VOLGOGRAD, RUSSIA
Potentially affected people: More than 1 million
Type of pollutants: SO2, sulfates, CO, NOx, phenol, particulates, HCl, ammonia, formaldehyde, magnesium, chlorides, phosphorus, copper, zinc, fluorides, oil products, organic pollutants, benzene, benzapyrene, chlorobenzene, cadmium, hydrocarbon tetrachloride, chloroform, hexavalent chromium, formaldehyde, nickel, vinyl chloride, polyvinyl chloride dust, benzapyrene sorbed on soot
Site description: Volgograd is a large industrial city situated on the Volga River. Active industries including oil refining, chemicals manufacturing, non-ferrous and ferrous metallurgies, coupled with pollution from transportation has rendered the air and water extremely polluted. Volgograd obtains its drinking water supplies from the Volga, which needs to be treated in order to meet health standards.
Motor vehicle exhaust accounts for 38% of all emissions, and are a major cause of environmental damage. Industrial production activities result in emissions of more than 1 million tons of toxic wastes into the atmosphere, only 18% of which are recovered and neutralized. Authorized dumps and waste disposal sites occupy 5200 hectares of land. Effluent discharge into small water bodies totals 268 million m3, including 51.6 million m3 of untreated, polluted water. Seventy-three companies with 114 on-site water outlets where scientific investigations are carried out are currently being monitored, as are the Volga and Don rivers. Damaged land covers an area of 2800 hectares. According to medical statistics for 1993-1995, more than 6 thousand cases of malignant tumors were registered in Volgograd annually.
Cleanup Activity: In mid-1993, Volgograd was chosen as the test site for the initial phase of a four-year Russia Air Management Program (RAMP). Operating from 1995 to 1998, the project aimed to test new methods of air quality management techniques and policies. The results of the program were then circulated throughout the Russian Federation. The program was managed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in conjunction with the Institute for Sustainable Communities (ISC) and other Russian organizations.
The program created the Center for Environmental Training (CET), which promoted citizen participation through the education of NGOs, business and government leaders. Opening in October 1995, the CET continues to provide training to these various sectors of the Russian Federation.
“Description of ISC projects in Russia.” Institute for Sustainable Communities. (2006)
http://www.iscvt.org/programs/psrussia.html
“Volgograd Region” Kommersant: Russia’s Daily Online. (2004) March 8.
http://www.kommersant.com/page.asp?idr=422&id=-78
“Shedding light on skin cancer” Environmental health perspectives. (1994). 102 (2).
http://www.ehponline.org/docs/1994/102-2/forum.html
MAGNITOGORSK, RUSSIA
Potentially affected people: 460,000
Type of pollutants: Lead, Sulfur dioxide, Heavy metals and air pollutants
Site description: In an area where it is rumoured unusual to give birth to a healthy baby, the local hospital estimates that only 1% of all children in Magnitogorsk are in good health. Magnitogorsk, located in Western Russia, lies on the banks of the Ural River. In the 1930's one of the largest Russian iron and steel works was established here that produced steel for half the Russian tanks during WW II. At optimum capacity it can produce up to 7.5 million tons of steel. The industry used to belch out 650,000 tons of industrial wastes, including 68 toxic chemicals, and polluted some 4,000 square miles of Russia. According to a steelworker, none of the filtering devices were in working condition. The highly increased cancer rates in the city are attributed to severe pollution from dioxides and benzopyrene. According to Nezavisimaya Gazeta, only 28% of infants born in 1992 were healthy, and only 27% had healthy mothers.
Cleanup Activity: in 2004 smith Institute’s Technical Advisory Board reviewed the Magnitogorsk case. In 2005 the site was visited by smith Institute, which intends to fund health studies and plans to work with the plant to further reduce its pollution levels.
P. Green. “Breathing sulfur and eating lead: Magnitogorsk’s children need oxygen cocktails.” U.S. News & World Report. (1992) April 13.
http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1:12103833/Breathing+sulfur+and+eating+lead%7e C%7e+Magnitogorsks+children+need+ox ygen+cocktails%7eR%7e+(includes+rel ated+article%7eR%7e%7eR%7e%7eR%7e.h tml?refid=ency_botnm
smith Institute Polluted Places.
http://www.pollutedplaces.org/regio...a/magnito.shtml