Scientists assessed the risk of cancer among Nizhny Novgorod residents due to polluted air.

      March 26, 2026 09:21 Society Employees of the Ecology Department of NNSU analyzed environmental monitoring data and disease statistics to assess how atmospheric pollutants affect the risk of developing oncological diseases among residents of Nizhny Novgorod. This was reported by the university's press service employee Alexey Nikonov on his Telegram channel.

      It turned out that elevated concentrations of formaldehyde, benzene, and ethylbenzene are recorded in the air of the Volga capital. These substances can lead to additional cases of oncological diseases annually.

      Thus, the impact of formaldehyde, according to scientists' estimates, is associated with about 9 cases of cancer among children and 70 among adults. Benzene can provoke about 6 cases in children and 64 in adults. Ethylbenzene accounts for about 3 cases among children and 9 among adults.

      In total, the influence of these pollutants may lead to 143 additional cases of cancer per year among the adult population and to 15 cases among children.

      Researchers also assessed individual risks. For adults, they are defined as average, while for children, they are considered low. At the same time, specialists emphasize that even such indicators require constant medical monitoring, as well as systematic efforts to reduce emissions of carcinogenic substances into the city's atmosphere.

      Earlier, experts named the main causes of mortality in the Nizhny Novgorod region.

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