Air pollution in Kazakhstan poses a major threat to public health. Various industrial enterprises and automobile emissions produce high levels of small particulate matter and other air pollutants. Over 60% of air pollution in cities is from vehicle emissions. Industrial and mining activities, as well as oil and gas extraction, release harmful chemicals without proper treatment. As a result, rates of respiratory illness, cancer, and mortality have increased sharply while birth rates have declined significantly. Urgent action is needed to reduce pollution and protect citizens' health and well-being.

2.  The dangerously high level of air pollution in
Kazakhstan, due to multiple sources including various
industrial enterprises and automobile emissions, is
threatening the health and well being of Kazakhstani
citizens.

3. Lead
 Мetal that is emitted into the air as small particles
(from automobile emissions, industrial emissions)
 Auto transport emits polluting substances (sulphur
dioxide, carbon dioxide) with exhausted gas which
total at over 2 million tons.
 Contribution of auto emissions to the air basin
pollution has reached more than 60% in recent years
 90% in Almaty Substance Level
 Emissions from stationary sources surveyed resulted in
2308 thousand tons of polluting substances.

4. Sources of Pollution
 A 1998-99 analysis of various economic activities
and their role in air pollution showed the following
enterprises to be at fault:
 -Industrial pollution
 -Production of Crude
 -Oil/Natural Gas
 -Manufacturing
 -Metallurgy
 -Production of Materials for Power
 -Production/Distribution of Gas, Electric Power,
and Water
 -Automobile emissions
 -Mining Activity
 -Transport and Communication
 -Radioactive/Nuclear testing

5. Industrial enterprises.
 The majority of the Kazakhstan
population resides in areas around or
near industrial centers, due to the job
opportunities offered in these areas.
 About 1/3 of these enterprises have no
sanitary zones meeting size standards.
 Besides harmful chemicals and
emissions, residents living near
industrial centers experience pollution
in the form of noise, electric magnet
fields, dust, and vibration.
 These enterprises emit dangerous
levels of carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide,
nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, and
other toxic pollutants

6. Balkhash copper
 Lake Balkhash region suffers greatly from disulphide
pollution Balkash Copper Smelter recently restarted
operation after a long period of Idleness .Copper is
produced without purification in the utilization of
disulphide.The operation also creates dust, sulphur,
and nitrogen oxide pollution.

7. Nuclear Radiation
 After effects of nuclear arms testing in the
Semipalatinsk Nuclear .Testing Range left Kazakhstan
territories as “Environmental Disaster Zones”.From
1949-1989, radioactive fall-out over the bordering
territories occupied over 300,000 km including
Pavlodar, Karagandin, and Eastern KazakhstanOblasts

8. Oil and Gas Enterprises
 Substances emitted by these industries are relatively
dense. Many are emitted without treatment.Treatment
methods are either not up to code or in some cases
simply not implemented at all. In 2002, the total gas
and oil enterprise emissions gone untreated reached
7.7% .Тhese emissions include dangerous chemicals
such as nitrogen oxides, carbondioxides, sulphur
dioxides, benzypyrene, and also suspended dust
particles.

9. Effects on Kazakhstan
 In recent years, vital statistics
have continued to deteriorate
at a rapid rate due to multiple
factors, including the high
level of air pollution.For
example, birth rates decreased
from 19.9 in 1992 to 14.9 in
1997 (down by 25.2%).
 Mortality rate increased from
8.1 in 1991 to 10.2 (up by
20.6%)

10. Health Hazards
 The incidence rates of communicable and non-
communicable diseases have increased.
 Natural population growth has dropped from 11.8% in 1992
to 4.6% in 1997 (or by 2.6 times).Deterioration of various
health factors have been mainly caused by both natural
and occupational environmental influences. Higher
morbidity rates have been linked to increasing incidences
of conditions such as respiratory disease,nervous system
and sensory organ disturbances, gastrointestinal disease,
and circulatory disease.Poor air quality has been cited as a
factor in these conditions.

11. Tuberculosis
 Among the infectious diseases, tuberculosis stands out
as a problem of special concern
 The number of deaths associated with tuberculosis is
rising annually 11.7 (per 100,000) in 1992 and 34.6 in
1996

12. Harmful Emissions
 Pollution has been found to have a
chronically damaging impact on
the health of the general
population of Kazakhstan (cancer,
respiratory diseases, damage of
organs and systems, reduction of
total resistance, and cardio-
vascular diseases)
 Health status of the populations is
negatively affected by the
unfavorable environmental
situation, emissions in general,
and technogenic hotspots.

