Assessment of risks caused by impacts exerted on a human body by nitrates contained in food products

Food products contamination with xenobiotics of various genesis exerts negative influence on population health. According to multiple research performed on various territories in Russia, nitrates are basic contaminants occurring in food products and they make a considerable contribution into higher morbidity with specific nosologic forms, notably pathologies which are primarily caused by factors related to nutrition. The paper focuses on analysis of laboratory research data on nitrates concentrations in food products; the data were collected in Altai region and they are taken from research reports issued by certified test laboratories. The authors also performed their own laboratory research at the Institute for Occupational Hygiene and Industrial Ecology of the RF Public Healthcare Ministry; it allowed to conclude that increased nitrates contents in food products were a vital issue which requires further exami-nation and research performed with high precision laboratory research techniques. We assessed hazard quotients (HQ) for nitrates occurring in vegetables and melons, individual carcinogenic risks (ICR), and population carcinogenic risks (PCR). Our hygienic assessment of nitrates concentrations in food products allowed us to reveal boundaries of risk properties variability. It is necessary to work out recommendations how to reduce exposure of Altai region population to nitrates and to give grounds for priority approaches to administrative decision-making aimed at lowering population risks caused by consumption of nitrates-contaminated food products