Armen Saghatelyan

Heavy metals pollution levels and children health risk assessment of Yerevan kindergartens soils

Children, the most vulnerable urban population group, are exceptionally sensitive to polluted environments, particularly urban soils, which can lead to adverse health effects upon exposure. In this study, the total concentrations of Ag, As, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Ti, V, and Zn were determined in 111 topsoil samples collected from kindergartens in Yerevan. The objectives of this study were to evaluate heavy metal pollution levels of kindergartens soils in Yerevan, compare with national legal and international requirements on heavy metal contents in kindergarten soil, and assess related child health risk. Multivariate geostatistical analyses suggested that the concentrations of Ag, As, Ba, Cd, Cu, Hg, Mo, Pb, and Zn observed in the kindergartens topsoil may have originated from anthropogenic sources, while Co, Cr, Fe, Mn, Ni, Ti, and V mostly come from natural sources. According to the Summary pollution index (Zc), 102 kindergartens belong to the low pollution level, 7 to the moderate and only 2 to the high level of pollution. Summary concentration index (SCI) showed that 109 kindergartens were in the allowable level, while 2 featured in the low level of pollution. The health risk assessment showed that in all kindergartens except for seven, non-carcinogenic risk for children was detected (HI>1), while carcinogenic risk from arsenic belongs to the very low (allowable) level. Cr and multi-element carcinogenic risk (RI) exceeded the safety level (1.0E- 06) in all kindergartens and showed that the potential of developing cancer, albeit small, does exist. Therefore, citys kindergartens require necessary remedial actions to eliminate or reduce soil pollution and heavy metal-induced health risks.

Heavy metals in urban dust: contamination and health risk assessment: a case study from Gyumri, Armenia

Cities damaged by devastating earthquakes are exposed to dust pollution during a long-term period of reconstruction and liquidation of calamity-caused consequences. For the first time after a catastrophic earthquake of December 1988, a complex research of atmospheric dust was initiated for city of Gyumri. The research goal was revealing peculiarities of spatial distribution of dust and associated heavy metals and assessing health risk to local population. Measurements of dust content in near-surface atmospheric air and dust load levels were done on 25–31 August 2013. Dust content was assessed with application of a portable aspirator АВА-1-120-02А. A dust load level assessment was done using tree leaves as the best natural dust filters. A negative correlation was established between dust load and dust content which is seen in spatial distribution of dust load levels and dust contents. The following six out of seven studied heavy metals were detected in dust: Pb, Zn, Cu, Cr, Ni, and Mo, except Cd. Mean concentrations of all the detected metals exceeded geochemical background by 1.1–5.0 times. The level of summary pollution of dust was low on the entire area of the city; priority pollutants were Cr and Zn. A summary load of heavy metals varied widely. The highest values were detected along major motorways. The maximal share in the summary load of heavy metals belonged to Zn and Pb. Medium and high levels of carcinogenic risk were established only for Cr and Ni, respectively.

Continuous impact of mining activities on soil heavy metals levels and human health

Soils samples collected during different geochemical surveys of the city of Kajaran located near the biggest Cu-Mo mining area in Armenia were subjected to the multivariate geostatistical analysis and geochemical mapping in order to reveal soil heavy metals spatial distribution pattern and assess human health risk level under continuous impact of mining activities. In addition, human health risk assessment was done for the contents of Pb, Cu, Zn, Co, Mo, Mn, Ti, and Fe. The results of Principal Component Analysis and Cluster Analysis verify each other and were also complemented by the spatial distribution features of studied heavy metals indicating that two groups of elements have been generated. The first anthropogenically predominated group includes the main industrial elements Mo and Cu, and their accessories Pb and Zn while Ti, Mn, Fe and Co with the naturally predominant contents were observed in the second group. Moreover, the study reveals that the superposition of geogenic and anthropogenic components lead to the alteration of the shapes of areas with the high natural contents of heavy metals and formation of polluted areas with the intensive anomalies of elements. Health risk assessment showed that Mo was the only studied element which poses a non-carcinogenic risk to adult and childrens health in some sampling sites during the whole period of investigations. Moreover, in all studied locations multi-elemental non-carcinogenic risk to children health from all studied heavy metals were detected. Special attention was given to the soils of kindergarten territories, and the results indicated that Hazard Index in kindergartens was >1 indicating an adverse health effect to children. The results obtained can serve as a basis for the development and implementation of risks reduction measures and systematic monitoring program planning.

