ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES OF IMPACTS OF INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION ON ATMOSPHERE
The present work is devoted to the economic assessment of damage to population health from industrial air pollution. Assessment of the dynamics of air pollutant emission in terms of volume and structure revealed a tendency towards an increase in the negative impact of industrial production activities in the Novgorod Region on the environment. The most environment-endangering production branches were detected, including chemical industry, production of non-metallic mineral items, wood processing, and fuel and energy industry. Regression analysis yielded a direct linear relationship between the air pollution level and the incidence of respiratory diseases in children and adults. According to the algorithm suggested by the authors, economic damages resulting from industrial air pollution-caused morbidity could be estimated using the «illness costs» method (healthcare delivery costs, the incapacity compensation, the decrease in gross regional product (GRP)), while taking account of the influence of environmental factors on the morbidity level. The results obtained indicated that the Region’s economy suffered significant losses: economic damages associated with the population morbidity amounted to 407,7 million roubles per annum. It is advisable to take into account the magnitude of economic damage to population health when determining priority environmental problems and lines of environmental activity, as well as in the gross regional product (GRP).