T.N. Alexeeva and Alexander V. Evseev
Department of Geography
Moscow State University
Moscow 119899 Vorobyovy Gory
RUSSIA
TEL: (095)939-37-89
FAX: (095)932-88-36
In recent decades questions regarding the ecology of cities have receivedrising attention since the strongest negative changes in the environment arereflected in the quality of persons' lives. Having learned that there is atight connection between the health of the population and individualcomponents of the ambient urban environment, it is possible to distinguish ageneral tendency of illness among the population.
We carried out ecological investigations in a number of Russian, Estonian, andUkrainian cities belonging to different natural-geographic regions: fromtundra (Norilsk), northern taiga (Apatity), coniferous-broadleafed forest(Tallinn, Pyarnu) to the steppe (Melitopol, Nikopol). The specifics of natureuse in each city are individually reflected in the status of the localecosystem and, consequently, in the status of the population's health(especially children). Each city has its own specific features of itspollution level. Research has indicated that on some days the air atmospherein Norilsk -- a major light metallurgical center -- the concentration ofsulfurous compounds is ten times higher than the Maximum Allowable Concentration (PDK)and the soil and snow cover content of copper, nickel,and cobalt is more than 10 to 100 times higher than background levels. Theincrease in levels of ambient urban pollution leads to an increasing frequencyof illness.
The composition of maps, reflecting areas of the dispersion of technogenicsubstances (including heavy metals) has great significance in geographicresearch, since they make evident those zones which are characterized by anunfavorable ecological situation. In a number of cases mistakes allowedduring planning stages have become evident, including the construction ofkindergartens and healthcare complexes in zones of ecological conflict.
Translated by Barbara Welling Hall
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