Some considerations concerning multimedia-multipollutant risk assessment methodology: Use of epidemiologic data for non-cancer risk assessment in Russia

The highly industrialized small town of Verkhnyaya Pyshma tin the Urals reg ion of Russia) was chosen as the site of a multimedia-multipollutant risk a ssessment using the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency methodology. The a ssessment was based on routine environmental pollution monitoring data for ambient air, soils, drinking water, and food, and the international environ mental epidemiology literature. Using an rt priori set of the preliminary h ealth-based criteria, we selected nine pollutants for risk assessment: tota l suspended particles (TSP), sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, benzo(a)pyre ne (BaP), ammonia arsenic, copper, cadmium, and lead. We used dose-response functions derived from epidemiologic studies to assess individual and popu lation risks for TSP, SO2, NO2, As, Cd, and Pb. We assessed both cancer (fo r BaP, As, and Cd) and non-cancer (for all the chosen pollutants but BaP) r esponses, but in this paper we discuss only the assessments of noncarcinoge nic risks due to TSP, SO2, NO2, ph, and Cd as examples of how the quantitat ive estimates of health effects can be produced by using a risk function ap proach. We also schematically present a modified conceptual model of multim edia-multipollutant risk assessment taking into account the experience gain ed with this study. Kg, words: industrial pollution, population health, ris k assessment, Russia.