Health risk assessment for the general population and industrial workers is most commonly based on analysis related to the determination of harmful chemicals in environmental objects (air, water, soil, food). An increasing number of experts have recently been inclined to believe an approach to give no an idea of the total amount of chemical pollutants actually entering the human body, and another approach based on the biomonitoring procedure has been suggested. The aim of the work was to systematize current concepts about the classification of biomarkers, their toxicological and hygienic characteristics and the prospects for the practical use of laboratory research results in prevention of chemical etiology of diseases. Analytical review of national and foreign literature information concerning current terminology and classification of biological markers used in biomonitoring process to assess human body exposure degree to harmful environmental chemicals is submitted. The development and improvement of biomonitoring strategies, the range of studied specific biomarkers were revealed to be being widened, enhance the objectivity of risk assessment of the development of chemical etiology diseases caused by environmental pollution. At the present stage, the classification of biomarkers is represented by four types: exposure, effect, sensitivity, and “omics” for scientific research. According to chemical structure exposure biomarkers are divided into two groups: organic compounds and metals. It is suggested to use in Russia foreign experience in developing a biomonitoring system by the example of European Union countries and the United States, where there are national biomonitoring programs in which each country determines its priorities for choosing biomarkers based on assessment of public health risks, exposure levels in a particular region, toxicological characteristics, interpretability of findings, analytical feasibility, possibility of reducing exposure. Each biomarker is ranked according to its total weight score. Biological exposure limits developed by the Human Biomonitoring Commission of German Environment Agency are most often used in literature for assessment of biomonitoring findings. Taking into account foreign experience, introduction of biomonitoring strategies in Russia appears to be most reasonable as based on current social and hygienic monitoring system in Rospotrebnadzor (Federal Service for Surveillance over Consumers’ Rights Protection) institutions in cooperation with health care institutions of RF Health Ministry).

Air quality in residential premises equipped with modern airtight windows and entrance doors causes public complaints. We discussed peculiarities of air quality changes in residential buildings resulting from large-scale use of window glass units, which are characterized by increased thermal resistance and high-quality insulation, used in modern residential construction. Regulatory and law documentation are analyzed. Advisability of using mechanical supply and exhaust ventilation in residential premises, as well as special inlet devices – ventilation valves, which ensure sufficient air exchange in the apartment, unlike currently used exhaust ventilation system with natural inducement, are substantiated. It is suggested to coordinate the requirements of current sanitary standards and rules for residential premises with the requirements of engineering regulatory documents.

Introduction. Urban wastewater sludge (UWS) is an important by-product of traditional urban wastewater treatment. Incineration is considered the most effective and universal method of reducing the volume of a large amount of UWS and their disinfection. However, the situation in the areas where the USW incineration plants are located, as a result of the pyrolytic process products entering the atmospheric air, creates complete uncertainty and unpredictability of the development of events that can lead in certain situations to the formation of an additional risk to public health. The purpose of the study. Hygienic characteristics of wastewater sludge incineration technology based on indicators of atmospheric air pollution and the magnitude of the risk to the health of the population living in the zone of influence of the implemented technology. Materials and methods. At the first stage, the analysis of the information presented in the international databases PubMed, Scopus, and PRINCE was carried out. Based on the results of the analysis, a list of chemical compounds was formed to identify the qualitative composition and determine the amount of pollutants in industrial emissions into the atmospheric air during the implementation of wastewater sludge incineration technology. Sanitary and chemical studies of industrial emissions into the atmospheric air were carried out by the chemical analytical center “Arbitration” of the D.I. Mendeleev Institute for Metrology. Modern high-precision analytical methods have been used to identify and quantify priority atmospheric pollutants. Results. Industrial emissions samples laboratory studies were carried out. Measurement results analysis showed that the indicators of quantitative emissions of harmful (polluting) substances do not exceed the international regulations requirements, most are below the detection limit, and the calculated concentrations do not exceed hygienic standards. The assessment of carcinogenic health risk are determined as acceptable, the probability of developing diseases additional cases from exposure to all the studied carcinogens throughout life in the population permanently residing in the territory in the area of the enterprise location is assessed as insignificant (less than one case). Limitations. In this study, there was a limitation associated with the method for determining concentrations of substances detection limit, which, nevertheless, satisfies the purpose of the study. Since a sample of unknown composition was taken, the entire possible substances spectrum in the emissions was evaluated. Substances with a carcinogenic effect were present in the emissions, but only those substances that had a carcinogenic potential factor were included in the carcinogenic risk assessment.

Findings on the hygienic assessment of working conditions in radio-electronic component development and production at a modern enterprise producing capacitors, microcircuits, resistors and semiconductor devices are reported. Working conditions of employees engaged in radio-electronic component development (developers, designers) and production (photolithographers, wiremen, radio-electronic component and semiconductor device assemblers, adjusters and quality control inspectors) were studied. Hygienic studies of the working environment and working process factors were carried out to assess working conditions: workplace noise and magnetic field levels, microclimatic parameters, illuminance, the air pollution by chemicals. Time studies were performed to evaluate the heaviness and intensity of the work process. As a result of our studies, the main adverse factors were identified to assess worker health risks. Working conditions in job groups engaged in radio electronic component design were evaluated as harmful of 3 class, 1 degree. Working process intensity caused by sensory and mental load was found to be the major adverse factor. Working conditions in the job group engaged in experimental and small-scale production are characterized by exposure to “low-intensity factors”. Visual strain and fixed working posture are common for such jobs as radio electronic device wireman and quality control inspector using optical equipment in their work, which rates the heaviness of their working process as harmful working conditions. Our findings are intended to be used to define main harmful factors for the health risk assessment of radio component production workers, to carry out a comprehensive occupational health risk assessment, identifying job and long-term employment duration risk groups, to develop risk management measures. Our findings can provide a scientific rationale and contribute to the development of a complex of hygienic and preventive medical measures to be introduced into the practice of health protection service.

Introduction. The modern stage of development of electronics is characterized by the widespread use of integrated circuits (IC). Assessment of working conditions in a promising, developing production of electronic components with hygienic positions is an urgent task.The aim of the study is to conduct a hygienic assessment of working conditions of workers in the main professions in the production of IC.Materials and methods. Hygienic research conducted at three modern enterprises for the production of chips and semiconductor devices, included the study of the conditions and nature of work of workers in the main professions. 215 chemical analyses for the content of harmful substances were carried out in order to assess the air environment and 270 measurements of the levels of physical factors at 18 workplaces.Results. Findings of hygienic assessment of working conditions for employees engaged in manufacture of microcircuits: operators of chemical processing, precision photolithography (PPL), diffusion processes, vacuum deposition, and IMC assemblers are reported. Based on the analysis of the technological process and the list of materials used and time-study data, the studies of workplace air pollution, sound levels, artificial lighting, microclimate parameters (temperature, humidity, air velocity), working process parameters were carried out. The jobs in which work is characterized by toxic chemicals exposure, precision visual operations using optical instruments during 55% of the shift were singled out. Priority occupational health risk factors for workers employed in modern IMC production and main areas of working environment optimization were revealed.Conclusions. Based on the conducted hygienic studies, musculoskeletal system load combined with visual strain were found to be the priority occupational health risk factors for microcircuit production workers. Manual operations taking up a significant part of the working process and introduction of automated IMC technological processes being insufficient, preventive measures should be aimed at organizing a rational working regime that provides reducing of visual strain and musculoskeletal system load.