Introduction: Methodological approaches to organizing monitoring of non-ionizing physical factors in the human environment are being developed. Currently, there is a need to elaborate and substantiate unified methodological approaches to organizing monitoring of acoustic exposure of the population.

Objective: To develop criteria and methodological approaches to monitoring acoustic exposure of the population in conjunction with a risk-based surveillance model.

Materials and Methods: The acoustic environment was studied in residential areas of St. Petersburg at addresses located in the historic part of the city and in districts with modern development (four observation groups each). Day and nighttime equivalent and maximum sound levels were measured in both warm and cold seasons of the year, at least at three observation points of each location. Acoustic models were constructed using the Acoustics 3D Automated WorkStation while three-dimensional models of the built environment were created based on the vector map of the city derived from Geographic Information Systems.

Results: In each study group, comparable values of equivalent and maximum sound levels were recorded when applying a uniform set of criteria and standard indicators. The difference in equivalent sound levels between points within the same group did not exceed 2 dB. Key parameters determining the acoustic environment (traffic flow composition and parameters, type of development, road surface characteristics, presence of green spaces) were identified and ranked. To validate the developed system of criteria and quantify their contribution to the overall noise pollution level, we constructed computer models of acoustic exposure. The results of modeling proved the adequacy of the selected criteria and the accuracy of the calculation algorithms incorporated in the model.

Conclusions: The developed criteria and proposed methodological approaches will help predict noise levels in the areas with similar sets of parameters, reduce the number of measurement points in groups homogeneous in terms of acoustically significant characteristics while maintaining acceptable accuracy of the obtained noise level values. This, in its turn, will facilitate standardization of monitoring programs, optimization of labor resources, removal of noise-safe facilities from monitoring schedules, and increased control over high-risk facilities.

Introduction: As part of the Clean Air Federal Project, Comprehensive Action Plans (CAPs) for reducing pollutant emissions were developed and approved in all participating cities. However, these CAPs do not allow for indicators describing the state of sanitary and epidemiological well-being. One such indicator could be achieving acceptable levels of public health risk.

Objective: To evaluate the reduction in pollutant emissions in the cities of Ussuriysk and Petrovsk-Zabaikalsky, both included in the Clean Air Federal Project, from the perspective of acceptability of public health risk levels.

Materials and Methods: We used Comprehensive Emission Reduction Action Plans and summary calculation databases to model ground-level air pollutant concentrations and assess chronic non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic health risks.

Results: By 2036, the carcinogenic risk is expected to decrease by an average of 31.6 %, while the non-carcinogenic risk to organs and systems is expected to drop by 69.1 % in Petrovsk-Zabaikalsky. In Ussuriysk, they will decrease by 39.3 % and 45.9 %, respectively.

Discussion: Risk reduction in the cities under study will not have significant hygienic implications, since the predicted risk levels for the current situation are assessed as acceptable. We did not consider acute exposure to pollutants based on their maximum concentrations due to the lack of information on the reduction of maximum emissions in line with CAPs, which could be essential for these cities since HQs for acute exposure to some substances had been previously predicted as high.

Conclusion: The study demonstrates a significant reduction in public health risks expected following CAP implementation in the years 2030 and 2036. It is relevant to assess the reduction of risks from acute exposures to benzene, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide but it is impossible at present due to the absence of appropriate plans to reduce maximum emissions.

Introduction: The presence of airborne substances having unpleasant, specific, or irritating odors is the main cause of public complaints. In this regard, it is necessary to improve methods of testing and assessing human exposures to foulsmelling substances, as well as optimize strategies for studying and regulating these exposures.

Objective: To develop methods of testing, modeling, and evaluation of foul-smelling substances in ambient air.

Materials and Methods: We conducted field olfactometric studies and modeling of ambient air pollution with foul-smelling substances based on laboratory testing of wastewater sludge emissions at sites known as sources of unpleasant odors.

Results: Field olfactometry findings helped reveal a potential source of malodor beyond the boundaries of the surveyed area. Ambient air pollution modeling showed that surface concentrations of all airborne contaminants did not exceed hygienic standards at all measurement points located at set distances; yet, the odor threshold was exceeded at a distance of more than 100 m from the facility boundary.

