INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT

WATER POLLUTANT IN DZERZHINKS, RUSIA

PROGRAMME : DIPLOMA IN OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH (DOSH)

SUBJECT NAME : INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE II
SUBJECT CODE : DNOS2192

STUDENT NAME : AMIRUL FAAIZ BIN KAMARUL BAHRIN

STUDENT ID NO : 201807030011

LECTURER NAME : NURUL MAIZURA BINTI HASHIM

LEARNING CENTRE : CITY UNIVERSITY OF MALAYSIA

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NO. CONTENT PAGE
1 Cover page 1
2 Table of content 2
3 Introduction to water pollution in Dzerzhinks, Rusia 3–4
4 Chronology of water pollution in Dzerzhinks, Rusia 5
5 Effect of water pollution to the workers 6
6 Effect of the water pollution to the employers 7
7 Exposure monitoring to water pollution in Dzerzhinks, Rusia 8- 9
8 Appropriate Act/Regulation/Guidelines of Malaysia 10 - 13
9 Prevention to water pollution 14
10 Reference 15

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INTRODUCTION TO WATER POLLUTANT IN DZERZHINKS, RUSIA
Home to the Soviet Union’s principal site for chemical manufacturing including chemical
weapons Dzerzhinsk shows the scars. An estimated 300,000 tons of chemical waste were
improperly disposed of in and around the city between 1930 and 1998. Water samples taken
in the city in 2007 showed levels of dioxins and phenols that were thousands of times above
recommended levels something that led the Guinness Book of World Records to name
Dzerzhinsk as the most polluted city on the globe that year. Concentrations of toxic phenol
have led to elevated levels of diseases and cancers of the eyes, lungs and kidneys. A 2006
survey found that life expectancy in the city which has a population of 245,000 people was
47 for women and 42 for men.

Located about 400 km east of Moscow, the city has been given the title of the most polluted
city in the World. Russia has two of the world’s top ten most polluted cities, the other being,
Norilsk. But Norilsk does not come close to the chemical makeup of Dzerzhinsk.
So what has resulted from all chemical cocktail? The soils is contaminated, the river water
full of chemicals, in short, the whole environment is contaminated. It is estimated that around

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190 identified chemicals in the course of Dzerzhinsk’s history have been released into the
groundwater and when water samples were taken within the city they showed levels of
dioxins and phenol thousands of times above recommended levels.
While the average life expectancy age in the world average is about 70 and respectfully 69
years of age in Russia, in Dzerzhinsk life expectancy for men is 42 and for women 47. This is
the lowest average in the whole world and is rather close to that of life expectancy during the
Upper Paleolithic period (hunter-gather period). In addition, the death rate exceeds the city’s
birth rate by 260%. Nearly a quarter of all deaths and more than 80 percent of all illnesses are
due to the environmental factors in this paradise city.
High concentrations of toxic phenol in the air have led to residents of Dzerzhinsk suffering
from increased levels of diseases and cancers of the eyes, lungs, and kidneys. Sulfur dioxide
in the air also remains a big problem. A study published in 2013 found that 35% of those
residents living next to an industrial or mining area had experienced a chronic cough with
sputum, compared to just 18% of those residents who did not (odds ratio: 2.16). The toxic
emissions and pollutants from local industries are potentially affecting all of the local
residents.
While local officials assert that no ecological disaster is present, during the last several years,
efforts have been undertaken to close down outdated facilities and remediate contaminated
land and water there is little progress being done. A few years ago the Blacksmith Institute
(an international non-for-profit organisation dedicated to eliminating life-threatening
pollution in the developing world), in cooperation with the local government, funded the
installation of water treatment systems in two nearby villages where drinking water supplies
were heavily contaminated. However, these are microscopic initiatives relative to the efforts
needed to restore this mind-bogglingly polluted area.
Today, modern-day Dzerzhinsk is still a significant center of the Russian chemical industry.
There are currently 38 large industrial enterprises, which export their goods worldwide.
About one thousand varieties of chemical products are produced in Dzerzhinsk.
Nevertheless, there is hope. This year the Russian government is preparing to allocate 100
billion rubles ($3.3 billion dollars) to the environmental disaster in Dzerzhinsk.

