| National Environmental Policy Plan for Latvia | |
| Risks created by economic activities |
(This Web page is prepared within the framework of the BALLERINA initiative)
Different chemical substances (pesticides, mineral fertilisers, growth stimulators, dyes-stuff, stabilisers, products of destruction of monomer and polymer degradation products, etc.) enter circulation of substances as a results of economic activity. Many of them are accumulated in soil, plants and other living organisms. Continuous influence of those substances may cause disturbances of human health , increase sensitivity to different diseases, as well as degradation of ecosystems. When international trade in chemical substances and technologies is increasing, uncontrolled their use may cause negative impacts that is hard to forecast.
| Box 16. Accumulation of metals in the human body In the State enterprise ‘Latvijas keramika’, where lead compounds are emitted in environment during the work process, production processes, increased lead content was found in bodies of workers - in their blood, urine, hair. In hair, lead level exceeded the average for Jelgava population about four times, and 6 times the average for the population of Stalgene. For specific professions, the lead content in blood exceeded the norm by 1.5 to 2 times. For 38% of persons working in harmful circumstances, increased lead content in urine was found (exceeding the norm even for 10 times). Increased content of heavy metal - mangan and chrome - was found in tissue and secretion of people working in production of construction materials. This is caused by the increased penetration of chrome-containing cement dust and welding aerosols into human body from work environment. Accumulation of metals in the human body was found in regards to workers of printing, ship-yard and depots. Pathologies caused by metals accounted for 2% of professional diseases in 1992. |
In Latvia, gathering information about the risk of accumulated pollution has just started. There are no major production facilities, hewever, continuous violation of environmental and health requirements increases the risk associated with accumulated pollution.
The problems of acculumated pollution is the me most appropriate level of policy elabobation and implementation - international, national or local. Problems have been arranged in order from long-term and international to short-term and local.
Specific measures:
Assessments of the ‘harmfulness’ and ‘hazardousness’ of substances, as well as certification using internationally available information and results of studies.
Gathering information and assessment of risk sources. Recording and evaluation of hazardous objects are necessary, as well as gathering information on content of hazardous substances accumulated in human body, plants, soil, water, as well as its impact assessment.
Sanitation of polluted areas and abatemant of spread of pollution.
Other measures are more connested with health care. They are the following:
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Last updated: November 8, 1996. The information prepared by Valts Vilnitis: fuxis@varam.gov.lv
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