Introduction. Cognitive disorders in children reduce their social abilities and abilities to learn; therefore, correct diagnostics and prevention of such disorders is a pressing medical and social issue. Materials and methods. The test group was made of two hundred sixty eight 4-7 years children lived and attended preschool children facilities in a zone exposed to emissions from a non-ferrous metallurgic enterprise. The reference group included 97 unexposed children of the same age. We analyzed ambient air quality on both territories. Cognitive processes were estimated by using a series of tests. Laboratory tests were aimed at estimating peroxidation-antioxidant balance, levels of neuromediators and neurotrophic factors in blood serum. Results. The children from the test group had chemicals in their blood and urine in concentrations being both higher than the reference values and those detected in the reference group. Thus, manganese contents in their blood were by 1.3 times higher and aluminum contents in urine were by 1.7-2.2 times higher (p<0.001). Tests applied to estimate development of perception, logical thinking, attention and sensorimotor coordination, revealed that the exposed children were by 1.2-2.0 times less efficient in doing them than their counterparts from the reference group (p = 0.001-0.034). We established a relationship between likelihood of poorer perception and thinking and contents of manganese and aluminum in biological media (R2 = 0.28-0.33). The children in the test group had by 1.2-1.5 times higher contents of malonic dialdehyde (25% contributed by aluminum and 31% contributed by manganese) and lipid peroxides (71% contributed by aluminum) in blood plasma. Antioxidant activity of blood plasma was by 1.2 times lower in the test group, nurotropin-3 contents were higher (13% contributed by manganese) and neuron-specific enolase in blood serum tended to decrease (58% contributed by aluminum). Limitations. Age-related limitations concerning the applied series of tests. Conclusion. Poorer perception and logical thinking, intensified lipid peroxidation and impaired balance of neurotrophic factors are target indicators necessary when developing relevant medical and preventive activities for children in a zone exposed to a non-ferrous metallurgic enterprise.

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 PM2.5 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 PM2.5, 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.

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Introduction. The problem of diseases of the respiratory system in children in regions with technogenic atmospheric pollution by chemical agents is relevant. The aim of the study was to study the features of the formation of the pathology of the upper respiratory tract, their pathogenetic mechanisms, and causal relationships of clinical, instrumental, and immunological disorders with toxic load in children living under conditions of chronic exposure to phenols and aromatic hydrocarbons of the industrial origin. Materials and methods. one thousand one hundred fifty one 4–13 years children were examined, 883 people made up the observation group and lived in the territory with excess of hygienic standards in the air of phenol, formaldehyde, acrolein, o-xylene. The comparison group consisted of 268 children living in the territory of ecological well-being. The prevalence of pathology of the upper respiratory tract (URT), rhinomanometry, laboratory parameters were assessed, correlation-regression relationships of clinical and laboratory parameters and the concentration of chemicals in the blood were determined. Results. The study established for the first time the relationship between the concentration of chemical compounds in the blood, laboratory and instrumental indicators in children with URT pathology, living in the territory with excess levels of phenol, formaldehyde, acrolein. The total nasal airflow in the observation group was 10-15% lower than in the comparison group and inversely related to the blood concentration of acrolein, o-xylene, phenol, formaldehyde, and the content of IgG specific to phenol, myelopyroxidase, total number of lymphocytes, subpopulations of CD3+CD25+ and CD3+CD95+, integral index of proliferation and frequency of cells with apoptotic bodies and circular notches of the nucleus. Limitations. The results of the study can be extrapolated to 4-13 years children, boys and girls. The study did not include young children or adults. Conclusion. Characteristic features of the pathology of the upper respiratory tract associated with increased levels of acrolein, o-xylene, phenol and formaldehyde in the blood are a decrease in nasal airflow against the background of specific immune-dependent and non-specific inflammation. To reduce the incidence of URT in children, it is necessary to develop programs that include measures aimed at improving the quality of the environment, therapeutic and preventive measures that increase adaptive capacity.