Doctoral defence: Jane Idavain "Health effects of environmental contamination in the oil shale industry region of Estonia"

On August 28th Jane Idavain will defend her "Health effects of environmental contamination in the oil shale industry region of Estonia".

Supervisors:
Professor Hans Orru, University of Tartu
Lecturer Kaja Julge, University of Tartu
Associate professor Aavo Lang, University of Tartu

Opponent:
Professor Anna Hansell, University of Leicester (United Kingdom)

Summary
Since the beginning of the 20^th century, Ida-Viru County in North-Eastern Estonia has been the main industrial area of the country, concentrating on oil shale production. Oil shale mining and processing have caused high air pollution (including particulate matter and fine particles, benzene, phenol, and formaldehyde), particularly in Kohtla-Järve, Kiviõli and Narva regions that have led to serious environmental and health problems.

Research indicated that residents of Ida-Viru County suffer more frequently from respiratory symptoms such as chronic cough and wheezing, asthma attacks, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. For example, people exposed to benzene or phenol have twice as high the risk of heart attacks. Moreover, children in the region are disproportionally affected with a higher incidence of asthma and other respiratory inflammations and symptoms–such as wheezing and nighttime dry cough–compared to Tartu and Lääne-Viru County.

Males living in the industrial areas of Ida-Viru County have shown a significantly higher rate of lung cancer than the national average. However, in recent decades, this disparity has decreased, which can be partially attributed to enhancements in environmental quality.

In addition to physical health problems, air pollution adversely affects residents' mental well-being, causing annoyance and dissatisfaction with their living environment. During the last month, 1/5 of people were annoyed by odour, and 1/3 were worried about their health. This reflects that communities in Ida-Viru County often experience unequal access to clean and healthy environments, highlighting the need for more equitable environmental and public health policies.

Public awareness and expectations of environmental quality have increased significantly in recent decades in Estonia, accompanied by a rising demand for quicker and more effective environmental and health-related interventions. Health studies focusing on specific population groups are needed, alongside better air pollution mapping in Ida-Viru County, to provide more targeted responses and enhanced air quality monitoring measures.

The long-term improvement of public health in Ida-Viru County depends on cooperation among policymakers, decision-makers, local governments, industry, scientists, healthcare providers, and the community.

You can also join the defence via Teams.