[Chemical substances in the Russian urban environment: hazard to human health and prospects for its prevention].

The paper deals with the situation associated with some substances, as described by the UNEP/Chemicals as priority persistent toxic, in the Russian Federation. Among them, lead was shown to head the list of them and its blood levels may be greater than the recommended allowable level of 10 micrograms/dl in almost 2 million children in different regions of the country. Exposure to mercury and cadmium is of local character, but some regions (the Irkutsk Region, Bashkiria, Vladikavkaz, V. Pyshma) showed specific changes in human health. Among persistent organic pollutants (POPs) there are polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) extensively used in the transformers, which present the greatest hazard. These substances were found to be of significance as a risk factor (OR = 1.7, 95% CI 0.9-1.3) for female infertility in the town of Serpukhov where PCB-containing capacitors were manufactured. Reproductive and endocrine disorders (higher incidence of abortions, infertility, late gestoses, cryptorchidism, retarded male sexual development, etc.) are common in the residents of Chapaevsk (Samara Region), one of the world's most dioxin-contaminated towns. In the female residents of this town, the highest global concentrations of dioxins were recorded in the breast milk and blood (43.3 and 24-75 pg TEQ/g fat, respectively). The ambient air in the most industrial towns of Russia was demonstrated to contain increased benz(a)pyrene, but there is very little analytical environmental and epidemiological evidence for the carcinogenic effect of these substances by taking into account of the factor of smoking. The population of many cities and towns in Russia is at risk for consumption of drinking water containing excess water disinfection products. Special preventive programs to reduce the adverse effects of the above persistent toxic agents should be elaborated and introduced.