Vol 26, No 6 (2019)

Aim: To study risks to public health of particular matter components in the atmospheric emissions of multifuel power plants (MPP). Methods: The study was performed on the territory of the Kirov region in the area of atmospheric emissions of the multifuel power plants. We ranked the chemicals included in the composition of atmospheric emissions from MPP by the level of carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk and modeled dispersion of emissions of MPP plants and estimation of carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health risks. Results: Three typical scenarios of the fuel balance of MPP for 17 years of observation were identified: I - the share of solid fuel more than 50 %, II - the share of solid fuel less than 20 % and III, characterized by an increase in the share of solid fuel in the fuel balance to 30 %. During the implementation of scenario I, the carcinogenic risk (CI 95 %) was 3.8x10-4 - 4.8x10-4 for the population of the area with the highest pollution level, non-carcinogenic risk was 2.37-2.96, there was an increase in the frequency of hospital admissions and mortality due to diseases of the circulatory system and respiratory organs. In the transition to scenario II, there was a decrease in the level of carcinogenic risk to 1.4x10-4 - 1.7x10-4 and non-carcinogenic risk to 0.85-1.05, a decrease in the frequency of hospital admissions and mortality due to diseases of the circulatory system and respiratory organs. Conclusions: Changes in the fuel balance of multi-fuel CHP are associated with a significant influence on the level of health risk. Highlighting areas of increased risk for population health in the areas adjacent to MPP is recommended.

Aim: To estimate air pollution and calculate non-cancerogenic risks for health of the population in the industrial cities of Chelyabinsk region. Methods: The study was performed in the cities of Magnitogorsk, Chelyabinsk and Zlatoust. For calculation of levels of pollution of atmospheric air Average annual concentration of substances in the atmospheric air and their standard deviations were calculated. The frequency rate of excess of the actual average concentrations over maximum permissible concentration (MPC) was studied. Assessment of total pollution of atmospheric air in the cities has been carried out by calculation of composite indicator of air pollution (CIAP) for 2012-2016. Assessment of non-cancerogenic risk for health of the population was performed as specified in guidelines P2.1.10.1920-04. Results: No difference in qualitative composition of atmospheric pollutants between the cities was found. We observed, however, quantitative differences. The highest annual average chemical concentrations over the study period were determined in Magnitogorsk (CIAP = 9.3 ± 0.43) while the lowest level was recorded in Zlatoust (CIAP = 6.0 ± 0.38). Risk assessment has shown that the city of Magnitogorsk is the most polluted. The greatest risks were found for development delays, diseases of respiratory organs and diseases of central nervous system followed by diseases of gastrointestinal tract and kidneys. Conclusion: High levels of air pollution were detected in the cities of Chelyabinsk region. Magnitogorsk, Chelyabinsk and Zlatoust had similar pollutants in the atmosphere, but important quantitative differences were observed. Magnitogorsk had an unacceptable level of non-cancerogenic risk, while Chelyabinsk and Zlatoust had high levels. Developmental delays and respiratory, digestive, cardiovascular, the central nervous system diseases seem to be the main target systems.

Aim: Сomparative assessment of lipid peroxidation - antioxidant defense parameters in Caucasian and Asian women in peri- and postmenopause. Methods: Altogether, 146 women of Caucasian (Russians (n = 82)) and Asian (Buryats (n = 64)) origins participated in the prospective non-randomized study. Each ethnic group was divided into three subgroups - women of reproductive age, perimeno-pause, postmenopause according to the gynecological status. The lipid peroxidation - antioxidant defense parameters were determined by spectrophotometric methods. Non-parametric tests were used for comparisons of the three independent groups. Results: in Russian perimenopausal women compared to women of reproductive age, an increase of lipid peroxidation substrates by 1.27 times (p = 0.032), active products of thiobarbituric acid (TBARS) by 1.25 times (p = 0.041), oxidized glutathione by 1.33 times (p = 0.021) levels and decrease of ketodienes and conjugated trienes (KD-CT) by 1.85 times (p < 0.001), retinol by 1.32 times (p = 0.043) levels, followed by an increase of KD-CT levels by 2 times (p < 0.001) and decrease of TBARS by 1.28 times (p = 0.042), а-tocopherol by 1.37 times (p = 0.001), retinol by 1.14 times (p = 0.019), GSSG by 1.16 times (p = 0.044) levels in postmenopausal women. In perimenopausal representatives of the Buryat ethnos compared with women of reproductive age, an decrease of lipid peroxidation substrates by 1.66 times (p < 0.001), conjugated dienes (CD) by 2.41 times (p < 0.001), KD-CT by 1.53 times (p = 0.045), а-tocopherol by 1.64 times (p < 0.001), retinol by 1.20 times (p = 0.024) levels, followed by an increase of lipid peroxidation substrates by 1.31 times (p = 0.028), CD by 1.53 times (p = 0.008), KD-CT by 1.32 times (p = 0.032) levels in postmenopausal women. Conclusions: Our results suggest that oxidative stress in menopause is more pronounced in Caucasian than in Asian women.

Aim: To study circulatory system functioning in elite skiers during adaptation to cold. Methods: Echocardiography, electrocardiography, recording of arterial pressure and electrochemiluminescent assessment of serum B-natriuretic peptide were performed to study the functioning of the cardiovascular system in 16 skiers during the period of preparation for the national competitions in different seasons. Results. Adaptive structural and functional changes in the cardiovascular system remain during seasons. At the same time, considerable seasonal differences in the functioning of the circulatory system were found. In winter, the subjects showed lower blood pressure, larger size of the left heart cavity, an higher rate of early blood filling of the left ventricle, transtricuspid blood flow, as well as the time of hemodynamics in the root of the pulmonary artery. In the rehabilitation period after exercise in skiers background levels of serum NT-proBNP in winter were about three times lower than in summer. Conclusion. The results have shown that the cardiovascular system of elite skiers during seasonal preparation for the competition is characterized by stable adaptive structural and functional changes. Adaptation to cold increases the influence of vagus nerve on the tone of resistive vessels, increases cardiohemodynamics and decreases basal secretory function of the myocardium in response to hemodynamic loads.

Aim: To study associations between smoking and vital exhaustion among workers of a large factory in Southern Ural. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 1 101 employees of one of the enterprises of the Southern Ural was performed. Smoking status was established by a questionnaire and expressed as a number of cigarettes smoked per day. Height, weight, resting heart rate and charge heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure were measured. Self-administered questionnaire was used to study the presence of angina, chronic bronchitis and neurological complaints. Vital exhaustion was studied by the abridged version of the Maastricht questionnaire. Categorical variables were analyzed by Pearson's chi-squared statistics using IBM SPSS software, v.22.0. Results: At the time of the survey, 25.6 % of women and 52.3 % of men smoked daily. Altogether, 18.0 % of the women and 9.6 % of men have average or high level of vital exhausion. No statistically significant association between smoking and vital exhaustion was observed in either men (р = 0.287) or women (р = 0.720). Conclusions: A cross-sectional study could not determine a statistically significant relationship between smoking and vital exhaustion among workers of a factory.