Mining in the Arctic is associated with an increased risk of developing occupational diseases.

The aim of the study was to assess risks of developing occupational pathology over 10-year period of mining apatite ore in the Kola Arctic open-pit mines.

We studied data on working conditions (certification of workplaces), health status (periodic medical examinations) and primary occupational pathology (monitoring "Working conditions and occupational morbidity of the population of the Murmansk region" in 2009–2018) of open-pit apatite miners.

It was found that, according to an overall assessment, the working conditions of all 436 surveyed open-pit apatite miners corresponded to 3.2–3.3 hazard classes. During 10 years of employment (2009–2018), 88 (20.2%) miners were first diagnosed with 134 occupational diseases, which are 3.07 cases per 100 people per year. The main cause for their occurrence was the severity of work above the permissible level (39.6%), whole-body vibration (37.3%) and noise (17.9%), and their structure is dominated by vibration disease (35.8%) and musculoskeletal pathology (30.0%). The main factor in the occurrence of occupational diseases was recognized as imperfection of technological processes (58.2%). The risk of occupational pathology formation in the excavator drivers (RR=1.95; CI 1.33–2.86; p<0.001) and in the drilling rig drivers (RR=1.60; CI 1.04–2.47; p=0.031) was higher than that of bulldozer drivers. In 2009–2018, unlike the bulldozer and drilling rig drivers, the excavator drivers showed an increased risk of developing occupational diseases (RR=3.50; CI 1.90–6.43; p<0.001).

In 2009–2018, the open-pit apatite miners of the Kola Peninsula retained a high level of occupational morbidity, and it tended to increase among excavator drivers.

Currently, there are many consequences of the new coronavirus infection. We shall study the actual long-term consequences of this disease for population health in the coming years. It is necessary to consider concomitant chronic diseases in patients who are particularly dangerous in the post-COVID period. Vibration disease is one of the leading occupational pathologies in the Russian Federation. Symptoms of vibration disease are vegetative-vascular disorders, cold, cyanosis, paresthesia, violation of regional blood circulation of the extremities. As is known from numerous sources, the defeat of the cardiovascular system (CVS) against the background of COVID-19 infection occurs through angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE-2) receptors, which presents in large numbers in the endothelium of veins and arteries.

The study aims to research hemodynamics features in patients with vibration disease after a new corona-virus infection.

In the clinic of occupational pathology, the researchers examined 28 patients with a previously established diagnosis of VD after a coronavirus infection. We did a Holter ECG, ultra-sound examination of the arteries and veins of the upper extremities.

Arrhythmias in the form of supraventricular extrasystoles, paroxysms of atrial fibrillation, positional sinus tachycardia occur in patients with VB after a new coronavirus infection on an ECG and daily monitoring of the ECG by Holter. As is known, cardiac arrhythmias are essential in the development of acute and chronic vascular pathology, characterized by a decrease in arterial blood filling and changes. Ultrasound of the vessels of the upper extremities revealed moderate expansion of the radial and ulnar veins, insufficiency of the valve apparatus during functional tests, increased venous outflow. There was also an increase in the indicators of peripheral vascular resistance, which indicates violations of the tonic properties of the vessels of the upper extremities and violations of vasodilation.

Scientists identified violations of the tonic properties of blood vessels in patients with vibration disease in the post-COVID period on ultrasound, arrhythmias in the form of supraventricular extrasys-toles, paroxysms of atrial fibrillation, positional sinus tachycardia on daily ECG monitoring.

Introduction. Occupational asthma is a complex and heterogeneous disease. Development of personalized treatment and prevention tactics becomes feasible due to phenotyping, which means identifying of markers to combine cases of occupational asthma with similar manifestations (clinical, instrumental, laboratory) and prognosis to phenotypes.

The study aims to determination and comparative analysis of spirographic and immunological parameters for different phenotypes of occupational asthma.

Materials and methods. In this study, we included 170 patients with different phenotypes of occupational asthma and 50 participants in control group. The spirographic examination was performed using computer spirograph with determination of the following parameters: forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume during the first second (FEV1), Tiffeneau-Pinelli index (FEV1/FVC), peak expiratory flow (PEF), maximal expiratory flow at 75%, 50%, 25% of the forced vital capacity (MEF75%VC, MEF50%VC, MEF25%VC). Quantification of the immunoglobulins IgA, IgM, and IgG in human serum was conducted by Mancini method; levels of IgE, C-reactive protein and fibronectin were determined using a solid-phase enzyme immunoassay. Fibrinogen concentration in plasma was measured by an automatic coagulometer. Haptoglobin concentration in serum was determined by spectrophotometry. 

Results. According to spirometry and laboratory results obtained, there is a strong evidence, that the phenotype "occupational asthma — occupational chronic obstructive pulmonary disease" has the lowest values in pulmonary function tests and the most significant changes in immunoglobulins, fibronectin and acute phase proteins levels among other studied phenotypes of occupational asthma.

Conclusions. Dynamic determination of spirometric, immunological parameters, fibronectin and proteins of the acute phase of inflammation in workers at risk for the formation of occupational bronchial asthma may be recommended to be carried out once every 6 months, followed by the isolation of disease phenotypes. This will optimize diagnostics, therapeutic and preventive tactics, as well as predict the course of this pathology.

