Introduction. The transition to long term lunar and space missions requires a revision of methods for assessing the occupational risks faced by astronauts due to exposure to ionizing radiation (IR).

The study aims to propose, based on a systematic review, a model for calculating cosmic radiation doses for typical mission scenarios, and a comparative analysis of dose distribution when choosing protective materials for space suits, ships and stations.

Materials and methods. The authors used a deterministic model of linear dose accumulation based on data from the LRO (CRaTER), Curiosity (RAD), and DOSIS 3D instruments. The scientists developed a software package in Python for dosimetric planning and conducted a comparative analysis of radiation protection materials (regolith, HDPE, PEEK, basalt).

Results. The scientists have calculated the effective radiation doses: for a flight to the Moon — 5.4 mSv, to Mars — 378 mSv; for a one year stay at a lunar base without protection — up to 1200 mSv. It has been established that for stationary bases, the optimal choice is to use lunar regolith with boron containing additives (neutron absorption efficiency up to 92%), and for spacesuits — a multilayer combination of high density polyethylene and polyetheretherketone (PEEK).

Limitations. Analysis of radiation levels in space, the health effects of the "dose-effect" of astronauts, radiation safety standards.

Conclusion. Experts have substantiated the need for an approach to dose regulation based on risk assessment, the “time protection” strategy, and the use of special equipment/materials and local resources (ISRU) to minimize occupational risks in space.

Ethics. The conclusion of the biomedical ethics committee was not required for the study (the study was carried out on publicly available data and official regulatory databases).

Contributions:
Eryomin A.L. — research design, collection and processing of material, writing the text;
Evdokimov I.S. — development of a software package for dosimetric planning, analysis of materials for radiation protection.
All co-authors — approval of the final version of the article and ensuring the integrity of all parts of the article.

Funding. The study had no funding.

Conflict of interests. The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Received: 10.08.2026 / Accepted: 16.09.2026 / Published: 09.10.2026

Introduction. The reliability of a human operator’s performance in extreme and isolated working conditions naturally decreases as the intensity of the work–rest schedule increases. The authors consider the substantive analysis of professional speech to be a standard, non invasive method of remote assessment of functional state, which does not require additional equipment or the specialist’s working time.

The study aims to establish a quantitative relationship between the degree and substantive type of workload intensity during the workday and the characteristics of the operator’s professional communication, as well as to assess the suitability of speech indicators for detecting acute situational stress.

Materials and methods. The researchers analyzed the transcripts of negotiations between 14 cosmonauts from the Russian segment of the International Space Station and the Mission Control Center, accumulated during the "Content" space experiment (2015–2018): 1279 active days. For each day, using the expanded author’s version of the W&R intensity scale, a score of intensity (from 0 to 10) and a content type were assigned. The authors used quantitative content analysis of speech and non parametric statistical methods (Mann–Whitney U test, Spearman’s rank correlation, and Kruskal–Wallis test).

Results. Three hundred and seventy days (28.9%) were classified as strenuous. On such days the overall communication volume doubled (from 11.2 to 22.6 statements per day; p<0.001). The speech signature was two-layered: a moderate rise of task-oriented categories was accompanied by a steeper rise of affective and regulatory ones (negative emotion ×4.4, confrontation ×3.6). The severity score correlated with most categories. The dependence of speech volume on load level was non-linear — with a rise, a plateau and a paradoxical decline at critical intensity.

Limitations. The study has a number of limitations. First, only the crew’s external communication with ground services is available for analysis; intra group communication was not recorded for bioethical reasons, which, from the perspective of designing a scientific experiment, limits the reconstruction of a number of phenomena. Second, the interpretation of the relationship between categories in terms of locus of control requires further validation through direct psychodiagnostic measurements. Thirdly, inter category comparisons partially depend on the coding scheme. Fourthly, the sample is limited to 14 cosmonauts from the Russian segment, and subgroups of rare content types (in particular, psychological problems) are objectively rare and small in number, which requires caution when generalizing. Finally, the stress score is partially based on expert assessment, which means that the "expert problem" in this study has not yet been fully resolved. The listed limitations outline the directions for further work, including the validation of the scale and the application of the approach to other professional groups.

