Health risk assessment to the Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk population based on the results of atmospheric air quality monitoring

Introduction. Since 2023, atmospheric air quality monitoring has been conducted in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk as part of the implementation of the federal «Clean Air» project. Conducting a health risk assessment based on the monitoring results prior to implementing measures to reduce pollutant emissions into the atmosphere will allow assessing the impact of measures aimed at improving the quality of life for the population of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.

Materials and methods. The work utilizes the findings from atmospheric air quality monitoring conducted by the Center for Hygiene and Epidemiology in the Sakhalin Region at four stations. The list of substances to be monitored has been determined based on a combination of factors, including: consolidated calculations of atmospheric air pollution; government monitoring data; public health risk assessment based on calculations of the dispersion of pollutant emissions.

Results. The excess of hygienic standards for atmospheric air quality during the period of 2023–2025 has been identified. High concentrations of benzo(a)pyrene, carbon black and inorganic dust containing 70–20% SiO₂ are observed. However, due to the health risk assessment methodology, it is only possible to calculate and evaluate chronic risks for benzo(a)pyrene based on data from 2025. Therefore, the levels of chronic, non-carcinogenic risks for specific organs and systems decreased from acceptable to minimal levels in 2025.

Limitations. The limitation is the project-based nature of the work, which makes it difficult to conduct scientific analysis and adjust monitoring.

Conclusions. The levels of health risks identified in this study should be used as a basis for further assessment of the measures effectiveness. It is necessary to summarize and consolidate the experience gained during the implementation of activities under the federal project for the purpose of subsequent application in socio-hygienic monitoring of atmospheric air quality.

Compliance with ethical standards. The study does not require submission of the opinion of the biomedical ethics committee or other documents.

Contribution:
Isaev D.S. – research concept and design, analysis of laboratory research results, performing health risk assessment, writing the text;
Stepanyan A.A. – analysis of laboratory research results;
Kovshov A.A. – research concept and design, writing the text;
Funtusova O.A., Sukhanova A.V. – сollection of laboratory research results.
All authors are responsible for the integrity of all parts of the manuscript and approval of the manuscript final version.

Conflict of interest. The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Funding. The study had no sponsorship.

Received: April 17, 2026 / Accepted: July 1, 2026 / Published: September 28, 2026

1. Popova A.Yu., Zaitseva N.V., May I.V. Population health as a target function and criterion for assessing efficiency of activities performed within «Pure Air» Federal Project. Health Risk Analysis. 2019; (4): 4–13. https://doi.org/10.21668/health.risk/2019.4.01.eng https://elibrary.ru/ohxxbj

2. Glebova L.A., Koskina E.V., Bachina A.V. Assessment of the health risk for the population of Kuzbass industrial centers due to ambient air pollution. Health Risk Analysis. 2025; (4): 38–46. https://doi.org/10.21668/health.risk/2025.4.04.eng https://elibrary.ru/fisdxs (in Russian)

3. Kuzmin S.V., Avaliani S.L., Dodina N.S., Shashina T.A., Kislitsin V.A., Sinitsyna O.O. The practice of applying health risk assessment in the Federal Project «Clean Air» in the participating cities (Cherepovets, Lipetsk, Omsk, Novokuznetsk): problems and prospects. Gigiena i Sanitaria (Hygiene and Sanitation, Russian journal). 2021; 100(9): 890–6. https://doi.org/10.47470/0016-9900-2021-100-9-890-896 https://elibrary.ru/sybxwe (in Russian)

4. Revitch B.A., Shaposhnikov D.A., Semoutnikova E.G. Climate conditions and ambient air quality as risk factors for mortality in Moscow. Meditsina truda i promyshlennaya ekologiya. 2008; 48(7): 29–35. https://elibrary.ru/khpctl (in Russian)

5. Kuzmin S.V., Dodina N.S., Shashina T.A., Kislitsin V.A., Pinigin M.A., Budarina O.V. Тhe impact of atmospheric pollution on public health: diagnosis, assessment, and prevention. Gigiena i Sanitaria (Hygiene and Sanitation, Russian journal). 2022; 101(10): 1145–50. https://doi.org/10.47470/0016-9900-2022-101-10-1145-1150 https://elibrary.ru/eplgkr (in Russian)

