Deep mining is widely spread in Russia; therefore, it is truly vital to determine how labor resources in the branch can be preserved. Adverse working conditions cause elevated risks of not only occupationally induced diseases, but also production-related ones, make medical and social consequences of such diseases even worse, and result in a decrease in overall labor potential of a society. Miners’ working conditions are ones of the most adverse. When participating in technological processes, workers are exposed to a set of adverse and dangerous industrial factors, both common for any deep mining and specific ones related to a type of mineral resources which are mined. We performed a complex assessment of working conditions existing in deep mining of chromic ores in order to detect risks of chronic diseases for miners as well as to determine an extent to which such diseases were production-related. We revealed that working conditions for miners involved in chromic ores mining were associated with joint negative effects exerted by physical and chemical factors of the working process; as per this combination of factors, they can be assigned into “adverse working conditions with 3–4 hazard degree” category. Workers involved in deep mining at chromic mines ran 1.5–5.2 times higher relative risks of cardiovascular system diseases, respiratory system diseases, endocrine system diseases, and hearing organs diseases, than personnel employed at mines but dealing with production processes on the surface. Nervous and respiratory system diseases, endocrine pathologies, and hearing organs diseases in miners employed at chromic mines were to a great extent production-related while cardiovascular system diseases less significantly depended on industrial factors.
Features of work schedule in continuous technologic processes necessitate study of its influence on vegetative functions dynamics, to develop early diagnostic measures and prevention of health disorders. The examination covered 22 males exposed to occupational hazards at work schedule including night shifts; average age 35,3±4,1 years, average length of service 10,2±3,1 years. The reference group included 28 males with analogous occupations and work conditions with work schedule without night shifts; average age 37,9±3.3 years (p>0,05), average length of service 13,2±3,2 years (p>0,05). Clinical evaluation of the autonomous nervous system was performed according to standardized protocol and questionnaire of A.M. Vein. Variability of heart rhythm was assessed with software complex «Poly-Spectr–8/EX» by standard method. Findings are that the workers exposed to occupational hazards and engaged into work schedule with night shifts during 5 years demonstrate the level of vegetative regulation at rest corresponding to the physiologic one; but on exertion there is intense stress of adaptation mechanisms and significant decrease of functional resources. If length of service from 5 to 10 years, the vegetative regulation is characterized by dysbalance of adaptation mechanisms and vegetative dysfunction development; additional exertion cause overstrain sympathetic part with depletion of compensatory mechanisms. If length of service over 10 years, there is excessive involvement of sympathetic influences after orthoclinostatic test — that indicates severe strain of vegetative regulation mechanisms.
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.
The results of a study of the health status of employees of metallurgical enterprises under the conditions of exposure to rare earth elements (on the example of employees of titanium and magnesium production) are presented. 107 workers (men) of the observation group exposed to harmful production factors and 72 employees of the administrative apparatus without exposure to harmful production factors were examined. An analysis of the working conditions of workers, research on the content of rare earth elements in the air of the working area and in bioassays, and a sociological survey were carried out. The general clinical, biochemical, immunological parameters of the blood of workers in the titaniummagnesium production were studied. A functional study of the cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, and nervous systems was performed. According to the results obtained, the final class of working conditions at the workplace corresponded to classes 3.1–3.3. Exceeding the MPC of rare earth elements and estimated safe exposure levels have not been identified. An increase in the content of europium, which can replace calcium and magnesium in the body, was found in the workers of the observation group. The revealed dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system and impaired adaptation of the body are formed as a result of exposure of workers in the titanium-magnesium production to a harmful production environment. Exposure of chemicals in workers causes a change in humoral immunity in the form of hyperproduction of IgA, and with an experience of more than 5 years, activation of cellular immunity (increased absolute phagocytosis, CD16+56+ and CD3+25+). Recorded changes in the parameters of rhinomanometry and spirography in the observation group may indicate the presence of the process of aseptic inflammation in the airways under the combined effect of irritating chemicals and rare earth elements. Low-symptomatic or asymptomatic liver damage, characterized by non-specific structural changes (hepatomegaly, increased echogenicity) and a laboratory symptom complex of a simultaneous increase in AlAt and AsAt, LDH. The emerging dysfunction of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems is transformed into cardiorespiratory and hepatopulmonary pathology, increasing the risk of sudden death. The combined impact of production factors «rejuvenates» the age of formation of production-related and occupational diseases, contributes to the loss of professional working capacity by employees even before retirement age.
Introduction. Employees engaged in mining are exposed to several harmful (hazardous) occupation factors: dust factor, industrial noise, general and local vibration, hard labour, heating or cooling microclimate. The paper aims at studying the influence of the length of employment in underground chrome ore mining coupled with biological (age, obesity) and behavioral (smoking) parameters on spirometric bronchial obstruction indices. Material and methods. The study included 134 employees of a chrome ore mine having underground experience from 1 to 33 years. The comparison group comprised of 404 people who had never worked in a mine. External respiration function was evaluated using the Spirometer SP-1 (Schiller). Statistical processing was carried out using the SPSS 22. One-factor and multi-factor linear regression models were built. Results. The construction of one-factor linear regression models of the dependence of FEV1%, FVC% considering the selected independent factors (age, waist circumference, smoking experience, underground experience) showed a statistically significant effect on the dependent variable of all factors in the model (R2 = 0.010-0.135; p = 0.026-0.0001). The variability of obstructive parameters in a multi-factor linear regression model occurs not often in terms of the studied factors (as for FEV1%, R2 = 0.163; as for FVC%, R2 = 0.107). Smoking experience and waist circumference are the most significant factors leading to the decrease in these indices. Age and underground work experience are less important, but statistically significant. Limitations. The limitation of the results of the study was that they characterize a specific set of certain working conditions and lifestyles of workers in chromium mines. Conclusion. A small part of the impact on the obstruction indices of underground work experience might be due to the use of modern engineering systems to eliminate the harmful effects of occupation factors, as well as personal respiratory protection from dust exposure.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.