THE IMPACT OF ACID PRECIPITATION ON ECOSYSTEMS AND POPULATION HEALTH IN THE ASTRAKHAN REGION

Vasiliev Igor Aleksandrovich  -  Lead Engineer, Branch of the Federal State Budgetary Institution "Center for Laboratory Analysis and Technical Measurements in the Southern Federal District" - Center for Laboratory Analysis and Technical Measurements in the Astrakhan Region, 414000, Astrakhan, Bakinskaya st., 113, igorvasiliev03@mail.ru

Morozova Larisa Aleksandrovna  -  PhD in Geographical Sciences, Associate Professor, Associate Professor of Department of Ecology, Nature Management, Land Management, and Life Safety, Astrakhan State University named after. V.N. Tatishchev, Russia, 414056, Astrakhan, st. Tatishcheva, 20a, Larisa.mor@bk.ru

The environmental development of the Astrakhan Region is largely linked to the extraction and processing of hydrocarbon resources. One of the largest economic facilities in the region, occupying a leading position among global gas chemical complexes, is the Astrakhan Gas Processing Plant, characterized by a wide range of manufactured products. The production activities of such facilities are inextricably linked to the potential threat of environmental degradation due to the emission of nitrogen and sulfur oxides into the atmosphere. This article presents the results of studies on the impact of acid precipitation on various soil types in the Volga River Delta and describes the processes occurring in aquatic ecosystems. The impact of polluted air and water on human health in the region is discussed.

Key words: acid precipitation, ecosystems, human health, Astrakhan Region, soil acidification, atmospheric pollution, soil degradation, heavy metals, sulfate aerosols, medical and environmental assessment, aquatic organisms, ion homeostasis, eutrophication