Assessing the Hydrochemical Conditions of the Tartar River

The paper gives the results of hydrochemical studies of the Tartar R.—the largest river in Nagornyi Karabakh Republic (NKR). Water quality was assessed with respect to the ecological standards of the Republic of Armenia in terms of major physicochemical characteristics and the concentrations of seven heavy metals. Water quality in the upper reaches of the Tartar R. was referred to the fifth class (poor quality), which is due to the effect of the dumps of the Sotck Gold Deposit and the pollution by agricultural, livestock, and municipal wastewaters. In the lower reaches of the Tartar R., the processes of dilution and self-purification neutralize the adverse effect of pollution sources on water quality, resulting in the improvement of water quality to the class not lower than medium, which is enough for the normal functioning of aquatic ecosystems, fishery, and irrigation. Thus, the Sarang Reservoir, which regulates the Tartar R. runoff, receives good-quality water.

Control system for ecological modernization of enterprises (on the example of the Republic of Armenia)

Статья посвящена системе управления динамикой экологической модернизации предприятий, разработанной с использованием методов имитационного моделирования и реализованной на примере Республики Армения (РА). Система предназначена для обеспечения поддержки принятия стратегических решений по модернизации предприятий РА с целью их трансформации из исходного неэкологического состояния в направлении экологически чистого (малоотходного) производства. Особенностью разработанного программного комплекса является, прежде всего, оригинальная агентная модель, описывающая динамику эколого-экономической системы, реализованная с использованием платформы AnyLogic. Данная модель интегрирована с многомерным информационным хранилищем, генетическим оптимизационным алгоритмом (модифицированным для задачи бикритериальной оптимизации эколого-экономической системы), подсистемой визуализации результатов моделирования (графики, карты Google Maps) и другими программными модулями, спроектированными с использованием технологий Java. Впервые сформулирована и решена бикритериальная оптимизационная задача эколого-экономической системы, функционалами которой являются минимизируемый интегрированный (накопленный) объем совокупных выбросов вредных веществ в атмосферу и максимизируемый интегрированный (усредненный) индекс физического объема выпуска (популяции предприятий). При этом значения целевых функционалов вычисляются с помощью разработанной имитационной модели как результат деятельности всей популяции агентов-предприятий, с учетом их внутреннего взаимодействия. Для исследования были отобраны 270 предприятий РА, являющихся основными стационарными источниками выбросов вредных веществ. В модели имеется обобщенный агент-потребитель, а также агент-государство, реализующий экологическое регулирование через механизмы штрафов, субсидий и ставок платежей за выбросы. Ядром модели является разработанный алгоритм поведения каждого агента-предприятия, обеспечивающий механизм перехода агента из исходного неэкологического состояния к другим возможным состояниям. При этом управление эволюционной динамикой агентов осуществляется с использованием предложенного генетического алгоритма. В результате разработанная система позволяет осуществлять поиск оптимальных по Парето решений для бикритериальной оптимизационной задачи рассматриваемой эколого-экономической системы агентного типа.

Medical Geology in Russia and the NIS

Systematic and regular epidemiological studies on endemic diseases and the natural environment in Russia and NIS are scarce and sporadic. However, there have been some studies of the links between health of the population and the geological background. Information on fluorine, iodine, arsenic, selenium, and other elements’ behavior in natural environment and their effect on human health is presented in this chapter and is the first attempt to synthesize the interdisciplinary knowledge on some geological factors which affect human health in Russia and NIS. Also anthropogenic factors are mentioned, however, of geological origin.