Conclusion. The content of professional speech reflects both the degree and the substantive type of stress associated with the work and rest (W&R) schedule, and in this regard, it can serve as a non invasive indicator of acute situational stress and the preservation of the adaptive response of the human operator.

Ethics. The study was conducted as part of the routine space experiment "Content" on the Russian segment of the International Space Station. All participants provided informed consent; the study was approved by the bioethics commission of the Institute of Biomedical Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Human Research Multilateral Review Board (protocol No. 14 006).

Contributions:
Yusupova A.K. — research concept and design, development of the problem severity scale, data collection and processing, statistical analysis, text writing;
Supolkina N.S. — concept and design of the study, development of the problem severity scale, data collection and processing, editing.

Acknowledgement. The authors express gratitude to A.P. Nechaev for his interest in the development of his valuable practical findings.

Funding. Data collection and initial processing were carried out within the Framework of the RAS Fundamental Scientific Research Program FMFR-2024-0034, as well as within the Framework of the RAS Fundamental Scientific Research Program FMFR-2024-0038. The data analysis was carried out with funding from the State Corporation "Roscosmos".

Conflict of interest. The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Received: 22.09.2026 / Accepted: 29.09.2026 / Published: 09.10.2026

Introduction. A shortage of skilled workers increases the relevance of programmes aimed at extending occupational longevity for employees with early signs of exposure to occupational hazards, including noise. However, evidence of the effectiveness of such programmes is limited.

The aim of the study is to evaluate the medium-term clinical and economic outcomes of a medical preventive programme for machine-building plant workers with early signs of occupational noise exposure.

Materials and methods. A historical closed cohort of 113 workers (mean age 55.8 years, work experience 26.1 years, equivalent sound level 89.7 dBA) was followed up from 2013 to 2025. Workers received two or three courses of the medical preventive programme (median duration 4 years) between 2013 and 2023. Shifts and rates of shift in hearing thresholds at frequencies of 500, 1000, 2000, and 4000 Hz, as well as the binaural pure tone average (BPTA), were assessed using linear mixed-effects models. The rate of threshold shift was compared with the age-related reference vales of ISO 7029-2017, and the number of cases of occupational noise-induced hearing loss (ONIHL) assessed against that predicted by the ISO 1999‑2017 model and the comparison group (113 workers selected using a matched-pair design). A scenario-based calculation of the benefit-cost ratio (BCR) was carried out using the modified human capital approach.

Results. Hearing thresholds increased at all frequencies; at 2000 and 4000 Hz, as well as for BPTA, not statistically significant. The rate of threshold shift was below the expected at 4000 Hz (–1.06 dB/year; 95% CI –1.76…–0.35; p=0.003) and for BPTA (–0.38 dB/year; 95% CI –0.71…–0.05; p=0.024). The result was robust in sensitivity analysis. Over 12 years, no cases of ONIHL with loss of occupational working capacity were registered, compared with 10.4 expected by the model and one case in the comparison cohort. The prevalence of cardiovascular diseases rose from 41.6% to 54.9% (p<0.001). Payback is achieved by preventing approximately 2 cases of occupational working capacity per 100 employees.

Limitations. The observational design without an external control group limited the ability to separate the contribution of the intervention from the natural course of the disease. The small number of ONIHL cases reduced the statistical power of the comparisons. The study evaluated the effect of a package of measures rather than individual interventions. The economic calculation was scenario-based.

Conclusions. Among workers who completed a two- or three-course medical preventive programme, the rate of hearing threshold shifts at 4 kHz and by BPTA was below the expected changes. The programme proved to be potentially cost-effective. The rise in cardiovascular morbidity indicates the need to integrate measures for cardiometabolic risk factors correction. The findings require confirmation in a prospective study.

Ethics. The study was conducted in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki; all participants provided written informed consent.

