Sanitary and epidemiologic assessment of the soil quality in Moscow as possible public health risk factor

The article describes the results of the sanitary-epidemiological evaluation of Moscow soil quality as a possible risk factor for injury to citizens’ life and health. It presents a comparative analysis of the dynamic non-standard soil samples on the sanitary-chemical, parasitological and microbiological indicators in the Russian Federation and in Moscow. The data for the soil quality analysis in the administrative districts of Moscow are summarized. It has been demonstrated, that in the metropolis territory there is a tendency of soil quality improvement in comparison with the year 2012 (according to the sanitary-chemical parameters - by 5.64 %, microbiological - by 4.52 % and parasitological - by 0.4 %). Levels of soil chemical and microbiological contamination in Moscow for the years 2012-2014 were higher than levels in the Russian Federation by 2.43-2.71 and 1.49-2.23 times respectively. The highest proportion of soil samples, that do not meet hygienic standards for chemical indicators in 2014, both in the Russian Federation and in Moscow, was recorded in the zones of influence of the industrial enterprises, highways (RF - 10.64 % Moscow - 17.65 %) and in the residential areas (RF - 6.53 %, Moscow - 17.63 %). More than 50 % of soil samples which do not meet hygienic standards for chemical indicators in 2014, was observed in 4 of the 10 administrative districts of Moscow Central Administrative District (CAD) - 83.3 ± 36.5 %, West AD - 94.4 ± 31.7 %, North AD - 50.0 ± 25.3 %, South AD - 88.9 ± 30.8 %. By the year 2014 the priority pollutants of urban soils in Moscow were lead, zinc, chromium, cadmium, cobalt. In two districts of Moscow the proportion of poor soil samples for bacteriological parameters exceeded 50 % in 2014: South-Eastern Administrative District (54.2 ± 29.4 %) and Eastern Administrative District (75.0 ± 30.0 %). Due to the microbiological parameters the unsatisfactory samples of soil in Moscow demonstrated the excessive indicators of coliforms and enterococci indices. The proportion of soil samples exceeding hygienic standards for parasitological indices ranged from 3.3 ± 6.5 % to 5.6 ± 7.7 % in the North AD, South AD and Central AD (non-viable helminthic eggs identified).