ИСТИНА

The study aims the assessment of environmental risk of the occurrence of space-rocket launches’ adverse effects. The results of our experimental research and summary of published data enabled calculations of the permissible levels of chemicals’ deposition on ecosystems of the Altai Mountains (acid deposition, nitrogen compounds, unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine (UDMH)), as well as the evaluation of the permissible levels of mechanical and pyrogenic violations of these ecosystems. The critical loads’ values of acidity and eutrophic action of nitrogen were calculated according to the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (UBA, 2004). Estimation of UDMH permissible loads was based on the original method proposed by the authors. It was fixed that the risk of acidifying action of nitrogen compounds on ecosystems’ components as a result of space-rocket launches is minimal; the risk of eutrophication processes is maximal. For UDMH the greatest risk from the ingress of rocket fuel is associated with the exhibition of toxic effect. Eutrophic effect from the UDMH ingress is only possible at the very high pollutant loads. Permissible levels of mechanical and pyrogenic effects were analyzed considering the probability of damage and the recovery rate of the landscapes’ impaired biotic components. The safe load was defined as the percentage of the particular ecosystem’s area which can be damaged per year. The results provided the estimation of the environmental risk of mountain ecosystems’ technogenic transformation under the impact of space-rocket launches. GIS-mapping of environmental vulnerability for one of the space-rocket launches’ impact zones in the Altai Republic was carried out. The study was funded by Russian Science Foundation (grant №14-27-00083).