Discussion: The discussed olfactometry techniques represent a promising direction for further development of assessment and regulation of environmental exposures to foul-smelling substances.

Conclusion: The study results formed the basis for recommendations for improving field odor detection methods and applying the olfactometry criterion in addition to the hygienic criterion for determining adverse exposure areas when establishing sanitary protection zones.

Introduction: The color of water in Russian water bodies is associated with the presence of colored organic substances, iron compounds, and other metals as natural impurities. Water color is affected by climate change, seasonality, floods, and anthropogenic impact. Currently, methods for decolorization of highly colored natural waters are being actively developed.

Objective: To compile a list of water bodies with very high water color values based on the results of laboratory testing of water from centralized water supply systems in populated areas of the Russian Federation.

Materials and Methods: We used laboratory results of testing water sampled from centralized water supply systems in 2022–2025 to evaluate water color values for compliance with the standard and categorize them according to the Hazen color scale.

Results: In 2022–2024, water color exceedance was detected in all samples while in 2025, 4.2 % of the samples were noncompliant. In 2022–2024, the maximum color value detected was 458.0 and in 2025 – 535.0. In 2025, very high water color values were established in 0.3 % of water from water sources and pipelines and 0.1 % of water from the distribution network. Very high color values were also determined for 41 of 167 surface water bodies with water intakes.

Discussion: The decrease in the maximum water color values in water sources and pipelines and in the proportion of exceedances in 2025 was associated with a reduction in wastewater discharge, construction and reconstruction of water treatment facilities, and changes in drinking water treatment technologies. Future plans include public health risk assessment of exposure to highly colored drinking water, the study of high-color treatment methods, and evaluation of their effectiveness.

Conclusion: Highly colored waters are used for drinking water supply in the Russian Federation. Our findings formed the basis for a list of highly colored surface water bodies.

Introduction: The scientific and practical relevance of the study stems from the importance to maintain health of a large occupational cohort, improve road safety, and develop new comfort standards for advanced transport systems.

Objective: To summarize the experience of assessing the impact of vibration on vehicle drivers based on the results of hygienic studies and biomechanical calculations using long-haul truck drivers and locomotive crew members as examples.

Materials and Methods: Whole-body vibration of drivers was measured on trucks and freight locomotives.  Measurements and evaluation were carried out by the accredited laboratory of the North-West Public Health Research Center. The work was performed on a biomechanical model simulating the human musculoskeletal system; to quantify the impact, the compression load on the spine was calculated. To quantify the impact of vibration on the lumbosacral spine, the compressive load on the spine was calculated.

Statistical processing of the obtained data was performed using Microsoft Excel 2019 software.

Results: We established an exponential increase in the risk of musculoskeletal disorders. Over the first 10 years of work, the disease probability increased by ca. 30 % (from a baseline of 3 % to 33.6 %), by ca. 36 % (from 33.6 % to 69.7 %) over the following ten years, and by ca. 19.6 % (from 69.7 % to 89.3 %) in the period of 20 to 30 years of current employment.

Conclusions: Our findings show that the vibration exposure of truck drivers is chaotic and depends on a random factor (road surface quality) while that of locomotive crew members is more regular but contains dangerous low-frequency and jerky components that have a stronger effect on the lumbosacral region. In terms of severity, health disorders in locomotive crew members develop more clearly and predictably owing to the stability and invariability of their whole-body vibration exposure over decades. Truck drivers, on the opposite, suffer from a wider range of diseases. Spinal cord injury is a common and severe health outcome for both occupational groups. The presented model clearly demonstrates the likelihood of developing musculoskeletal disorders in workers exposed to vibration. This requires a comprehensive revision of work organization, including limiting the maximum number of years of employment in such jobs and creating effective early rehabilitation programs.

Background: Hygienic assessment of laser radiation requires quantitative determination of on-site radiation parameters. Despite strict regulations, several incidents related to adverse health effects of laser radiation have been reported. Occupational health and safety professionals have accumulated significant experience in ensuring laser radiation safety. Hygienic assessment of laser equipment includes dosimetry, comparison of measured levels with maximum permissible exposures, and the elaboration of recommendations for reducing exposures in case of exceedances. Prevention of its harmful effects is based on appropriate organizational, engineering, sanitary, hygienic, and therapeutic measures. Technical measures are considered the most effective.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of collective and individual protective equipment against laser radiation based on hygienic studies safety during cultural events.

