The article presents an overview and summarizes the accumulated international and national experience, highlighting the formation and main stages of the development of the theoretical foundations and practical significance of the use of biomarkers in medico-ecological studies and evaluations in terms of influence of harmful chemical factors on the human organism. It is shown that in order to increase the effectiveness of evidentiary causal relationships of developing negative effects and modifying the mechanism of their development with the adverse effects of environmental factors, the need to expand scientific research in the field of biomarkers, their selection criteria, and justification of reference levels is becoming more urgent. In accordance with the opinion of experts from the Ad Hoc Collaborating Organizations on Biomarkers (UNEP, ILO and WHO), biomarkers of three classes were identified - exposure biomarkers, reflecting exposure, sensitivity, characterizing the degree of organism susceptibility to exposure and markers of negative effects, indicating the development of the body's response to the effects of risk factors. Based on the currently existing international approaches and taking into account national competencies, a characteristic was given and the practical significance of each class of biological markers was shown when solving problems of substantiating cause-effect relationships in the system «environment - human health» and making adequate management decisions.
Effects produced by hazardous occupational factors on workers employed in oil extraction often occur under low temperatures when workers have to perform their tasks outdoors. Our research goal was to assess a contribution made by cooling meteorological factors into health risks for workers performing their job tasks outdoors during a cold season in order to substantiate priority prevention activities. The research was performed on workers employed by a large oil extracting company who spent different amount of time outdoors during a cold season. A posteriori group risk was assessed according to the Guide as per results obtained via periodical medical examinations in 2017–2018. Working conditions were assessed basing on a report obtained via special assessment of working conditions and industrial control results. Cooling microclimate was assessed according to G 2.2.2006-05. Basing on the results of a priori group risk assessment, work places were ranked as per health disorders probability. It was shown that in-plant noise was the leading factor causing health risks. Besides, when working experience exceeded 20 years, cooling meteorological conditions also made a substantial contribution into risks occurrence. Obtained results indicate that it is necessary to develop medical and prevention activities for workers who have to spend a lot of time outdoors in areas with cold climatic conditions.
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.