Ionizing radiation is widely used in industry, energy, and medicine. The global number of monitored workers is approximately 24 million, while in the Russian Federation it stands at about 250,000, with the medical sector representing the largest employer. The study aims to compare approaches to regulating occupational exposure, evaluating the specific features of dose restrictions for different worker categories, medical surveillance, and the list of occupational diseases of radiation etiology. A comparison of the regulatory documents of the Russian Federation, the EU, the USA, the IAEA and the ILO revealed a high level of conceptual harmonization: general principles of justification, optimization and dose limitation (standardization in Russian practice); recognition of the linear non-threshold model and the principle of optimization of ALARA, the need for individual dosimetric control, workplace monitoring and medical supervision of employees. At the same time, significant differences remain in the classification of exposure situations and groups/categories of personnel, dose limits (especially for the lens of the eye and fetus) and reference levels, regulation of natural radiation, organization of medical supervision, and approaches to classifying occupational diseases of radiation origin. The systems considered show differing balances between strict regulatory mandates and risk-oriented flexibility. The Russian model prioritizes uniformity and procedural formalization; the US model relies on a recommendatory approach delegating responsibility to the licensee; whereas the IAEA and EU documents provide framework requirements for national application. Particular attention should be paid to the harmonization of scientific positions regarding dose limits for tissue reactions; consideration of new evidence on risks to the cardiovascular system; improvement of radiation monitoring technologies; regulation of exposure to natural radiation sources; optimization of radiological protection of medical personnel; and the development of guidelines for clinical practice based on a reliable evidence base.

Contributions:
Onishchenko G.G. — study concept, text editing;
Fatkhutdinova L.M. — study design, material collection and data processing, text writing;
Samoylov A.S. — study design, material collection and data processing, text editing.
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 funding.

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

Received: 10.06.2026 / Accepted: 18.06.2026 / Published: 27.07.2026

Introduction. Harmful factors of the production environment and the labor process, which are exposed to workers engaged in underground coal mining, make a significant contribution to the development and progression of cardiovascular diseases, which can cause professional unfitness, disability and death, which determines the importance of objectifying the formation of risk groups for the development of cardiovascular pathology in this professional group, including by the use of additional laboratory parameters.

The study aims to analyze the patterns of changes in metabolic, inflammatory and hormonal parameters in workers engaged in underground coal mining, depending on their work experience.

Materials and methods. The scientists have conducted a survey of 120 men employed in underground coal mining, aged 34 to 54 years, who were divided into 2 groups depending on their work experience: the groups were comparable in age to those with experience of up to 15 years (n=60) and those with experience of 15 years or more (n=60), the groups were matched for age.

The specialists have measured levels of glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides (TG), HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, hsCRP, IL-6, DHEAS, and cortisol. Additional indicators and indices were calculated: non-HDL cholesterol, remnant cholesterol (RC), TG/HDL cholesterol, metabolic index (MI), triglyceride-glucose index (TGI) and its modification TGI×BMI, DHEAS/cortisol.

Results. Workers with 15 years or more of experience had higher levels of IL-6 and lower values of DHEAS and the DHEAS/cortisol index compared with those surveyed with less experience. It has been shown that work on underground coal mining for 15 years or more is associated with an increase in the level of IL-6 above 4 pg/ml (OR=2.513, 95% CI 1.011–6.246). The relationship between an increase in IL-6 concentration and a decrease in the DHEAS/cortisol index, a correlation between the level of IL-6 and MI (r=0.383, p=0.018) was revealed, but only in the group with experience of 15 years or more. There was a direct correlation between the level of remnant cholesterol (r=0.307, p=0.019) and the value of the TGI×BMI index (r=0.254, p=0.049) in the group with experience of 15 years or more in the absence of significant age-related relationships.

Limitations. The study is limited to a sample of surveyed workers engaged in underground coal mining.

Conclusion. In workers engaged in underground coal mining, with increasing length of service, there is an increase in indicators associated with the risk of cardiovascular diseases (IL-6, DHEAS, remnant cholesterol, TGI×BMI index), which indicates the importance of working in coal mines for 15 years or more as a professional risk factor due to activation of the inflammatory process, dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal system and the development of dyslipidemia.

Ethics. The study was conducted in compliance with ethical standards for conducting medical research involving humans in accordance with the requirements of the Helsinki Declaration of the World Medical Association. The study was approved by the conclusion of the local Ethics Committee of the Izmerov Research Institute of Occupational Health (minutes of the meeting No. 5 dated 08/02/2023).

Contributions:
Kuzmina L.P. — research concept and design, editing;
Khotuleva A.G. — research concept and design, laboratory research, statistical data processing, text writing, editing;
Kolyaskina M.M. — collecting and processing material, conducting laboratory research, statistical data processing, writing text;
Kislyakova A.A. — research concept and design, laboratory research, statistical data processing, text writing;
Varakuta I.S. — collection and processing of material, statistical data processing, writing text.

