The results assembled in the Environmental Health Monitoring System in
2000 represent a standard set of information that has been obtained through
a routine and stabilized system of monitoring activities, that has already
been in operation for seven years. The results are important for health
risk management and control as they assist both the national and regional
authorities and the general public in implementing an active approach to
health protection. In its complexity it represents documentation for the
objective informing of other European countries from the perspective of
environmental health policy cooperation as well as the commercial and cultural
contacts. It documents the health status of our population and the pollution
levels of the environmental components under monitoring.
Results regularly obtained from particular localities and years are the
basis for the temporal data series formation on the population health status
and health risks from environmental pollution. Only gradual quantitative
evaluation of such temporal data series can facilitate a responsible assessment
of the trends and relations of a permanent or seasonal nature, from which
can be drawn possible recommendations and measures to be taken.
The most significant findings of negative or positive nature obtained from
the monitoring of health and environment in 2000 are the following:
The mean annual concentrations of sulphur dioxide are low and continue
to decrease moderately. In all of the cities under follow-up the mean level
in 2000 represents the lowest annual average since 1991.
There persists a higher pollution of the ambient air with nitrogen oxides,
although a moderate concentration decrease did take place (the annual limit
was exceeded in Prague 5 and 8, and in Děčín) and with carbon monoxide
in the Prague agglomeration. Significant is the exposure of the urban population
to particulate matter (TSP as well as PM10) namely in Prague.
In the ambient air of Prague between the period 1994-1996 and
the year 2000 there occurred:
1. a statistically significant decrease in sulphur dioxide concentrations;
2. a less marked, nevertheless statistically significant decrease in carbon
monoxide concentrations, nitrogen dioxide, and nitrogen oxide;
3. a statistically significant increase of ozone concentrations.
Toxic metals monitored in the ambient air have not ranged in amounts exceeding
either the set or recommended limit values.
Of the total polynucleus aromatic hydrocarbons, benzo(a)pyrene is the
most serious contaminant; the exceeding of the recommended highest admissible
concentration has been registered in all the localities under monitoring.
In Ostrava, the recommended daily limit has been exceeded in almost 90
% of measuring terms; there is also the greatest carcinogenic potential
of PAHs, which exceeds twice the value found in Karviná and six times that
of either Prague, Plzeň, Ústí n/L, or Hradec Králové.
The recommended highest admissible daily concentrations of volatile organic
compounds in the ambient air have been exceeded only exceptionally. The
highest value of the sum of VOCs (TVOC) was found in Ústí n/L where the
level exceeds five times the values in the other regions under follow-up.
The reason is in particular the high level of Freon 12 in the spring months.
The mutagenic activity (tester strain YG 1041) of particulate matter
in the ambient air is increasing.
Drinking water quality in public water supply networks under follow-up
has a continuously good standard. Just as in the preceding year, the most
frequent exceeding of limit values was found in chloroform (however, the
frequency of exceeding limit values in drinking water is decreasing, in
the year 2000 it fell below 2 %) and newly also in dichlorobenzenes.
Persistently, a high frequency of not maintaining the limit values of free chlorine
in the distribution networks occurs, overchlorination having a downward trend.
Exposure to drinking water contaminants is low, in just one-digit percentages
of the acceptable daily intake (ADI). The greatest is to nitrates where
the exposure of 90 % of the population under monitoring reaches 15 % ADI.
The increase of cancer risk caused by drinking water consumption is very
small (in the individual cities 1 case a year per 1 million to 1000 million
of the population). In all the cities under monitoring together (almost
3.5 million of the population) there could have been expected less than
one additional case of tumour disease caused by drinking water from the
public water supply.
As regards food-borne diseases, a long-term trend of a significant increase
in campylobacteriosis has been observed.
In 2000, the mean chronic population exposure to organic or inorganic
substances in foodstuffs did not reach values that are linked to an unacceptable
increase of the probability of impaired health (non-carcinogenic effect).
The nitrate, cadmium, lead, and manganese burden is increasing.
The population group under risk from the view of nutrition are children
of 4-6 years of age. According to the model of recommended foodstuffs doses,
they have the greatest estimated exposure to foodstuffs contaminants. Exposure
to nitrates reached about 95 % of the acceptable daily intake (ADI), exposure
to nitrites has risen to even 130 % ADI, exposure to manganese almost to
180 % RfD.
The estimate of the trace elements supply reaches the lowest values in
the category of subjects over 60 years of age (according to the model of
recommended foodstuffs doses). The structure of food consumption in the
range of recommended foodstuffs doses mostly does not cover the recommended
supply of minerals.
The assumptions of the relative frequent occurrence of mycotoxins producers
- aflatoxins and ochratoxin A (toxigenic micromycetes) in foodstuffs are
being confirmed.
The theoretical estimate of probability of tumour diseases number increase
in the Czech population due to the annual exposure to selected chemicals
from foodstuffs amounted 76 cases in 2000. The greatest share in the increased
risk had traditionally PCBs and As. The estimate for substances with dioxin
effect (PCBs, dioxins, and dibenzofurans) is 62 cases for the Czech Republic
and the year 2000. The estimate of the number of tumour diseases in the
population group of children between 4 and 6 years of age (total about
370 000 4-6-year-old children) is 8 cases for the Czech Republic in the year 2000.
The chlorinated pesticide contents in breast milk has a decreasing trend.
The selenium content in the blood has a gradual rising trend; the iodine
content signalizes a moderate hyposaturation of the adult population.
From the monitoring of toxic chemicals in body tissues and fluids it follows
that the burdening of the Czech population with chemicals from the environment
corresponds on average to values found in the EU.
The incidence rate of tumour diseases in the Czech Republic has an increasing
trend with a significant difference between the male and female populations
to the disadvantage of males.
The incidence of allergic diseases in the population group of 17-year-old
children is 23 %. The most frequent allergy at that age is pollinosis.
A significant relation between health and socio-economic and psycho-social
indicators has been demonstrated, namely economic activity, higher educational
status, satisfactory financial situation, and being satisfied with one’s life.
Most occupational diseases occurred in coal mining (northern Moravia with
34 % of cases in the Czech Republic) and in the healthcare profession.
The most frequently reported occupational diseases were affections of the
peripheral nerves due to unilateral burdening of the extremities. The numbers
of reported cases of occupational disease have a gradually declining trend.
In the majority of localities under monitoring, no significant changes
in noise levels have occurred in the course of the past seven years.
In most of the localities the limit values set for residential areas have
been exceeded.
Over the period of the existence of the Monitoring System, exceeding of
the limit values of contaminants have been occurring, as regards certain
contaminants in the ambient air relatively frequently in especially burdened
localities (Prague, Ostrava, Karviná), and only exceptionally as regards
drinking water. In the majority of localities under monitoring, the limit
values for noise levels are exceeded regularly. From the evaluation of
population exposure to the contaminants monitored it follows that the admissible
exposure limits (for a non-carcinogenic effect) in the monitoring network
are tapped by the “average person” to a limited degree only, however, this
finding should not be overrated. Levels of quite a number of pollutants
have a rising trend, moreover, there are many chemicals in the environment
that have not yet been subjected to systematic studies. Only systematic
monitoring focused on justifiable minimization of all exposures (according
to the basic principle that exposure levels have to be kept as low as reasonably
possible) can allow the Czech Republic to reach such pollutant exposure
levels and health parameters which would be comparable with those of the
EU countries, and to create conditions for a sustainable development of
our society in the future.