Principles of Evaluation of the Space Rocket Activity Influence on Health of the Population Living Close to the Regions of the Fall of Carrier Rocket Parts
Meshkov N.A.
Brief summary
There are two major negative consequences of space rocket use: pollution caused by
jettisoning stages of carrier rockets and by components of rocket propellant, including
unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine (UDMH); a number of Russian regions are thus polluted
(Arkhangelsk region, the Altai Republic, the Khakasia Republic, the Altai Krai). When stages of
carrier rockets land, they create a so-called “fall area”. Scientific investigation conducted by the
scientists of MSU, IWEP and ASTU revealed environmental pollution by UDMH only in the
places of carrier rocket stages' fall and within a radius of 100 m from it. According to the above
mentioned research, beyond the fall area boundaries soil, vegetation, water, bed silt, snow, as
well as vegetables, fruits, berries and mushrooms are not contaminated with UDMH. It is
possible to suffer from the negative effect of UDMH only when one comes into contact with it
inside professional activity or if one touches crushed pieces of former stages of carrier rockets in
the places of their fall. The number of such people is limited as there are few who work with
UDMH and it is almost impossible to get to the places of fall. And at the same time during the
last decade there have been a number of studies which asserted that the population of the villages
close to fall areas suffered from diseases that could be caused only by UDMH (P.I. Sidorov, S.L.
Sovershaeva, N.V. Skrebtsova, Y.N. Shoikhet, I.B. Kolyado, G.Y. Yevlashevski et al.), while the
influence of other risk factors was not taken into consideration. Therefore we have elaborated
guidelines which unify methodical approaches to examination of population living close to fall
areas and to evaluation of the influence of environmental factors on health. Scientific
investigation, carried out in accordance with these guidelines in the Altai Republic, close to the
western border of the fall area number 326, revealed high concentration of heavy metals in soil,
water, meat and milk. In the Khakasia Republic, close to the above mentioned fall area,
ecological situation is better. It has been found out that the total non-carcinogenic risk of the
examined adult and child population of the Altai Republic is 8,4 and 3,2 times higher,
respectively, than of the population of the Khakasia Republic. Among the population of the Altai
Republic there is also a high risk of gastrointestinal diseases (HQ=4,4) and liver diseases
(HQ=7,3). They have as well higher total carcinogenic risks – 13,1 and 4,4 times higher,
respectively. Among the examined population of the Altai Republic, both men and women, from
18 to 59 years of age, a high level of harm done by diseases of the digestive apparatus have been
revealed (ОР=4,19; χ2=4,7; р=0.05). In the Khakasia Republic - a high level of pathology of
endocrine system among people of 60 years of age and older (ОР=5,0; χ2=5,36; р=0.05). The
above mentioned diseases are caused by the factors characteristic of the region. Thereby, only
comprehensive evaluation of the space rocket activity influence on health of population living
close to the fall areas of carrier rocket stages with the use of hygienic and epidemiological
methods can make it possible to reveal risk factors which affect the development of pathology.
Key words
space rocket activity, fall areas, carrier rocket stages, the Altai Republic, the Khakasia Republic, unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine, carcinogenic risk, non-carcinogenic risk
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