Funding. The study had no funding.

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

Received: 26.05.2026 / Accepted: 18.06.2026 / Published: 27.07.2026

Introduction. Respiratory diseases caused by the effects of industrial factors account for a significant proportion of the occupational morbidity among workers in a number of industrial professions. Studying the effects of lead oxide nanoparticles on the respiratory system of rats in a chronic inhalation experiment is an important step in elucidating mechanisms of their cyto- and pulmonary toxicity.

The study aims to evaluate pulmonary and cytotoxic effects of lead oxide nanoparticles following an 8-month chronic inhalation exposure in an in vivo model.

Materials and methods. The authors performed the study on female Wistar rats. The experimental group received PbO nanoparticles (18.2±4.2 nm, 0.215 mg/m³) by inhalation (nose only) for 8 months. The toxicity assessment included respiratory function, cytology and immunology of bronchoalveolar lavage, lung histology, and expression of GSTM1, GSTP1, and SOD2 genes in lung tissue. The researchers conducted statistical data processing using the Student's t-test with the Bonferroni correction and the Mann–Whitney test; the differences were considered significant at p<0.05.

Results. Chronic inhalation exposure to lead oxide nanoparticles caused complex respiratory damage in the animals. We observed cytotoxic effects including pronounced inflammation (neutrophilia, increased N/AM ratio), suppression of phagocytic activity, and downregulation of antioxidant defense genes (GSTM1, GSTP1, SOD2). Histological changes in lung tissue indicate a disruption in the structural organization of the respiratory system.

Limitations. Chronic inhalation exposure of lead oxide nanoparticles was performed using only one concentration of the substance. Another limitation was that the model for the study was rats of the same species and sex. Additional studies are needed to evaluate dose-dependent effects and sexual sensitivity. In addition, the authors assessed the function of external respiration using indirect plethysmography using the integral Penh index, therefore, the data are preliminary and are not definitive evidence of functional disorders.

Conclusion. Chronic inhalation exposure to lead oxide nanoparticles caused multiple adverse changes in the respiratory system of animals at the molecular, cellular, and organ levels.

Ethics. The study was conducted in accordance with the requirements of the European Convention for the Protection of Vertebrate Animals used for Experimental and other Scientific Purposes (ETS No. 123) and Directive 2010/63/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of September 22, 2010, on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes. Study approval was provided by the Ethics Committee of the Yekaterinburg Medical Research Center for Prophylaxis and Health Protection in Industrial Workers (Protocol No. 4 of July 12, 2022).

Contributions:
Sutunkova M.P. — the concept and design of research, writing the text;
Bateneva V.A. — collection and processing of material, statistical data processing, writing text;
Minigalieva I.A. — concept and design of the study, writing the text;
Petrunina E.M. — collection and processing of material;
Kikot A.M. — collection and processing of material;
Bereza I.A. — collection and processing of material;
Shaikhova D.R. — collection and processing of material;
Shtin T.N. — collection and processing of material;
Tazhigulova A.V. — collection and processing of material, statistical data processing, writing text;
Labzova A.K. — collection and processing of material;
Ivashchenko M.A. — collection and processing of material;
Shelomentsev I.G. — collection and processing of the material.

Funding. The study had no funding.

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

Received: 08.06.2026 / Accepted: 18.06.2026 / Published: 27.07.2026

Introduction. The transmission function of the outer ear (TFOE), determined by the acoustic properties, geometry, and dimensions of the auricle and ear canal, is one of the main characteristics of the organ of hearing. The most informative indicators of the transfer function of the outer ear are its values, measured by: 1) at the frequency of the first resonance — in the third-octaves 2.0–3.15 kHz, 2) in the third-octave frequency bands 0.5–4.0 kHz, 3) in the frequency correction A.

The study aims to evaluate the transmission function of the outer ear under the influence of non–constant noises of various temporal structures and its relationship to the hearing thresholds of workers with hearing impairments from industrial noise.

Materials and methods. The male subjects, 20 people, aged 41–72 years, with 18–50 years of experience working in noise conditions, were exposed for 16 minutes to 12 sound fragments of noise of various temporal structures with equivalent sound levels from 80 to 100 dBA. The authors performed TFOE measurements using the F-MIRE method in the third-octave frequency ranges and with frequency correction A. The frequency characteristics of TFOE of the right and left ears of the subjects were determined and compared. In clinical and experimental conditions, the researchers measured the subjects' hearing thresholds at audiometric frequencies of 0.5–6.0 kHz and assessed the correlation of hearing thresholds and TFOE.