Introduction. Currently, the violation of heart rate variability as one of the main pathogenetic mechanisms of the damaging effect of pollutants, associated effects on the cardiovascular system.

The study aims to explore the dynamics of the influence of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) on heart rate variability (HRV) in workers of a potassium ore processing enterprise exposed to industrial pollutants (fine fractions of potassium chloride dust, formaldehyde, hexane, heptane) with an assessment of changes in dependence from work experience, establishment of cause-and-effect relationships of violations of heart rate variability with exposure to chemical compounds.

Materials and methods. The object of the study was 140 employees of a potash ore processing enterprise, assigned to the observation group, and 76 employees of the administrative and technical apparatus, who made up the comparison group. Samples were taken from the air of the working medium for the content of saturated hydrocarbons (hexane, heptane), the vapors of formhehyde were considered, and the presence of fine particles PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ was established. Investigation of biological media (blood, urine) of workers at the enterprise determination of formaldehyde in blood, hexane and heptane in urine. Evaluation of heart rate variability was carried out on a computer electrocardiograph "Poli-Spectr-8/EX" using a cardiorhythmographic program using the method of time analysis, variation pulsometry and spectral analysis.

Results. The concentration of fine particles in the air at the workplaces of the observation group was 12–111 times higher for PM_2.5, and 5.6–74.6 times higher for PM₁₀ than for the work places of the comparison group. The concentration of formaldehyde, hexane and heptane in the air did not exceed hygienic standards. In the observation group relative to the comparison group, formaldehyde blood was 1.5 times (p<0.001), in the urine of hexane — 1.2 times (p=0.011), heptane — 1.3 times (p=0.046). It was found that with an experience of up to 10 years, formaldehyde in the blood of workers in the observation group was 1.4 times higher than that in the comparison group (p=0.011), with an experience of more than 10 years — 1.7 times (p=0.005). In the urine of workers in the observation group with work experience of up to 10 years, an excess of 1.3 (p=0.026) relative to the comparison group of hexane was found. HRV data analysis. With damage to the length of service in the observation group, there was a significant decrease in the temporal analysis indicators (SDNN, ms, RMSSD, ms, pNN50, %, CV, %), while in the comparison group, only the CV, % decrease was statistically significant; the values of IN conventional units, AMo, % significantly increased (p=0.03 and p=0.003, respectively). A statistically significant relationship was established between the likelihood of an increase depending on the content of heptane in urine (b₀=0.22; b₁=10.6; F=21.5; R²=0.09; p=0.0001) and formaldehyde in the blood (b₀=0.02; b₁=6.55; F=69.6; R²=0.25; p=0.0001) in the surveyed workers.

Conclusions. Activation of central ergotropic and humoral-metabolic mechanisms, a tendency towards a decrease in parasympathetic influences. The method of logistic regression analysis established a statistically significant relationship between the probability of an increase in the stress index depending on the heptane content in the blood of the surveyed suppliers.

Transport is an object of mass concentration of people where workers and passengers are likely to be exposed to pathogens of infectious diseases. 95% are diseases that do not respond effectively to the effects of specific prophylaxis, influenza and acute respiratory viral infections. Currently, measures to contain the infection have led to a restriction of transport activity. In such conditions, the development of effective ways to prevent the occurrence and spread of infectious diseases transmitted by airborne droplets, not controlled by means of specific prevention, as well as the preservation of the health of transport industry workers, is particularly relevant.

The aim of the study is to determine the location and type of air disinfection device in the driver's cabin of a railway vehicle and the passenger compartment of a sitting car with various breathing options (natural exhalation, cough, sneezing).

To determine the location and capacity of the decontamination plant, the mathematical method of gas-dynamic calculations using solid-state three-dimensional models was used. The study was performed in the SolidWorks software package, using the FlowSimulation module to solve the system of nonlinear Navier-Stokes equations. The trajectories of air flows from human breathing in the cab of the vehicle are calculated taking into account the influence of ventilation. Research on the effectiveness of disinfection was carried out by a certified laboratory in the operating conditions of the vehicle.

The results of the calculation allowed us to establish that it is advisable to place devices for physical disinfection of air in the cab of the vehicle at the level of the information panel on the left side or directly in the center. The basis for choosing the technical characteristics of the device for air disinfection should be information about the maximum speed of particles approaching the information panel, which is equal to 2.2–3 m/s.

The safest method of disinfection of the air environment of vehicles is the use of closed UV radiation installations, the effectiveness of which is confirmed in the course of a full-scale experiment.

It is concluded that the formation of an infection zone when an infected person is in the cab or cabin of a vehicle largely depends on the duration of his stay in the cabin, the intensity of breathing and the use of personal protective equipment. The advantage of closed UV radiation installations is the simultaneous provision of high disinfection efficiency and satisfaction of all safety requirements (chemical, environmental, fire, electrical, etc.), as well as the possibility of using the method in the presence of people. The analysis of the regulatory and technical documentation showed that UV irradiators are the only type of disinfection equipment that meets the requirements of domestic legislation in the field of sanitary and epidemiological welfare.

Professional standart "Occupational pathologist" (project)