Air Pollution in Kazakhstan and Its Health Risk Assessment.

Background: Air pollution in Kazakhstan is caused by many factors and poses serious threats to public health. Ambient air in the cities of Kazakhstan is polluted due to mining and processing of mineral resources, oil and gas production, gasoline and diesel fuel motor vehicles, industrial enterprises. Objective: The study aim is to assess the air pollution degree in most significant settlements of Kazakhstan and define risk levels for the population health. Ambient air monitoring was conducted in 26 cities. Air pollution severity was assessed by the analysis results and processing of air samples taken at the stationary observation posts. Health risk assessment due to chemical factors was calculated according to the approved risk assessment methodology. Findings: There is high risk of acute adverse effects risk from suspended particles, oxides and dioxides of nitrogen and sulfur in almost all of the studied cities. The most unfavorable situation is in Ust-Kamenogorsk. Also, there is the adverse chronic effects risk caused by suspended particles exposure in majority of the studied cities. Extremely high chronic effects risk as a result of heavy metals exposure was detected in Ust-Kamenogorsk, Shymkent, Almaty, Taraz and Balkhash. Unacceptable carcinogenic risk levels have been determined for professional groups and the whole population with respect to cadmium in Shymkent, Almaty, Balkhash; arsenic in Shymkent, Almaty, Balkhash; lead in Taraz; chromium - in Shymkent, Aktobe, Almaty and Balkhash. Thus, the values of the hazard quotients and indices for acute and chronic exposure in most of the studied cities of Kazakhstan exceed the permissible level equal to 1.0. Conclusion: Due to the unacceptable risk levels in the cities it is strongly recommended to conduct a detailed study of the health status of the population depending on the air pollution.

[Trends of change in demographic indices of population in the area of oil and gas deposits of the republic of Kazakhstan].

According to assured resources of hydrocarbons the Republic of Kazakhstan (RK) is among ten largest oil countries in the world, trailing only some states of the Middle East, Latin America, as well Russia and the USA. Public health state is the one of most important indices of social development, the manifestation of the economic and sanitaryhygienic welfare, as well as national defense capability and cultural potential of the state. In relation with the intensive development of oil and gas fields the problems of environmental protection and healthcare of the population in these regions occur critically. Therefore, it causes keen interest both from the side of researches and practical health care workers. Rapid development of the oil and gas industry leads to changes in a medical and demographic situation of given regions that is related both with the natural migration of the population and other migratory processes. According to data of the Ministry of Energetics and natural resources of RK, the Karachaganak oil-gas condensate deposit is considered to be the one of the largest in the world. For the next 40 years, the field is becoming the stable financial donor of the country. Currently Karachaganak field is considered to be the one of the largest investment projects in Kazakhstan. The studied oil and gas condensate field is located in the Burlin district of West Kazakhstan region, which is 140 km far from the city of Uralsk and 160 km far from the city of Orenburg. The field was discovered in 1984.