Results. The absence of dependence of the transmission function of the outer ear on the different temporal structure of complex noises has been established. In most of the subjects, the authors revealed the presence of a right-sided asymmetry of the acoustic characteristics of the outer ear.

Limitations. There are quantitative limitations due to the number of subjects.

Conclusion. The study of the relationship between hearing loss and TFOE frequency response requires the accumulation of updated data on audiometry and TFOE measurements.

Ethics. In preparing the article, the authors were guided by the ethical principles set out in the Helsinki Declaration of 2024.

Contributions:
Prokopenko L.V. — research concept and design, results analysis, article editing;
Bulgakova M.V. — conducting experimental research;
Courierov N.N. — research concept and design, analysis of normative and methodological documentation, experimental research, analysis of results, writing the text;
Lagutina A.V. — review of literary sources, text editing.

Funding. The study had no funding.

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

Received: 22.06.2026 / Accepted: 25.06.2026 / Published: 27.07.2026

Brucellosis is a classic zoonotic, particularly dangerous and socially significant infection that remains a serious medical and social problem in many countries, including the Russian Federation.

In 2023, after more than a decade of prosperity in the Republic of Tatarstan, specialists registered an outbreak of bovine brucellosis with human infection. The main causative agent was Brucella abortus.

The study aims to perform a clinical and epidemiological analysis of the outbreak of occupational brucellosis in livestock workers.

The authors analyzed 11 cases of acute brucellosis (clinical examination, laboratory and serological methods, dynamic observation) and used parametric and nonparametric statistical methods.

During the outbreak of bovine brucellosis, out of 111 contacts, the diagnosis was confirmed in 20 (18.1%), of which 11 were under observation at the occupational pathology center. The disease was moderate in severity with common symptoms (weakness, subfebrile fever, arthralgia in the knee (63.6%) and shoulder (54.5%) joints). Laboratory examination revealed no significant deviations in the overall clinical parameters. The most informative serological method at the onset of the disease was Huddlestone's agglutination reaction (81.8% of positive results). None of the methods demonstrated absolute (100%) sensitivity. The transition from acute to chronic was observed in 91% of patients (the average chronization period was 224 days).

An important condition for the prevention of the disease should be strict compliance with the regulations for mandatory preliminary and periodic medical examinations of persons engaged in animal husbandry, as well as timely preventive, diagnostic, restrictive and other measures aimed at preventing the spread and elimination of foci of brucellosis.

Limitations. The limitations of the study are the small sample (n=11), the retrospective nature of the collection of part of the epidemiological data, as well as the analysis of only one outbreak in one region, which limits the possibility of generalizing the results.

Ethics. The research conducted did not require the conclusion of the ethics committee.

Contributions:
Arkhipov E.V. — research concept and design, text writing, editing;
Garipova R.V. — research concept and design, text writing, editing;
Safina K.R. — working with primary material, writing text;
Gorblyansky Yu.Yu. — research design, editing;
Abramova R.I. — working with primary material, writing text;
Safuanova L.I. — working with primary material, writing text.

Funding. The study had no funding.

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

Received: 28.05.2026 / Accepted: 17.06.2026 / Published: 27.07.2026

The article presents a clinical case of a patient with pneumoconiosis complicated by the formation of a "cellular lung" on the background of long-term (2023–2026) therapy with nintedanibin combination with bronchodilators. The patient, was born in 1960, had 20 years of experience working under the influence of quartz-containing dust. The diagnosis of pneumoconiosis was established in 2002.

During an examination in 2023, against the background of radiological signs of progressive fibrosis with the formation of a "cellular" lung, there was shortness of breath when walking up to 50 m, a decrease in saturation at rest to 93% with desaturation under load to 70%, a test distance of 270 m after a 6-minute walk, a decrease in FEV1 to 66%, VVC to 82%, lung diffusivity up to 26%, pulmonary hypertension (CDLA 38 mmHg), signs of respiratory failure of the 3rd degree. Against the background of regular therapy with syntedanib, the authors noted positive dynamics: stabilization of saturation at rest (95–97%), decrease in desaturation during physical exertion (up to 90%), increase in the test distance of a 6-minute walk to 365–384 m, increase in FEV1 to 89-99%, VVC to 111%, total vital lung capacity from 76% up to 97%, diffusion capacity up to 34%, reduction of the average pressure in the pulmonary artery to 7–8 mmHg, normalization of ESR and C-reactive protein. According to computed tomography data, the fibrotic process has stabilized with the preservation of the "cellular lung" pattern without a significant increase in changes over 4 years. The side effects of therapy (weight loss, loosening of stools, moderate increase in transaminases) were controlled.

