2. ENVIRONMENTAL ChEMISTRy & TEChNOLOGy 2.1. Lectures

Chem. Listy, 102, s265–s1311 (2008) Environmental Chemistry & Technology
L05 INFLuENCE OF CLIMATE CONDITIONS
AND AIR CONTAMINATION ON VILLAGE
INhAbITANTS hEALTh
SLAVOMíRA KAŠIAROVá a and MELánIA
FESZTEROVá b
a Trenčín University of A. Dubček, Department of Public
Management, Študentská 2, 911 50 Trenčín,
b Constantine the Philosopher University, Faculty of Natural
Sciences, Department of Chemistry, Tr. A. Hlinku 1, 949 74
Nitra,
kasiarovas@azet.sk
Introduction
The understanding of health as a main component of
environment quality accrues from the Agenda 21 concerning
the right of human beings to healthy and productive life 1 . Air,
one of the components of environment, is polluted primarily
by anthropogenic factors. Generally, the countryside is considered
a healthy environment 2 . However, there are very few
studies to prove this assumption since the air monitoring is
a long-term and expensive method and therefore carried out
only on a few monitoring points 3 .
The aim of the study was to assess the state of climatic
conditions and state of air quality in relation to the rate of
diseases among the inhabitants of Královce-Krnišov village
by a simple method, based on a comparison of potential conditions
of contamination with real state of population health.
The Southern Sitno micro region is important for tourism
development and geographical conditions.
Experiment and Methods
Using the reconnaissance of the place was carried out
terrain research. Information and sources of contaminants
were observed together with the perception of problems
related to air quality and environmental health. The obtained
data were further processed by the statistical method of contingential
tables, on the basis of which the individual mutual
relations were evaluated, at the free scope degree of 1 and the
level of importance 0.01 (χ quadrate). An assessment of the
state and movement of air required the analysis of the relief
as well as sunshine input as well as the regional state and
movement of air for which GIS tools (geomedia) were used.
Contamination was interpreted from the map of the secondary
landscape structure and sources of contaminants. The
relation between movement and quality of air and environmental
health was worked out on the basis of the basic data
parametric analysis with the subsequent table synthesis and
mathematic statistics
Results and Discussion
On the territory of the Kráľovce–Krnišov village (the
Štiavnické Mountains) cold, mild warm and warm mountain
climate prevails. The average yearly temperature spans are
from 5.5 °C to 8 °C. The average cloud amount is around
62 %. The number of sunny days is around 48 a year and
s300
the number of cloudy days is around 125. The territory is
characterized by regional northern, north-west air circulation
with a low year and day amplitudes prevailing all the year
round. There are frequent temperature inversions during the
radiation weather with a depression circulation. There is also
an intensive effect of a “temperature island” with a distinctive
increase of day amplitudes supported by the effect of winds
of low intensity. negative influences on environmental health
are diseases caused by contamination from regional emissions
resulting from the type of climate and skin diseases as a
consequence of contamination of anthropogenic and natural
factors – frequent and concentrated air circulation especially
in winter time. Frequent skin diseases and flu are typical for
inversion type of weather. Respiratory diseases and diseases
related to increased stress conditions due to the amplitudes
changes, such as blood pressure disorders, stress and cardiovascular
diseases, were confirmed. The increase of the all
above diseases was statistically confirmed.
The territory of the Southern Sitno micro region is exposed
to the influence of industry confirmed by the considerable
damage of the environment by pollutants distributed in conditions
of mesoclimate. The contamination of the regional
type concerns mainly average annual nO2 and SO2 concentrations.
The contamination in the settlement is therefore of
integrated character from the following sources:
• transport related emissions – the contamination intensity
is lower in winter and spring season, no statistical
importance with any disease was shown;
• heating related emissions – at inversion type of weather
there is an increased intensity of contamination especially
during the winter season (most inhabitants use
wood for heating, some of them waste and electricity),
an influence on the occurrence of blood pressure disorders
was confirmed;
• radiation (high volume activity of radon from the geological
background, radon is considered the carcinogenic
element causing lung cancer and respiratory diseases);
• emissions from rural zone (agriculture – a smell from
the animal husbandry, excrements of animals, liquid
manure).
A demographic structure of Kráľovce – Krnišov village
population represents a regressive type, lift the biggest age
groups in the village between 20–40 and 40–60. Based on
the analysis of microclimate, mesoclimate and macroclimate,
contamination and illness rate considering the statistic importance,
the population group and factors originating from the
environment. The occurrence of health problems (Statistically
important relations illustrated in Tables I, II, III, IV)
could be specified as follow:
•
an increased occurrence of the blood pressure disorders
in the local population: people using electricity for heating,
people using electric appliances at home, women
and children, age group over 60, inhabitants suffering
from obesity, cardiovascular diseases, occupational
diseases and people living mainly on the slopes exposed