Industrial toxicology as an important part of occupational medicine: retrospective, reality and development prospects (literature review)

Abstract

Introduction. The stages of development of industrial toxicology and the contribution of the main scientific schools to the theory and practice of hygienic regulation of industrial substances in the air of the working area are considered, the main tasks for the near future are identified. Material and methods. The analysis of domestic literature, materials of scientific conferences and 25 years of experience in the section “Industrial toxicology” of the Commission “Scientific foundations of occupational health and occupational diseases” of the USSR Academy of Medical Sciences was carried out. Results. On the edge of the XX-XXI centuries, there was a significant reduction in industrial toxicology laboratories in specialized institutes, which led to a multiple decrease in the number of annual substantiation of maximum allowable concentration and indicative limit values for chemicals in the air of the working area, while maintaining a great need for this work. The lack of hygienic regulations for chemicals used in technological processes reduces the quality of a special assessment of the working conditions of workers. Against this background, due to the intensive development of the nanoindustry, in which known substances in the nanoscale acquire new properties, the chemical safety strategy becomes even more relevant. The absence of a medical specialty “preventive toxicology” complicates the quality training of relevant specialists. Limitations. The study was based on the materials of domestic publications in the open press. Conclusion. The experimental base of industrial toxicology needs to be significantly expanded, and the system of hygienic regulation of chemicals in the air of the working area needs to be optimized and transferred from initiative research to a planned distribution process.