The observation demonstrates the possibility of achieving clinical and functional stabilization in a patient with progressive pneumoconiosis on the background of prolonged antifibrotic therapy, which justifies the expediency of early treatment and regular monitoring.

Contributions:
Serebryakov P.V. — concept and design of the study, writing of the text, final editing and approval of the published version;
Postnikova L.V. — making valuable comments, final editing and approval of the published version;
Buryakina E.A. — collection of primary data, critical revision of the text;
Ishimbaev D.A. — collection of primary data, processing of results, preparation of visual materials, writing of the initial text;
Zolotova M.V. — processing of results, compilation and formatting of tables, writing the initial version of the text;
Slavinskiy A.A. — collection of primary data, preparation of visual materials.

Funding. The study had no funding.

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

Received: 06.05.2026 / Accepted: 21.05.2026 / Published: 27.07.2026

Employees of agro-industrial enterprises in the course of their production activities are exposed to environmental factors: bioaerosols, organic dust, chemicals, unfavorable microclimate, noise and labor process factors.

There are the most unfavorable working conditions in animal husbandry and poultry farming, where high microbiological air pollution of the working area is formed. Prolonged exposure to these factors can lead to the development of immunological changes and increased occupational health risks.

In this regard, conducting a comprehensive hygienic assessment of the working conditions of employees of agro-industrial enterprises and determining their immunological status is one of the urgent scientific and practical tasks of preventive medicine.

The study aims to conduct a comprehensive hygienic assessment of the working conditions of employees of agro-industrial enterprises, determine the level of microbiological air pollution in the work area and study changes in the immunological status under the influence of high microbiological risk factors.

The study included 430 workers employed in livestock farming (n=120), poultry farming (n=110), horse breeding (n=90), and meat-processing enterprises (n=110). Workplace air was assessed for microbiological contamination (CFU/m³), dust concentration, and selected chemical substances. The specialists have measured the parameters of the microclimate, noise and light levels in accordance with current hygiene standards. The humoral immune response was assessed by determining serum concentrations of IgA, IgM, IgG, and IgE, followed by comparative analysis between manufacturing sectors.

The highest microbiological load was identified in poultry enterprises: the total microbial count reached 4533.99 CFU/m³ and was accompanied by elevated concentrations of Staphylococcus spp., members of the Enterobacteriaceae family, and fungi. Livestock and horse-breeding enterprises demonstrated moderate contamination levels, whereas meat-processing plants showed comparatively lower levels. In livestock and horse breeding farms, the level of microbial contamination exceeded sanitary standards by 1.2–1.8 times, while in sausage production enterprises it was 1.3–1.5 times lower than standard values. There was an excess of relative humidity (1.09–1.27 times) and dust concentration (1.18–1.32 times), which increases the adverse effects of production factors. During the warm and cold periods of the year, the air temperature did not meet hygienic standards. The noise level in individual livestock production areas exceeded the standard values by up to 1.1 times.

Immunological analysis revealed sector-specific changes: poultry workers showed increased IgM and IgE, indicating active antigenic and allergic stimulation, while sausage workers showed increased IgA and IgG, reflecting prolonged activation of humoral and mucosal immunity.

The study showed that the working conditions at the enterprises of the agro-industrial complex are characterized by a high microbiological load and the adverse effects of harmful production factors. The most pronounced changes in immunological parameters were detected in poultry and livestock workers, where high levels of microbial contamination of the air were recorded. Increased levels of IgA, IgM, IgG, and IgE indicate chronic antigenic stimulation. Comprehensive hygienic and immunological monitoring is essential for the early detection of occupational risks and the development of preventive measures.

Limitations. The study is limited by the geographical coverage of the surveyed agro-industrial enterprises, the number of employees included, and the lack of dynamic monitoring of immunological parameters in different periods of professional experience. In addition, the assessment was carried out mainly on humoral markers of immunity without in-depth analysis of the cellular component of the immune system.

Contributions:
Ibrokhimov K.I. — development of the research concept and design, formation of methodology, conducting hygienic and microbiological research, data collection and analysis, writing a manuscript;
Iskandarova G.T. — development of epidemiological research design, statistical analysis, data systematization, validation, scientific guidance;
Ermatov N.J. — scientific consulting; improvement of methodological approach, interpretation of research results;
Abdurakhimov B. — participation in data analysis; scientific interpretation of the obtained results;
Nasirdinov M. — data processing, analysis of scientific literature, comparative analysis, final preparation of the manuscript.

Gratitude. The author expresses his sincere gratitude to the employees of agro-industrial enterprises who participated in the study for their assistance and cooperation. The author also expresses special gratitude to his colleagues who provided scientific and organizational support during the research process.

Funding. The study had no funding.

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

Received: 09.04.2026 / Accepted: 13.04.2026 / Published: 27.07.2026