Contributions:
Fayzova Yu.M. — collection and processing of material, data processing, text writing;
Fatkhutdinova L.M. — study concept and design, data processing, text writing;
All authors — approval of the final version of the article, responsibility for the integrity of all parts of the article.

Funding. The study had no financial support.

Conflict of interest. The authors declare the absence of any apparent or potential conflicts of interest related to the publication of this article.

Received: 29.09.2026 / Accepted: 30.09.2026 / Published: 09.10.2026

Introduction. In the modern world, cardiopulmonary pathology is the most common, so when conducting examinations of trainee workers in the aluminum industry, special attention should be paid to patients with a complex comorbid background, namely those with diseases of the cardiopulmonary continuum.

The study aims to examine cardiorespiratory disorders in workers in the main professions in the aluminum industry.

Materials and methods. The scientists examined 173 workers in the main professions at an aluminum plant, aged between 40 and 60. All subjects underwent assessment of respiratory function and an ultrasound examination of the heart.

Results. The proportion of aluminium industry workers suffering from respiratory disorders reached 35%. Chronic occupational intoxication with fluorine compounds did not affect the development of respiratory system pathology. Smoking also did not have a significant impact on the development of lung diseases, unlike the length of service in hazardous conditions. Scientists have identified a significant correlation between the duration of work by aluminium industry workers in polluted air conditions in workshops and a decrease in the maximum volumetric expiratory flow rate during exhalation of 75% of forced vital capacity, which reflects the patency of small bronchi. Quantitative indicators reflecting ventricular function, Doppler parameters of left ventricular diastolic function (the rate of deceleration of early transmitral diastolic blood flow and the isovolumic relaxation time) and right ventricular diastolic function (the ratio of movement velocities in early and late diastole in the area of its lateral wall) differed significantly, as did systolic pressure in the pulmonary artery, which was elevated in the group of patients with respiratory diseases.

Limitations. The study is limited to the number of workers in key professions in the aluminum industry who underwent examination at the clinic of the Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution "Research Institute for Complex Problems of Hygiene and Occupational Diseases".

Conclusion. The effect of fluoride and its compounds on the body leads not only to the development of osteopathy, but also to respiratory disorders that contribute to the formation of myocardial dysfunction of both ventricles.

Ethics. The examination of patients complied with the ethical standards of the bioethics committee of the Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution "Research Institute of Complex Problems of Hygiene and Occupational Diseases" (meeting protocol No. 4, § 2 dated November 18, 2021), developed in accordance with the Helsinki Declaration of the World Medical Association (2013 edition). All examined individuals gave written informed consent to participate in the study.

Contributions:
Korotenko O.Yu. — data collection and processing, statistical analysis, writing the text, editing;
Krasilnikova P.L. — data collection, text writing;
Panev N.I. — data collection, editing.

Funding. The study had no funding.

Conflict of interest. The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Received: 09.00.2026 / Accepted: 10.09.2026 / Published: 09.10.2026

Introduction. The article presents the results of a study devoted to the issue of the impact of health status and blood contamination with toxic elements on immune status.

The study aims to examine the characteristics of immune status in workers engaged in secondary lead production, depending on their health status.

Materials and methods. The authors conducted a clinical and immunological examination of 80 workers engaged in the secondary production of lead. The comparison group consisted of 80 conditionally healthy workers in auxiliary workshops who were practically not exposed to factors contained in the air. The health status was assessed by specialists based on the results of periodic medical examinations. The state of the local and systemic immune response was studied. The elemental composition of the blood was determined.

Results. Most workers have a health group III, and every fifth worker has an absolutely high or very high cardiovascular risk. The immune response was characterized by a tendency towards immunodeficiency. The deficiency of immunity in the mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract was more pronounced in individuals with health group III. The study revealed high concentrations of lead in the blood of almost all the examined individuals; some workers showed elevated concentrations of cadmium, copper, and arsenic.

Limitations. In a comparative analysis of the impact of metals on the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, the researchers did not take into account the medications and dietary supplements taken by the study participants.

