KNOWLEDGE OF GEORGIAN POPULATION TOWARDS AIR POLLUTION AND HEALTH EFFECTS OF LEAD CONTAMINATION

The goal of this study was to assess the level of knowledge about air pollution and the health effects of lead exposure among the population of Georgia. In 2019, a project entitled "Protect Environment" was conducted by the National Center for Disease Control and Public Health and the Health Research Union. The online survey was carried out using a Facebook advertisement, which included the title, body text, the banner, and a link to the questionnaire. The target population was the entire country and the language used was Georgian. We collected information on knowledge about health problems caused by polluted air, diverse environmental pollutants (such as the smoke of burning leaves, cigarette butts and smoke, effects of lead), and the effectiveness of a face mask to filter pollutants. Finally, we assessed awareness of the informational website www.air.gov.ge. The study was conducted over 3 days among 349 respondents in October 2019. Most (90.3%) of the respondents correctly answered the question related to air pollution causing different types of diseases, a similar proportion were concerned about the impact of environmental pollution and the impact of exposure to lead (76.8%). These findings indicate the importance of promoting educational websites that provide detailed information about various contaminants, as well as different preventive measures to mitigate environmental pollution. This study provides important information about the level of awareness among the Georgian population regarding air pollution and lead poisoning, research which is still very nascent. These findings should inform the development of educational campaigns to raise awareness about air pollution.