INTEGRAL ESTIMATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY IN ULYANOVSK REGION

The study involves typification of Ulyanovsk region areas based on the environmental quality grades and the degree of ecological and hygienic welfare, reflected in some partial and integral criteria, or in other words, rating of the environmental quality of municipal districts and urban settlements of Ulyanovsk region. The original base of ecological and hygienic data for determination of the degree of ecological and hygienic welfare of the environment of various districts of the region is represented for the 11-year period from 2001 to 2011 by the following indicators: the number of pollution agents in the atmosphere, potable water and soil of settlement zones. Integral estimation of the environmental quality was performed using calculation; it summarizes data on individual components of the environment. The condition of deposit environments, such as atmospheric air, potable water and soil, was considered as environmental indicators for assessment. The development of methodological approach of integral estimation of the environmental quality helped to range Ulyanovsk region areas according to the degree of ecological and hygienic welfare, as well as to identify quality grades of the deposit environments. The "critical" grade of the deposit environments quality and the increased degree of ecological and hygienic ill-being was found in 10 areas: Novoulyanovsk, Ulyanovsk, Dimitrovgrad, as well as Ulyanovskiy, Pavlovskiy, Sengileevskiy, Novospasskiy, Melekesskiy, Bazarnosyzganskiy and Nikolaevskiy districts.  The "stressed" quality of the deposit environments and the moderate degree of ecological and hygienic ill-being was observed in Staromaynskiy, Tsilninskiy, Starokulatkinskiy, Mainskiy, Cherdaklinskiy, Inzenskiy, and Kuzovatovskiy districts. Territories where the environmental quality values ​​are above the average regional level are characterized as "of relatively satisfactory" environmental quality areas. These territories have certain environmental problems requiring local solutions. Among them are Baryshskiy, Veshkaymskiy, Karsunskiy, Novomalyklinskiy, Radischevskiy, Surskiy, Terengulskiy districts. Such typification of areas including characteristics of their specific environmental problems will help to identify the key areas for improvement of the environmental situation in the districts of the region and will serve as the basis for determination of relationship between the environment and the population health of the specific region.