Conclusion. The state of somatic health and blood contamination with toxic elements are determining factors for the formation of an immune response in workers in the secondary lead production industry.

Ethics. The study was approved by the conclusion of the Local Ethics Committee of the Federal Budgetary Institution "Yekaterinburg Medical Research Center for the Prevention and Health Protection of Workers in Industrial Enterprises" of Rospotrebnadzor (Protocol No. 4 dated June 22, 2026). All study participants signed an informed voluntary consent.

Contributions:
Artemenko E.P. — study design, text writing, data collection and processing;
Bushueva T.V. — study concept and design, text writing;
Roslaya N.A. — study concept and design, editing;
Gribova Yu.V. — conducting clinical studies, collecting data;
Gurvich V.B. — study concept.

Funding. The study had no funding.

Conflict of interest. The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Received: 26.08.2026 / Accepted: 09.09.2026 / Published: 09.10.2026

Introduction. The results of assessing radiation risk associated with occupational exposure are presented in numerous publications devoted to specific diseases. A comprehensive approach makes it possible to objectively assess the cumulative effect of radiation exposure on mortality rates.

The study aims to assess the radiation related risk of mortality for the main classes of non oncological diseases, depending on the period of professional activity.

Materials and methods. The authors conducted a study on a cohort of employees hired by the Mayak production association between 1948 and 1982. The cohort included 25.755 people, including 13.790 who were hired during the period of production ramp up (1948–1958) and 11.965 who were hired during the period of normal operation (1959–1982), with significantly different working conditions in terms of the level of radiation exposure. During the observation period, which ended on December 31, 2018, more than 1 million person years of observation were accumulated, and 17.810 deaths were recorded.

Results. A positive and statistically significant point estimate of the excess relative risk coefficient per unit dose of external gamma radiation was obtained for mortality from blood and hematopoietic organ diseases (IOR/Hr=1.74; 95% CI: 0.17; 7.21), as well as respiratory diseases in the entire cohort was (IOR/Hr=0.32; 95% CI: 0.14; 0.55) and is due to the indicators in the 1948-1958 subcorte of hiring. For the class of diseases of the circulatory system, the IRR/Gy was 0.06 (95% CI: 0.02; 0.10), and the coefficient estimate was the same for individuals hired in 1948–1958 and in 1959–1982, but it differed significantly between residents and migrants. No relationship between excess risk and the dose of external gamma radiation was identified for mortality from other classes of diseases.

Limitations. A large proportion of cases with an unknown cause of death among individuals who died after 2006 outside the city of Ozyorsk.

Conclusion. Cancer accounted for the majority of radiation-induced deaths (68%). The contribution of the radiation factor to the structure of mortality from non-oncological causes was 5%.

Ethics. The study was conducted on the basis of archival information and did not require the conclusion of an ethics committee.

Contributions:
Kuznetsova I.S. — modeling, generalization of results, preparation of the article text;
Denisova E.V. — analytical review of literature data, editing of the article text.

Funding. The study was conducted as part of the applied research work "Technogenic Exposure and Its Long Term Medical Consequences" (code "Consequences 2025") based on the Federal Target Program "Ensuring Nuclear and Radiation Safety for 2016–2020 and for the Period up to 2035".

Conflict of interest. The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Received: 18.09.2026 / Accepted: 23.09.2026 / Published: 09.10.2026

Introduction. Prooxidants are substances capable of inducing oxidative stress through the generation of reactive oxygen species. Hydrogen peroxide belongs to the class of oxidizing agents, the biological effect of which is determined not only by the dose but also by the state of the cell’s antioxidant and detoxification systems. The liver, being the central organ for the biotransformation of xenobiotics, is of interest for assessing early molecular signs of adaptation to chronic peroxidative exposure. Developing specific approaches to assessing the prooxidant activity of chemical substances is an urgent task in preventive toxicology.

