Volga, the toxic river is blocked by a dam but it is a merely temporary solution - the dam is not flood-protected, as a result, at a flood peak, all dioxins in water of Chapaevka river will inevitably come to the Volga.

Concentrations of dioxins in Chapaevsk tap water exceed maximal allowed concentration in several times. Dioxins are generated in the course of water chlorination, that confirms once more high risks associated with application of chlorination for water treatment.

Samples of breast milk, collected in the city maternity hospital were also found to contain substantial levels of dioxins.

General mortality levels in the city always exceeded (and still exceed) average mortality parameters for the oblast by 30-35%. In five recent years, infant mortality in the city also exceeded the oblast averages by 30-50%. Birth defects are responsible for 26-36% of causes of infant mortality in the city - the parameter exceeds the oblast averages by 70%. New-born children of Chapaevsk are characteristically low-weight, they show high incidence of development disorders and skin diseases. Ten per cent of the new-born suffer from vascular pathologies.

Dioxins are released into the environment in Chapaevsk by Srednevolzhskiy Chemical Plant. Earlier, when "Khimprom" plant operated, annual dioxin emissions reached about 740 grams - i.e. for the whole period of operation the plant emitted 20 kg of dioxins. Up to 1949, the plant produced chemical weapons, from 1963 to 1987 the plant produced hexachlorane and its derivatives. Now, the plant produces plant protection chemicals, liquid chlorine, acids, methylchlorophorm, vinyliden chloride and some other chemical products.

Dioxins were generated in Chapaevsk in the course of production of hexachlorane (the production line was decommissioned in 1987). However, other studies show that dioxins may be generated by other production processes as well - e.g. in the course of production of hexachlorobenzene, sodium pentachlorophenolate, polychlorocamphene, hexachoroethane and some other chemicals. Besides that, large quantities of dioxins are contained in on-site production waste (waste of former production of hexachlorane, methylchlorophorm and vinylidene chloride). The waste stocks represent a secondary source of environmental pollution.

The production of nitrobenzene, one of the most hazardous substances, was launched in Chapaevsk this year.

Earlier, dioxins in ambient media of Chapaevsk were assumed to be generated by hexachlorane production. However, even after decommissioning of the hexachlorane production line in 1987, inflow of "new" dioxins is still registered. After review of contemporary technologies in operation, it was found that generation of dioxins and dioxin-like compounds may accompany production of methylchlorophorm, vinylidene chloride, dichloropropionic acid, hexachloroethane, sodium pentachlorophelolate and polychlorocamphen. If we value the output of production of chlorinated substance in 1987 as 1.0, in 1989 it decreased to 0.5 and further decreased to 0.1 in 1995.

The main problem of the town is contaminated soil. The content of dioxins exceeds the Russian standard in 20 time and the European standard in 140 times. High levels of dioxins were found in soil samples in the city area (including soils, used for vegetable cultivation and other agriculture purposes). Within 2 km area around the chemical plant, where private houses with vegetable gardens and large potato fields are located, average dioxin levels reach 141.3 ng/kg. If we account for Italian standard of 10 ng/kg, we may conclude that from 5-fold to 8-fold excess of the standard is observed in almost all areas in the city.

If we analyse relative risks of different routes of human dioxin intake, at soil dioxin levels between 0.18 and 160 ng/kg, average daily human intake with soil and dust via gastric-intestine system, lungs and skin will reach 0.2-2.9 pg/kg bodyweight. This daily intake dose corresponds to cancer risks from 1 to 6 additional cancer cases per million.

Dzerzhinsk belongs to major centres of chemical industry in Russia. Population of Dzerzhinsk reaches 275 thousand residents. Similarly to Chapaevsk, in the period of the Second World War, Dzerzhinsk chemical plants produced chemical weapons, while in following decades these plants produced hexachlorane, hexachlorobenzene and many other chlorinated substances. These production processes are accompanied by releases of such highly toxic environmental pollutants as dioxins.

In the period from 1980 to 1989, "Orgsteklo" plant produced 43300 tons of PCBs, including 10500 tons of Sovol, 6400 tons of Sovtol and 26400 tons of TCB. In 1939, the aggregate production capacity of Sovtol and Sovol production lines reached 1615 tons/year, while by 1980, the capacity increased up to 2800 tons/year. Within the period of time from 1939 to 1980, overall, 58000 tons of Sovtol and Sovol were produced. Therefore, for the whole period of operation on these production installations, about 75000 tons of Sovol and Sovtol were produced.

All the above factors (large-scale production, more than one thousand different products, in particular, POPs, including PCBs) resulted in environmental contamination and affected health of residents of Dzerzhinsk, including workers of chemical facilities and their children.

According to results of studies, in Dzerzhinsk, dioxin and furan pollution is mainly associated with PCB-production sources. Soil samples, taken nearby these sources were found to contain up to 240 pg/g or up to 30 ?g/m2 (dioxin TE) PCDD/PCDF and 870 ng/g or 110 mg/m2 PCB. Overall, 7 individual PCB isomers were identified.

In 1999, within the framework of the Comprehensive Program of Environmental Monitoring of Environmental Pollution in Dzerzhinsk, studies were conducted to assess contamination of soils and snow cover. PCBs were identified in soils in the Eastern industrial zone of the city, moreover, these substances were found in soils of residential areas, located nearby chemical facilities.

PCBs were repeatedly found in water from water wells, taking water from one of the largest groundwater sources in Nizhegorodskaya Oblast. Unfortunately enough, in 7 recent years no measures were taken to prevent groundwater pollution.

Incidence of occupational disorders in Dzerzhinsk reaches 15.88 per 100 thousand residents. This indicator exceeds the Russian averages in 8 times.

According to official statistics, excess morbidity levels in Dzerzhinsk comparatively to average levels for the Russian Federation was found to reach:

Dynamics of morbidity levels of the adult population of Dzerzhinsk (18 years old and older), comparatively to nation-wide averages for the Russian Federation

Dynamics of children morbidity (0-14 years) in Dzerzhinsk, comparatively to nation-wide averages for the Russian Federation

Registered aggregate morbidity levels of children and adolescents exceeded both nation-wide averages for the Russian Federation and Nizhegorodskaya Oblast in 1.2-1.5 times.

CHELYABINSK OBLAST

Chelyabinsk Oblast belongs to the most heavily contaminated territories of Russia. In addition to radioactive contamination, the oblast leads in generation of toxic waste, emissions of toxic pollutants by fixed sources and discharges of contaminated wastewater. As at January 1, 2003, at the territory of the oblast, 1398.4 tons of PCB-containing waste were accumulated.

For the time being, the problem of storage and elimination of obsolete and banned pesticides has not been resolved. The problem emerged in early 1990-s and now it reached its critical magnitude.

In the period from 1994 to 1996, 12 thousand tons of banned and obsolete pesticides were illegally disposed off at the territory of the oblast. Overall, 114.65 tons of obsolete and banned pesticides (48 different brands) are stored now in storage facilities in 17 administrative districts.

The problem of utilisation/burial of the pesticides becomes more and more acute, because of progressive deterioration of storage facilities (due to decentralisation, inadequate control of their owners, lack of money for repair works and lack of opportunities to transport the pesticides from the oblast for liquidation).