Professor of the General Hygiene and Ecology Department Presented Her Research at a Seminar for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Project

On January 10, 2025, Professor Olena Lototska participated in a seminar for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Ukraine Water Project. The seminar, held online with the participation of Ukrainian and American scientists and donors, aimed to collaboratively design a decentralized water supply and purification system for post-war Ukraine.

Olena Lototska delivered a presentation titled “Health Risk Assessment of Nitrate Pollution of Private Wells in Rural Areas of Ternopil Region, Ukraine.” The presentation addressed nitrate contamination of groundwater in Ukraine, including in the Ternopil region, and assessed the health risks of consuming such drinking water using risk calculation methodology. Her report sparked significant interest and lively discussions among American and Ukrainian colleagues.

The seminar also featured contributions from other notable participants, including Zorina O.V., Head of the Laboratory for Surface Water Safety at O.M. Marzieiev Institute of Public Health of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine, and L.O. Bytsyura, Acting Head of the Department of Ecology and Health Protection at Western Ukrainian National University.

Zorina O.V. addressed pressing issues regarding the quality of surface, groundwater, and drinking water in Ukraine and their monitoring. She noted that studies conducted from 2021 to 2023 revealed a gradual deterioration in the water quality of the Dnipro River due to organic substance content. Contributing factors include the inadequate functioning of wastewater treatment plants and other issues, the scope of which has significantly expanded during the war.