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CHRONOLOGY OF WATER POLLUTANT IN DZERZHINKS, RUSIA
To understand how Dzerzhinsk came to be one has to comprehend its history. Throughout the
Soviet period, Dzershinsk was one of Russia’s most significant sites for chemical
manufacturing, including chemical and biological weapons. Production of various chemical
weapons started in the 1940s, particularly with the manufacturing of Lewisite – the poisonous
effects of which are allotted to its arsenic trioxide content yperite (mustard gas). In addition
to arsenic-based weapons production, prussic acid and phosgene were also produced. Now
while chemical weapons production at Dzerzhinsk ceased in 1965, the city due to its strategic
significance and pollution was until recently officially closed to foreign visitors.

During the glory years of Dzerzhinsk, between 1930 and 1998, about 300,000 tons of
chemical wastes were indecorously deposited in and around the surrounding areas. These
sites include landfills, toxic waste burial grounds, and a so-called “white sea”, composed of
disposed chemical wastes. The worrisome thing to note here is that the city only has around
245,000 inhabitants.

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EFFECT OF WATER POLLUTANT IN DZERZHINKS, RUSIA TO WORKERS
Water pollution is a serious problem in Russia, and 75% of surface water, and 50% of all
water in Russia is now polluted. This has caused health issues in many cities as well as in the
countryside, as only 8% of wastewater is fully treated before being returned to waterways.
Obsolete and inefficient water treatment facilities, as well as a lack of funding, have caused
heavy pollution, and has also resulted in waterborne disease spread, such as an outbreak
of cholera spread
As we know the effects of phenols on human animals and the environment. Waste that is so
harmful to all living things is affecting the habitat as well as eradicating the habitat
population in an area. Phenols that respond to human health cause workers to be unable to
work especially for fishermen. Fishermen's work cannot be done because the water has been
contaminated and the habitat in the water has also become polluted making it dangerous for
humans or other animals to eat. The effect of phenol on humans is,

Phenol (C6H6O or C6H5OH) is a colorless to light-pink, crystalline solid with a sweet, acrid
odor. Exposure to phenol may cause irritation to the skin, eyes, nose, throat, and nervous
system. Some symptoms of exposure to phenol are weight loss, weakness, exhaustion, muscle
aches, and pain. Severe exposure can cause liver and/or kidney damage, skin burns, tremor,
convulsions, and twitching. Workers may be harmed from exposure to phenol. The level of
harm depends upon the dose, duration, and work being done.

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EFFECT OF WATER POLLUTANT IN DZERZHINKS, RUSIA TO EMPLOYERS
Nearly every activity leaves behind some kind of waste in the environment. Households
create ordinary garbage. Cars, trucks, and buses emit exhaust gases while in operation.
Industrial and manufacturing processes create solid and hazardous waste. Some wastes
contain chemicals that are hazardous to people and the environment. Once these hazardous
chemicals are present in the environment, people can become exposed to them. Exposure
occurs when people have contact with a chemical, either directly or through another
substance contaminated with a chemical.
Workplace safety is a mutual responsibility of the employer, the management, as well as the
employees. It involves the formation and implementation of safety programs. Employee
insurance schemes and employee safety policies help cover the risk an employee might have
when working. Jobs which require the employees to travel or stay out of their city or country,
should cover the risks involved in the journey and the on-site stay. Certain jobs require the
employees to engage in life-risking work they require the employees to be part of dangerous
industrial processes. Jobs which put the safety of their employees at stake, should also
provide the employees with the safety costs.

Employers have to incur significant costs to avoid any harm caused by chemicals. In addition,
employers have to incur significant costs to provide suitable clothing for workers so that all
workers are not exposed to chemical waste. In addition, it is likely that the factory will have
to stop the operation time for cleaning and ensure the plant is operating longer. In addition,
the company will also incur significant losses due to lack of productivity when the plant is
temporarily closed.

