Life expectancy is ten years less than the average in Russia, while life expectancy in Russia is already low enough, about 60 years.
The emissions provoke the diseases of lungs, of respiratory and digestive systems, and can cause cancer. There are many cases of allergies, asthma, diseases of the cardiovascular system, blood disorders, skin problems or mental disorder.
Following some independent studies, the risqué of cancer in Norilsk is two times greater than in the rest of the country.
Anna Vasilievna Bigus, 88, spent ten years of her youth in the Gulag. Separated from her family, she was sent at the age of 19 above the polar circle from her native village in the western part of Ukraine. “The only joy we could have in Gulag was singing. We sang a lot. And this gave us forces to survive…” she said. Her daughter became teacher of music and her grandchildren sing in opera and play in a rock group. Vasilievna died on 30 October 2012.
During a two-month period in the winter, the sun doesn’t rise above the horizon in Norilsk, Russia. This polar night, when the body is deprived of melatonin-giving light, can lead to a loss of deep sleep, irritation, fatigue and even depression. Most apartments in Norilsk are equipped with UV lamps to simulate natural light.
5. Sulfur dioxide is a principal source of acid rains in the area. They cause serious damage on the wildlife, vegetation, water of the region. Almost 100 000 ha of the fragile forest of tundra near the city is dead or is under the danger.
The concentration of heavy metals in the earth is so high that it is forbidden to collect mushrooms and berries in the radius of 30 km around the city.
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