13. What Are the Major Outdoor Air
Pollutants?
 Carbon oxides
 Nitrogen oxides (NO) and nitric acid (HNO3)
 Sulfur dioxide (SO2) and sulfuric acid (H2SO4)
 Particulates
 Ozone (O3)
 Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)

14. Several Factors Can Decrease or
Increase Outdoor Air Pollution.
 Outdoor air pollution may be decreased by
 Settling of particles due to gravity
 Rain and snow
 Salty sea spray from the ocean
 Winds
 Chemical reactions

15.  Air pollution in Kazakhstan is significant environmental
problem. Acid rain damages the environment within the
country and also affects neighboring countries. In 1992
Kazakhstan had the world's 14th highest level of industrial
carbon dioxide emissions, which totaled 297.9 million
metric tons, a per capita level of 17.48 metric tons. In 1996,
the total had dropped to 173.8 million metric tons.
Pollution from industrial and agricultural sources has also
damaged the nation's water supply. UN sources report that,
in some cases, contamination of rivers by industrial metals
is 160 to 800 times beyond acceptable levels. Pollution of
the Caspian Sea is also a problem.

16.  Kazakhstan's wildlife is in danger of extinction due to the
overall level of pollution. According to current estimates,
some areas of the nation will not be able to sustain any
form of wildlife by the year 2015. In the areas where
pollution is the most severe, 11 species of mammals and 19
species of birds and insects are already extinct. As of 2001,
15 mammal species, 15 bird species, 5 types of freshwater
fish, and 36 species of plant are listed as threatened.
Threatened species include the argali, Aral salmon, great
bustard, snow leopard, and tiger. The mongolian wild
horse has recently become extinct in the wild.

17. Primary Pollutants
Secondary Pollutants
CO2
SO2 NO NO2
Most hydrocarbons
SO3
Most suspended particles HNO3H2SO4
H2O2 O3 PANs
Most NO3− and SO42− salts
Natural
Stationary
Mobile

18. Level of Air pollution in cities.
 As a result in the residential zone of the cities various chemical combinations
of the 1st-2nd danger classes are registered, to say nothing of the combinations
of the 3rd-4th danger classes (nitrogen, sulphur, carbon oxides, and others).
Thus on the average in the cities the concentration of benzaperen – a substance
of the 1st danger class exceeds the Maximum Admissible Concentration 2.5
times, and in the city of Almaty - 307 times, and sometimes up to 33 MAC, in
Taraz - 16 MAC, in Ust-Kamenogorsk - 11 MAC. A content of specific
combinations is high. Thus in the city of Shymkent there are high maximum
one-time concentrations of phosphorus anhydrate, fluoric hydrogen, copper,
lead, and cadmium. In the cities of Ekibastuz and Pavlodar there is
benzaperen, zinc, chrome, lead, rubidium, nickel, manganese, iron, chlorine,
and mercury. In 1996 the content of lead exceeded a sanitary standard in
Zhezkazgan (1.3 MAC), Leninogorsk (1.1 MAC), Shymkent (1.5 MAC), Ust-
Kamenogorsk (1.7 MAC) that is lower in comparison with 1995. In 1995 in
Zhezkazgan there was 2.3 MAC, in Leninogorsk 3.3 MAC, Ust-Kamenogorsk 2.3
MAC, Shymkent 2.4 MAC.

19.  Our community must take steps to improve air quality,
but everyone should know the risks that climate
change poses and learn how to best protect themselves
when bad air days get worse.

20. Solutions.
 Use mass transit
 Walk or bike
 Use less polluting fuels
 Improve fuel efficiency
 Get older, polluting cars off the road
 Give large tax write- offs or rebates for buying
low-polluting, energy efficient vehicles

21. Solutions.
Outdoor Indoor
Improve energy efficiency to reduce Reduce poverty
fossil fuel use
Distribute cheap and efficient
Rely more on lower-polluting
Cook stoves or solar cookers to
natural gas
poor families in developing
Rely more on renewable energy countries
(especially solar cells, wind, and
solar-produced hydrogen)
Reduce or ban indoor
smoking
Transfer energy efficiency,
renewable energy, and pollution Develop simple and cheap tests
prevention technologies to for indoor pollutants such as
developing countries particulates, radon, and
formaldehyde

22. Solutions. IndoorSolS Air Pollution
Prevention Cleanup or Dilution
Clean ceiling tiles and line AC ducts
to prevent release of mineral fibers Use adjustable fresh air vents for
work spaces
Ban smoking or limit it to well-
ventilated areas Increase intake of outside air
Set stricter formaldehyde emissions Change air more frequently
standards for carpet, furniture, and
building materials
Circulate a building’s air through
rooftop greenhouses
Prevent radon infiltration
Use office machines in well- Use efficient venting systems
ventilated areas for wood-burning stoves
Use less polluting substitutes for
harmful cleaning agents, paints,
and other products