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EXPOSURE MONITORING RELATED TO EFFECT OF WATER POLLUTANT IN
DZERZHINKS, RUSIA
A once-secret manufacturing center of the Soviet Union’s defense industry, Dzerzhinsk
(population 300,000) has hosted many chemical factories, including production facilities for
Sarin and VX nerve gas. Lead additives for gasoline, mustard gas, munitions, and other
highly-polluting products can also claim this city as their birthplace. While many of these
factories are now closed, the chemical industry still employs over a quarter of local residents.
The groundwater and soil around the city, about 250 miles east of Moscow, remain severely
polluted with phenol, arsenic, dioxins, heavy metals, and a host of other toxins. Indeed, a
dominant ecological landmark in the area is the “White Sea”, a 100-acre-wide lake of toxic
sludge discharged from nearby factories.
Clearly, Dzerzhinsk faces huge challenges in managing this legacy of toxic wastes. It holds
the ignominious title of “The Most Chemically Polluted Town” in the world. Greenpeace
claims that the average life expectancy of city residents may have shrunk to a mere 45 years.
The city’s annual death rate, 17 per 1,000 people, is much higher than Russia’s national
average of 14 per 1,000. And, according to researchers at the Nizhny Novgorod Research
Institute of Hygiene and Occupational Pathology, rates of reproductive health disturbances
affecting women and fetuses, as well as rates of respiratory and pulmonary diseases in
children, are dangerously high. In study after study, the health impacts of these chemicals
continue to dampen enthusiasm and drain resources needed for economic and social recovery
in Dzerzhinsk.
While there are many pollution-related issues that cry out for investment and remediation in
the city, water quality is of paramount importance. The Dzerzhinsk Committee of
Environmental Control, a local government agency dedicated to finding solutions for
pollution-related problems, has highlighted the degree to which the quality of drinking water
in some residential areas of the city, damaged by years of discharge of as many as 150
separate toxic chemicals, does not come close to meeting safety standards. Despite this
assessment, the city still draws its drinking water from the same aquifers abused by toxic
wastes and unused products over many years.
One area of particular concern is the residential sector of Gavrilovka (population 1,000),
about 2 miles away from a former tetraethyl lead production facility.
Environmental testing conducted in 2002 by a Russian laboratory identified elevated levels of
metals (e.g., lead, arsenic) and toxic organic compounds in the groundwater that serves as the
primary source for residents’ drinking water. Industrial wastewater discharges and solid
waste leaching were identified as primary sources of groundwater contamination.
Solution
Blacksmith Institute has launched a project to identify effective solutions for improving the
quality of drinking water in Gavrilovka and to prevent the further release of toxins from the
Volosyanikha Canal into the Oka River Basin. Supervision and implementation of this
project will be through the Dzerzhinsk Committee of Environmental Control.

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During 2004, several options to improve drinking water quality will be evaluated by the
committee. For example, in Gavrilovka, the construction of a six-mile-long extension of a
successful drinking water distribution system located in a nearby town will be considered. In
addition to review of existing data on water pollution and regular, updated testing of water
quality using internationally accepted protocols, the committee will develop and publish
specific plans of action to address water quality issues at each site.
Implementation Strategy
The Dzerzhinsk Committee of Environmental Control led work of project team.
Testing was conducted by the following laboratories
Laboratory of Environmental Monitoring, Dzerzhinsk Branch, Russian State
Hydrometeorological Committee
Volgageologia’s laboratory
 Laboratory of the Sanitary-Epidemiological Surveillance, City of Dzerzhinsk

For quality control purposes, a subset of split samples was analyzed by the State Laboratory,
Russian State Hydrometeorological Committee (City of Obninsk, Moscow region) and by the
Laboratory of Ecotoxicology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution (Moscow). These two
laboratories had participated in the Russian-American project on lead risk reduction and
demonstrated adequate reproducibility of analytical results (Ref).

In addition, for quality assurance purposes and for building capacities for environmental
monitoring in Russia, all laboratories included in the proposed project were enrolled in the
US EPA’s inter-laboratory calibration program for heavy metal analysis entitled
Environmental Lead Proficiency Accreditation Testing (ELPAT).
Results
Blacksmith Institute is working, village by village, to restore safe water to city residents. In
Spring 2005, Blacksmith completed the construction of a water filtration system in
Gavrilovka village, ensuring safe water for village residents, the local hospital, and a school.
Blacksmith has also funded the establishment of a steering committee led by a local NGO
(DRONT), in cooperation with the Nizhniy Novgorod municipal government, to begin the
design of a large-scale remediation and pollution mitigation plan for the entire affected area.

