Hygienic assessment of the development of non-carcinogenic risk to population health in the area of air pollution during medical waste incineration

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to assess the risk of developing non-carcinogenic effects for public health due to the release of chemicals into the air from medical waste incinerators. An assessment of the public health risk observed in monitoring the growth of waste consumption is necessary to determine the likelihood of adverse effects on organs and systems. The study included the analysis and ranking of chemicals that are part of the industrial emissions of enterprises burning medical waste, emission dispersion modeling with calculation of ground concentrations and assessment of non-carcinogenic risks to public health. Analysis of noncarcinogenic health risks showed the likelihood of adverse effects on organs and systems. It has been established that the maximum levels of chronic non-carcinogenic risk during inhalation intake of pollutants from the atmospheric air (in the zone of influence of the medical waste incineration enterprise no. 1) are noted for such components such as sulfur dioxide, benzo/a/pyrene, and in the zone of influence of the medical waste incinerator no. 2 — for sulfur dioxide, benz/a/pyrene, nitrogen dioxide and suspended solids. The maximum values of the total hazard indices exceed the permissible values for the impact on the respiratory organs, cases of additional mortality, development processes, the immune system, and the hematopoietic system. These levels of risk from exposure to medical waste incinerators have been assessed as unacceptable for the public. The study confirms the need to develop practical recommendations and preventive measures to reduce the impact of chemical factors on public health.