6. Dyadik V.V., Dyadik N.V., Klyuchnikova E.M., Masloboev V.A., Nikanov A.N., Chashchin V.P., et al. Assessment of the Impact of Industrial Air Pollution with Microparticles on the Health of the Population of the Arctic Region (on the Example of the Murmansk Region) [Otsenka vliyaniya promyshlennogo zagryazneniya atmosfernogo vozdukha mikrochastitsami na zdorov’e naseleniya Arkticheskogo regiona na primere Murmanskoi oblasti]. Apatity; 2022. https://doi.org/10.37614/978.5.91137.472.3 https://elibrary.ru/pxbocu (in Russian)

7. Zaitseva N.V., May I.V. Ambient air quality and health risks as objective indicators to estimate effectiveness of air protection in cities included into the «Clean air» Federal Project. Health risk analysis. 2023; (1): 4–12. https://doi.org/10.21668/health.risk/2023.1.01.eng https://elibrary.ru/daavxq

8. Zaitseva N.V., May I.V., Kleyn S.V., Goryaev D.V. Methodical approaches to selecting observation points and programs for observation over ambient air quality within social and hygienic monitoring and «Pure air» Federal Project. Health Risk Analysis. 2019; (3): 4–17. https://doi.org/10.21668/health.risk/2019.3.01.eng https://elibrary.ru/jrucns

9. Roslyakov P.V., Kondratyeva O.E., Tikhonova I.O., Burvikova Yu.N. On the issue of an objective assessment of pollutant emissions reduction within the framework of the implementation of the «Clean Air» federal project. Ekologicheskii monitoring i modelirovanie ekosistem. 2025; 36(1–2): 107–25. https://doi.org/10.24412/2782-3237-2025-1-2-107-125 https://elibrary.ru/zyawog (in Russian)

10. Gurvich V.B., Kozlovskikh D.N., Vlasov I.A., Chistyakova I.V., Yarushin S.V., Kornilkov A.S., et al. Methodological approaches to optimizing ambient air quality monitoring programs within the framework of the Federal Clean Air Project (on the example of Nizhny Tagil). Zdorov’e naseleniya i sreda obitaniya – ZNiSO. 2020; (9): 38–47. https://doi.org/10.35627/2219-5238/2020-330-9-38-47 https://elibrary.ru/mgxfam (in Russian)

11. Rakitskij V.N., Kuz’min S.V., Avaliani S.L., Shashina T.A., Dodina N.S., Kislicin V.A. Health risk assessment and management: modern challenges and solutions. In: Popova A.Yu., Zaitseva N.V., eds. Health Risk Analysis – 2020, in Conjunction with the International Meeting on Environment and Health in 2020 and the Round Table on Food Safety: Proceedings of the X All-Russian Scientific and Practical Conference with International Participation. Volume 1 [Analiz riska zdorov’yu – 2020 sovmestno s mezhdunarodnoi vstrechei po okruzhayushchei srede i zdorov’yu Rise-2020 i kruglym stolom po bezopasnosti pitaniya: Materialy X Vserossiiskoi nauchno-prakticheskoi konferentsii s mezhdunarodnym uchastiem. Tom 1]. Perm’; 2020: 15–20. https://elibrary.ru/emaolq (in Russian)

12. Avaliani S.L., Shashina T.A., Dodina N.S., Kislitsin V.A., Sudakova E.V., Skovronskaya S.A., et al. Optimization of the environmental quality monitoring system for public health risk management purposes. In: Popova A.Yu., Zaitseva N.V., eds. Current Issues of Risk Analysis in Ensuring Sanitary and Epidemiological Welfare of the Population and Consumer Protection: Proceedings of the VIII All-Russian Scientific and Practical Conference with International Participation [Aktual’nye voprosy analiza riska pri obespechenii sanitarno-epidemiologicheskogo blagopoluchiya naseleniya i zashchity prav potrebitelei: Materialy VIII Vserossiiskoi nauchno-prakticheskoi konferentsii s mezhdunarodnym uchastiem]. Perm’; 2018: 199–204. https://elibrary.ru/xtaebf https://elibrary.ru/xtaebf (in Russian)

13. Isaev D.S., Kovshov A.A., Funtusova O.A., Efimov I.A., Suhanova A.V. Determination of the list of pollutants for atmospheric air quality monitoring in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. In: Fundamental and Applied Aspects of Health Risk Analysis – 2023: Proceedings of the All-Russian Scientific and Practical Internet Conference of Young Scientists and Specialists of Rospotrebnadzor with International Participation [Fundamental’nye i prikladnye aspekty analiza riska zdorov’yu naseleniya – 2023: materialy vserossiiskoi nauchno-prakticheskoi internet-konferentsii molodykh uchenykh i spetsialistov Rospotrebnadzora s mezhdunarodnym uchastiem]. Perm’; 2023: 146–51. https://elibrary.ru/guwbbc (in Russian)

