Environmental and hygienic assessment of ambient air pollution and pediatric population health in areas with developed oil industry

Introduction. The ecological and hygienic state of the environment plays a major role in promoting pediatric population health. The ambient air pollutants are regarded as the primary environmental factor leading to the immunity reducing, thus provoking the development of various diseases. Material and methods. The data on the concentration of general toxicity chemicals in the ambient air of towns and districts of the Republic of Bashkortostan with the developed oil industry, as well as data on the state of pediatric health between 2007 and 2016. To identify possible links between medico-demographic indicators and toxicant concentration in the ambient air the Pearson correlation coefficients (r) were calculated. Results. The Republican objects of the fuel and energy complex make the largest contribution to air pollution in the areas of their location. The gross emissions of such enterprises as Bashneft-Ufaneftekhim and Bashneft-Navoil amount to 43.69-49.77 thousand tons of pollutants per year. The presence of a number of air pollutants is detected above the standards in certain periods of time. The most commonly recorded excesses are for ammonia, suspended solids, nitrogen dioxide, and carbon monoxide. In some areas where oil-extracting and oil-refining enterprises are located, there are high rates of general morbidity of the pediatric population, congenital anomalies, and diseases of the respiratory organs in children of the first year of life. Correlation analysis showed a close positive relationship between carbon monoxide content and the overall incidence rates of child circulation (r = 0.957) and blood disease indicators in infants (r = 0.821). Respiratory diseases correlate with nitrogen dioxide emissions (r = 0.899). Conclusion. Further development of the oil extracting, petrochemical and oil refining industries should be carried out taking into account the socio-economic conditions of the population.