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Housing that kills
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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More than half of the housing in all of Ukraine poses a potential health hazard to citizens. This statement was made by Volodymyr Zagorodniy, head of the Ukrainian Federation of Healthcare Employers.
According to estimates conducted by the Federation, more than 60% of housing on the Ukrainian market is dangerous for those who live in it. Today, a modern person spends most of his time in an office or his own apartment (house). Substances contained in the air of the premises pose a serious health hazard. Vladimir Zavgorodniy noted that the most important issues for national health are nutrition and living and working conditions of the population. Most diseases can be avoided, and the risk to the health of Ukrainians can be significantly reduced by following basic preventive rules
D. Dmitruk (Director of the Social Monitoring Center) noted that at present, the issue of the health safety of their own homes is in second place for Ukrainians. As a result of a sociological survey conducted by the center, 97% of participants answered that the decisive factor when choosing housing is the price. Only 55% of respondents were concerned about the cleanliness of the area, environmentally friendly construction and finishing materials used in the construction of apartments. As can be seen from the survey, the environmental issue is not of significant importance for Ukrainians, and fades into the background. 60% of survey participants were sure that construction and finishing materials are in no way able to affect health. 90% did not see a connection between the occurrence of chronic diseases and the environmental friendliness of housing.
The most dangerous building materials for human health include asbestos, known for its carcinogenic properties that provoke cancerous tumors. Finishing materials such as chipboard, linoleum, mineral wool emit phenol and formaldehyde into the air, carcinogenic substances that cause nervous system disorders. Also dangerous to health are acetone, toluene, butanol, which are part of paints and varnishes and are very toxic to our lungs, causing central nervous system disorders.
Heavy metals are no less dangerous, for example, metal-plastic may contain increased lead content. Over time, when metal-plastic products wear out, dust is formed and gets into the air, which penetrates the human body through the lungs, such dust is especially dangerous for children, as it can cause mental disorders.
Industrial waste used to produce cement, concrete, and various dyes may contain heavy metals (nickel, cobalt, chromium, etc.), which can lead to severe allergic reactions.
Dust is a very big danger for the ecology of housing. It is strictly forbidden to use construction materials that release dust into the surrounding air when building residential premises, this was especially noted by the head of industrial housing construction of Ukraine, V. Savenko.