The study aims to develop a specific test system for assessing the pro oxidant activity of toxicants based on the method of analyzing gene expression in rat liver and to demonstrate its capabilities using the example of determining the threshold of chronic effect of hydrogen peroxide when administered orally.

Materials and methods. Female outbred rats received hydrogen peroxide by gavage for 6 months at doses of 0.05, 0.5, 5 and 50 mg/kg. Control animals received distilled water. Gene expression in liver samples was assessed by real-time quantitative RT-PCR and normalized to Gapdh. An integral GST-index was calculated as the mean expression of Gstp1, Gstt1 and Gstm.

Results. At exposure levels of 0.05 and 0.5 mg/kg, no statistically significant changes in the expression of GST genes were detected. At a dose of 5 mg/kg, a significant increase was observed in NFE2L2 to 1.51±0.28, Gstp1 to 1.97±0.07, Gstt1 to 2.04±0.12, and Gstm to 2.31±0.14 relative units. The GST index increased from 1.00±0.06 in the control group to 2.11±0.06 at 5 mg/kg and to 4.22±0.08 at 50 mg/kg. The calculation of the benchmark dose for a twofold increase in the GST index yielded BMD=4.06 mg/kg and BMDL=2.65 mg/kg.

Limitations. The study was conducted using a single experimental model and a single pro oxidant, which limits the direct extrapolation of the results to other compounds. The gene expression analysis reflected the mRNA level and did not include the determination of the corresponding proteins and the activity of GST enzymes. The obtained threshold values require confirmation in independent experimental series.

Conclusion. The obtained data indicate a stepwise activation of the NFE2L2/GST axis in the liver under chronic exposure to hydrogen peroxide, which makes it possible to use the analysis of gene expression in rat liver as a specific test system for assessing the pro oxidant activity of chemicals during their hygienic regulation. A dose of 5 mg/kg can be considered as the molecular threshold of a compensated adaptive response, at which the enzymes of the second phase of detoxification are activated without signs of total transcriptional decompensation.

Ethics. The experimental study was conducted in compliance with the necessary regulatory acts (the 2013 Helsinki Declaration, GOST 33044–2014 "Principles of Good Laboratory Practice"; Order of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation No. 188n dated April 1, 2016, "Rules of Good Laboratory Practice"). The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Commission of the F.F. Chernousov Federal Research Center for Hygiene. "Erisman" of Rospotrebnadzor (minutes of meeting No. 7 dated October 21, 2024).

Contributions:
Karimov D.O. — research concept and design, collection and processing of experimental data, writing the text;
Tonshin A.A. — research concept and design, text writing;
Bidevkina M.V. — research concept and design, conducting experiments, text writing;
Vinogradova A.I. — research concept and design, conducting experiments, collecting and processing experimental data;
Ryabova Yu.V. — collection and processing of experimental data;
Gizatullina A.A. — collecting and processing experimental data;
Akhmadeev A.R. — collecting and processing experimental data;
Ziatdinova M.M. — collecting and processing experimental data.

Funding. The study had no funding.

Conflict of interest. The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Received: 15.09.2026 / Accepted: 17.09.2026 / Published: 09.10.2026

In modern occupational medicine and occupational health, there is a growing interest in studying the phenomenon of occupational polymorbidity. The modern concept of occupational safety is based on the principle that an employee’s health is not an expense, but an investment. This directly aligns with the fundamental principle that health in the workplace and a healthy work environment are among the core values of the individual, society, and the state. However, in practice, implementing this principle faces a serious challenge — the phenomenon of polymorbidity in occupational pathology. It refers to the presence of multiple occupational diseases in a single worker, the combination of occupational pathology with chronic non infectious diseases, and the mutually aggravating effect of various nosologies on work capacity.

Contributions:
Rumyantseva O.I. — research concept and design, text writing;
Nepershina O.P. — text writing, editing;
Petrykina M.V. — text writing, editing;
Bulgakova M.V. — text writing, editing.

Funding. The study had no funding.

Conflict of interest. The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Received: 03.08.2026 / Accepted: 14.08.2026 / Published: 09.10.2026