Environmental and Occupational Health Effects of Potassium Industry

Environmental problems associated with
the "Belaruskalij" potassium industry (Soligorsk,
Belarus) are mainly solid waste, land subsidence,
salinisation of soils, surface and underground
waters due to mining, and damages to nearby
vegetation and buildings due to air pollution from
its refinery plants.

As for occupational health of workers from the
industry, main problems are associated with dust,
vibration and noise pollution. Comparative analysis
of health of workers involved in the "Belaruskalij"
industry and workers from all collective farms in
the Soligorsk region (as a control group) was
carried out on a base of clinic data for 1984-1995.

To minimize harmful effects arising from the
industry, an integrated approach, including
economic, policy and educational measures, is
required.

Since the NSEM (National System of Environmental
Monitoring program is currently running in Belarus
(collection of ecological information during 1995-
2005), data, collected and analysed in this thesis,
are important and can be included in general data
net of the republic.

Autorentext

Having natural curiosity for discovering new things pluscreativity, it is the person in a constant internal "movement"and evolution.Background formation in different areas: math, radioecology,ecology, pedagogogy and psicology combines with personal interestto the Nature, travelling and international experience get viastudy and living abroad.

Klappentext

Environmental problems associated with the "Belaruskalij" potassium industry (Soligorsk, Belarus) are mainly solid waste, land subsidence, salinisation of soils, surface and underground waters due to mining, and damages to nearby vegetation and buildings due to air pollution from its refinery plants.As for occupational health of workers from the industry, main problems are associated with dust, vibration and noise pollution. Comparative analysis of health of workers involved in the "Belaruskalij" industry and workers from all collective farms in the Soligorsk region (as a control group) was carried out on a base of clinic data for 1984-1995.To minimize harmful effects arising from the industry, an integrated approach, including economic, policy and educational measures, is required.Since the NSEM (National System of Environmental Monitoring program is currently running in Belarus (collection of ecological information during 1995-2005), data, collected and analysed in this thesis, are important and can be included in general data net of the republic.