Māris kļaviņŠ, azamat azizov, JĀnis zaļoksnis environment, pollution, development: the case of uzbekistan

Figure 7.2. 
Oil refinery 
plant (Italy). Crude oil, 
coal processing and 
petrochemical refinery 
plants are among 
the major sources 
of environmental air 
pollution.

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7. AIR POLLUTION
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of fuel hydrocarbons, they are transformed into carcinogenic 
substances  –  polyaromatic  hydrocarbons.  According  to  the  total 
emission amount of some pollutants, motor transport has become a 
major pollution source in today’s cities.
Many production processes are characterised by the emission of 
specific pollutants. Nowadays countless very harmful substances are 
used in both industry and housekeeping, and they can enter the air 
of a work area or the atmo sphere in the form of gas, vapour, aerosols 
or dust. To protect both workers and residents, several criteria 
(limit value) have been established in order to limit the maximum 
permissible concentrations of various harmful substances in the air.
Air quality measurements for air pollution analysis are usually 
made in ambient air. However, air pollution in the human living 
environ ment – dwelling premises and workplaces – may affect the 
human health considerably more. All kinds of local sources – such 
as kitchens, stoves, furniture, polymers, painted surfaces, domestic 
animals – can cause serious indoor air pollution. Room ventilation 
also affects the air pollution level. Ventilation should be balanced 
with the need to maintain the optimum temperature in dwelling 
premises.
Pollutants quickly spread over rather long distances in the atmo-
sphere, therefore the solution to atmo spheric air pollution problem 
should be considered internationally. A specific air pollution problem 
to be addressed is air quality in residential areas and working 
environ ment. These issues relate to the fact that humans are 
increasingly faced with harmful and toxic substances both at home 
and at workplace.
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
January
February
March
Apri
l
Ma
y
June
July
August
September
Octobe
r
November
Decembe
r
Concentration, µg/m
3
 
Benzene
Ozone
Sulphur dioxide
Nitrogen oxides
9%
38%
10%
27%
11%
5%
Carbon oxide
Sulfur dioxide
Nitrogen oxides
Hydrocarbons
Solid particles
Other
Figure 7.3. 
Emissions 
of pollutants from 
stationary pollution 
sources in Uzbekistan
71%
2%
8%
13%
2%
4%
Carbon oxide
Sulfur dioxide
Nitrogen oxides
Hydrocarbons