14. Klein S.V., Vekovshinina S.A., Balashov S.Yu. Practical experience of using the index of comparative health hazard to substantiate the list of pollutants for monitoring. Zdorov’e naseleniya i sreda obitaniya – ZNiSO. 2024; 32(7): 16–26. https://doi.org/10.35627/2219-5238/2024-32-7-16-26 https://elibrary.ru/fbqjqd (in Russian)

15. Fedorov V.N. Methodological approaches for population health risks assessment in the framework of the implementation of the federal project «Clean air». In: Actual Issues of Hygiene and Occupational Medicine: Materials of the All-Russian Scientific and Practical Conference Dedicated to the 100th Anniversary of the Federal Budgetary Scientific Institution «SSCC for Hygiene and Public Health» under the Supervision of Rospotrebnadzor [Aktual’nye problemy gigieny i profpatologii: Materialy Vserossiiskoi nauchno-prakticheskoi konferentsii, posvyashchennoi 100-letiyu FBUN «SZNTs gigieny i obshchestvennogo zdorov’ya» Rospotrebnadzora]. St. Petersburg; 2024: 366–73. https://elibrary.ru/fmhpnu (in Russian)

16. Balashov S.Yu., Vekovshinina S.A., Klejn S.V. On the dynamics of changes in inhalation health risk to the population of Norilsk during the implementation of the federal project «Clean Air». In: Health Risk Analysis – 2024: Proceedings of the XIV All-Russian Scientific and Practical Conference with International Participation [Analiz riska zdorov’yu – 2024: Materialy XIV Vserossiiskoi nauchno-prakticheskoi konferentsii s mezhdunarodnym uchastiem]. Perm’; 2024: 127–34. https://elibrary.ru/ytevxh (in Russian)

17. May I.V., Klein S.V., Maksimova Е.V. Effectiveness of the activities of the federal project «Clean Air» by the quality of atmospheric air and risk for the health (by means of the example of the city Bratsk). Gigiena i Sanitaria (Hygiene and Sanitation, Russian journal). 2023; 102(12): 1367–74. https://doi.org/10.47470/0016-9900-2023-102-12-1367–74 https://elibrary.ru/zkowwh (in Russian)

18. Avaliani S.L., Shashina T.A., Dodina N.S., Kislicin V.A., Mityagina A.V., Pogonina T.A. Experience and prospects of applying health risk analysis in the implementation of the federal project «Clean Air» to ensure sanitary and epidemiological welfare of the population. In: Health Risk Analysis – 2020 Jointly with the International Meeting on Environment and Health RISE-2020 and the Round Table on Food Safety: Proceedings of the X All-Russian Scientific and Practical Conference with International Participation. Volume 2 [Analiz riska zdorov’yu - 2020 sovmestno s mezhdunarodnoi vstrechei po okruzhayushchei srede i zdorov’yu Rise-2020 i kruglym stolom po bezopasnosti pitaniya: Materialy X Vserossiiskoi nauchno-prakticheskoi konferentsii s mezhdunarodnym uchastiem. Tom 2]. Perm’; 2020: 231–9. https://elibrary.ru/meagxq (in Russian)

19. Karelin A.O., Lomtev A.Yu., Mozzhukhina N.A., Yeremin G.B., Nikonov V.A. Methodical problems of monitoring of fine particulate matters in atmospheric air of residential areas. Gigiena i Sanitaria (Hygiene and Sanitation, Russian journal). 2016; 95(10): 985–8. https://doi.org/10.1882/0016-9900-2016-10-985-988 https://elibrary.ru/xdmuyr (in Russian)

20. Rakitskii V.N., Stepkin Yu.I., Klepikov O.V., Kurolap S.A. Assessment of carcinogenic risk caused by the impact of the environmental factors on urban population health. Gigiena i Sanitaria (Hygiene and Sanitation, Russian journal). 2021; 100(3): 188–95. https://doi.org/10.47470/0016-9900-2021-100-3-188-195 https://elibrary.ru/ovketw (in Russian)