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APPROPRIATE ACT/REGULATION/GUIDELINES OF MALAYSIA TO WATER
POLLUTANT IN DZERZHINKS, RUSIA
How does OSHA regulate worker exposure to chemicals?
Worker education and training (Hazard Communication Standard)
29 CFR 1910.1200, 1915.1200, 1917.28, 1918.90, and 1926.59
OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) is designed to ensure that information about
chemical and toxic substance hazards in the workplace and associated protective measures is
disseminated to workers.
In order to ensure chemical safety in the workplace, information about the identities and
hazards of the chemicals must be available and understandable to workers. OSHA's Hazard
Communication Standard (HCS) requires the development and dissemination of such
information:
Chemical manufacturers and importers are required to evaluate the hazards of the
chemicals they produce or import, and prepare labels and safety data sheets to convey
the hazard information to their downstream customers;
All employers with hazardous chemicals in their workplaces must have labels and
safety data sheets for their exposed workers, and train them to handle the chemicals
appropriately. The training for employees must also include information on the
hazards of the chemicals in their work area and the measures to be used to protect
themselves.
Allowable airborne concentrations
Employers are required to identify and evaluate the respiratory hazard(s) in their workplaces.
Various types of Occupational Exposure Limits (OELs) have been established by a number
of organizations, and are listed on many of OSHA’s Safety and Health webpages on chemical
hazards and toxic substances. Here is an explanation of some of the different levels.
OSHA Permissible Exposure Limits (PELs).
29 CFR 1910 Subpart Z, 1915 Subpart Z, 1926 Subparts D and Z
OSHA sets enforceable permissible exposure limits (PELs) to protect workers against the
health effects of exposure to hazardous substances, including limits on the airborne
concentrations of hazardous chemicals in the air. Most OSHA PELs are 8-hour time-
weighted averages (TWA), although there are also Ceiling and Peak limits, and many
chemicals include a skin designation to warn against skin contact. Approximately 500 PELs
have been established.
Most of OSHA’s PELs for General Industry are contained in 1910.1000 – Air Contaminants,
and are listed by chemical name in Tables Z-1, Z-2, and Z-3. The standards for Marine
Terminals and Longshoring both incorporate the General Industry standards (1910 Subpart
Z).

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Most of OSHA’s PELs for Shipyard Employment are contained in 1915.1000 – Toxic and
Hazardous Substances, and are listed by chemical name.
Most of OSHA’s PELs for Construction are contained in 1926.55 – Gases, Vapors, Fumes,
Dusts, and Mists, and are listed by chemical name.
However, many of these limits are outdated. Also, there are many substances for which
OSHA does not have workplace exposure limits.
To provide employers, workers, and other interested parties with a list of alternate
occupational exposure limits that may serve to better protect workers, OSHA has annotated
the existing Z-Tables with additional selected occupational exposure limits. OSHA has
chosen to present a side-by-side table with the California/OSHA PELs, the NIOSH
Recommended Exposure Limits (RELs) and the ACGIH TLVs. The tables list air
concentration limits, but do not include notations for skin injury, absorption or sensitization.
California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) Permissible
Exposure Limits (PELs).
Cal/OSHA has established an extensive list of PELs (Cal/OSHA AC-1 Table ) that are
enforced in workplaces under its jurisdiction. Cal/OSHA PELs are promulgated under
statutory requirements for risk and feasibility that are no less protective than the OSH Act.
Though not enforceable in establishments outside of Cal/OSHA’s jurisdiction, these PELs
can provide information on acceptable levels of chemicals in the workplace. Of all the states
that have OSHA-approved State Plans, California has the most extensive list of PELs.
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Recommended
Exposure Limits (RELs).
NIOSH RELs are Federal agency recommendations established according to the legislative
mandate for NIOSH to recommend standards to OSHA. RELs are recommended exposure
limits for hazardous substances in the workplace to protect worker health. In developing
RELs and other recommendations to protect worker health, NIOSH evaluates all available
medical, biological, engineering, chemical, and trade information relevant to the hazard.
NIOSH transmits its recommendations to OSHA for use in developing legally enforceable
standards. NIOSH also publishes its recommendations in publicly available sources such as
the NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards, Criteria Documents, Current Intelligence
Bulletins, Alerts, Special Hazard Reviews, Occupational Hazard Assessments, and Technical
Guidelines.
ACGIH Threshold Limit Values (TLVs) and Biological Exposure Indices (BEIs).
ACGIH is a private, not-for-profit, nongovernmental corporation. It is not a standards setting
body. ACGIH is a scientific association that develops recommendations or guidelines to
assist in the control of occupational health hazards. TLVs and BEIs are health-based values
and are not intended to be used as legal standards.
Threshold Limit Values (TLVs) refer to airborne concentrations of chemical substances and
represent conditions under which it is believed that nearly all workers may be repeatedly
exposed, day after day, over a working lifetime, without adverse effects.
Biological Exposure Indices (BEIs) are guidance values for assessing biological monitoring
results – concentrations of chemicals in biological media (e.g., blood, urine). BEIs represent

