Rospotrebnadzor Finds No Emergency Emissions
The Saratov Regional Office of Rospotrebnadzor (Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing) said it found no reports of air emissions from industrial enterprises in Saratov and Engels in January 2026. This is stated in a response to a request from 164.RU, signed by Deputy Head of the Saratov office Irina Myasnikova.
According to the agency, in connection with citizen complaints and media reports about unpleasant odors on 27 January 2026, together with the Center for Hygiene and Epidemiology in the Saratov Region, it organized a laboratory study of atmospheric air at four points in Saratov.
These are Degtyarnaya Street, 28, and Ilyinskaya Square, 1, located in Oktyabrsky District, as well as Entuziastov Avenue, 33v, and Plyakina Street, 7, in Zavodskoy District of Saratov. However, the location of the checkpoints raises questions. Two of them are located close to each other, while opposite districts of the city — Kirovsky, Volzhsky and Leninsky — were not checked in the same way.
At the indicated points, the air was checked for the presence of sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, nitrogen oxide, ammonia, hydroxybenzene, a mixture of saturated hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, dimethylbenzene, methylbenzene, benzene, methane, pentane, kerosene, mercaptans, toluene, as well as xylene and other hazardous substances.
“According to the results of the studies, all samples comply with hygienic standards,” the agency reported.
Also, one citizen complained about an odor in Leninsky District, blaming emissions from the Saratov Feed Plant LLC enterprise located on the territory of the Kontakt plant. The Center for Hygiene and Epidemiology sent it an order to conduct laboratory tests in residential areas for the content of pollutants in the air.
No information about other enterprises in Saratov and Engels that would pollute the air was received by the agency, and control inspections in 2026 have not yet been carried out regarding them.
Earlier, the regional Ministry of Industry, regarding complaints from Saratov residents at the end of January, determined that no emissions into the air were recorded from the Saratov Oil Refinery, Saratovorgsintez, and PirroGroup. According to the ministry, they “are operating normally, there are no emergency situations [there].” The press service of Rosprirodnadzor for the Saratov and Penza Regions promised to comment on this issue to 164.RU later.