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the levels of determinants that are most likely to be observed in specimens collected from
healthy workers who have been exposed to chemicals in the same extent as workers with
inhalation exposure at the TLV.
Since ACGIH TLVs and BEIs are based solely on health factors, there is no consideration
given to economic or technical feasibility. ACGIH does not believe that TLVs and
BEIs should be adopted as standards without an analysis of other factors necessary to make
appropriate risk management decisions
For more information on TLVs, please go to the TLVs and BEIs Guidelines page. The
TLVs and BEIs are copyrighted by ACGIH and are reprinted on OSHA’s Annotated PELs
page with ACGIH’s permission. The TLVs can be purchased in their entirety on
the ACGIH website. Permission must be requested from ACGIH to reproduce the TLVs and
BEIs. A link for a permission request form appears on OSHA’s Annotated PELs page.
The ACGIH TLVs are widely recognized as authoritative, and are required to be included on
safety data sheets by the OSHA Hazard Communication Standard.
What other common terms are used when discussing chemical hazards or toxic substances?
Action level
An airborne level, typically one-half of the PEL designated in OSHA’s substance-specific
standards, 29 CFR 1910, Subpart Z , calculated as an eight (8)-hour time-weighted average,
which initiates certain required activities such as exposure monitoring and medical
surveillance.
Ceiling Limit
The exposure limit a worker’s exposure may never exceed.
Sampling and Analytical Error
A statistical estimate of the uncertainty associated with a given exposure measurement.
Short-Term Exposure Limit (STEL)
The average exposure to a contaminant to which a worker may be exposed during a short
time period (typically 15 – 30 minutes).
Time-Weighted Average (TWA)
The average exposure to a contaminant over a given period of time, typically 8-hours. For
examples of how a TWA is calculated, see the OSHA Technical Manual.
How do I control chemical hazards and toxic substances?
It is OSHA's long standing policy that engineering and work practice controls must be the
primary means to reduce employee exposure to toxic chemicals, where feasible. Respiratory
protection is required to be used if engineering or work practice controls are infeasible or
while engineering controls are being implemented. For more information on engineering
controls/administrative controls see the Controlling Exposures page.
What are the requirements for respirator use?

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When effective engineering controls are not feasible, or while they are being instituted,
appropriate respirators shall be used. Employers must provide appropriate respiratory
protection at no cost to workers, provide appropriate training and education regarding its use,
and ensure that workers use it properly. (See 29 CFR 1910.134 or OSHA's Respiratory
Protection Safety and Health Topics Page)
First, explore this Safety and Health Topic webpage that includes links to much of the related
information available from OSHA, in addition, near the top of this page is a list of other
Safety and Health Topic pages which address specific chemicals. Other sections contain
information or links on subjects such as laboratory safety, and Hazard Communication or
Process Safety. The OSHA Occupational Chemical Database compiles information from
several government agencies and organizations. Information available on the pages includes
chemical identification and physical properties, exposure limits, sampling information, and
additional resources.

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PREVENTION TO WATER POLLUTANT IN DZERZHINKS, RUSIA
Pollution prevention approaches can be applied to all potential and actual pollution-
generating activities, including those found in the energy, agriculture, federal, consumer
and industrial sectors. Prevention practices are essential for preserving wetlands, groundwater
sources and other critical ecosystems - areas in which we especially want to stop pollution
before it begins.
In the energy sector, pollution prevention can reduce environmental damages from extraction,
processing, transport and combustion of fuels. Pollution prevention approaches include:
Increasing efficiency in energy use;
Use of environmentally benign fuel sources.
In the agricultural sector, pollution prevention approaches include:
Reducing the use of water and chemical inputs;
Adoption of less environmentally harmful pesticides or cultivation of crop strains
with natural resistance to pests; and
Protection of sensitive areas.
In the industrial sector, examples of P2 practices include:
Modifying a production process to produce less waste
Using non-toxic or less toxic chemicals as cleaners, degreasers and other maintenance
chemicals
Implementing water and energy conservation practices
Reusing materials such as drums and pallets rather than disposing of them as waste
In homes and schools examples of P2 practices include:
Using reusable water bottles instead of throw-aways
Automatically turning off lights when not in use
Repairing leaky faucets and hoses
Switching to "green" cleaners

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REFERENCE
http://www.cbrneportal.com/dzerzhinsk-a-toxic-paradise/

https://science.time.com/2013/11/04/urban-wastelands-the-worlds-10-most-polluted-
places/slide/all/

https://pollution-galloway.weebly.com/most-polluted-places.html

https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/phenol/default.html

https://www.pureearth.org/project/gavrilovka-groundwater-pollution/

https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/hazardoustoxicsubstances/

http://wepa-db.net/3rd/en/meeting/20170926/pdf/26_3-06_Malaysia.pdf

https://www.epa.gov/p2/learn-about-pollution-prevention

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