Materials and Methods: We measured the levels of scattered radiation from 20 single-color and multicolor projectors affecting performers and spectators. To assess the effectiveness of personal protective equipment, additional measurements of laser radiation were conducted using K10 and SZS22 optical filters.

Results: Our findings confirm the key thesis that spatial separation, i.e. increasing the distance from the radiation source, and avoiding direct exposure to the beam during laser shows remain the most effective protective measures for spectators and personnel. Our measurements demonstrated variability in the beam intensity drop, which makes the calculated model insufficient for assessing the true risk.

Conclusion: The results prove the importance of revising approaches to laser radiation health risk assessment in the entertainment industry. The assumed absence of a universal safe distance for spectators of laser shows and a comprehensive instrumental on-site monitoring of laser irradiance from projectors allow for an objective assessment of risk levels and ensure due protection of show participants.

Introduction: The growing threat of antimicrobial resistance of key pathogens of hospital-acquired infections leads to the necessity to create automated surveillance systems at the level of a health facility and a constituent entity of the Russian Federation. To build an effective epidemiological security system in an institution, it is essential to consider the whole aggregate of clinical, laboratory, instrumental, and epidemiological data. Nowadays, these data are dispersed across different, unrelated information systems (laboratory information systems and medical information systems).

Objective: To analyze medical information systems currently used and put into practice in inpatient hospitals of St. Petersburg and capable of supporting the tasks of epidemiological surveillance through the present-day Automated Epidemiologist Workstation.

Materials and Methods: We reviewed scientific publications, epidemiological reference publications, and electronic information resources for 2015–2025. We also compared the local medical information system (MIS) and the unified platform implemented in the facility based on manufacturers’ specifications and urgent tasks of securing epidemiological safety of high-quality medical care.

Results: The available MIS configuration lacks specialized tools and modules for epidemiological control. The main stages of data analysis are performed outside the system using various third-party resources, which increases labor costs and delays in obtaining management-relevant information and reduces comparability of results by period and department. The unified urban platform has a higher scaling potential, but the practical effect is feasible only with a separate module and regulation of the elements of infection control.

Conclusion: Transitioning from formal data access to reproducible control requires a digital epidemiologist workstation ensuring integration of clinical and microbiological data, strict sampling rules, quality control of stratified indicators, and an automated data analysis to organize a real-time epidemiological security system.

Background: The characteristics of health problems in miners with different work experience remain largely unknown.

Objective: To study the influence of work experience duration on the development of health disorders in underground miners of the Kola Peninsula.

Materials and Methods: The nature of non-occupational diseases (11,003 cases) was studied in nine groups of miners, and the characteristics of occupational diseases (1,597 cases) were studied in six groups of miners with the different number of working years. The statistical analysis performed in Microsoft Excel 2016 included determination of the relative risk (RR), 95 % confidence intervals (CI), R² approximation criteria, goodness-of-fit, Pearson’s correlation, and Student’s t-test. Results: An increase in the proportion of musculoskeletal diseases (p = 0.011) and the number of diseases per employee (p = 0.005) were revealed in the group of workers having a year of work experience. In the group of those having 4 to 5 years of experience, the proportion of healthy individuals decreased (p = 0.003), while the proportion of diseases of the gastrointestinal system increased (p = 0.017). The work experience duration of 11 to 15 years was associated with the increased proportion of circulatory diseases (p = 0.035) and that of 30+ years showed a relationship with a higher rate of diseases of the ear (p < 0.001). The risk of developing a disease exceeded the reference level (≤ 1 year of employment) after 4–5 years of work experience: OR = 1.15; CI: 1.05–1.26. The increasing duration of work correlated with higher rates of musculoskeletal (R² = 0.973), respiratory (R² = 0.938), nervous (R² = 0.862), ear (R² = 0.743), circulatory (R² = 0.887), endocrine (R² = 0.790), digestive (R² = 0.598), genitourinary (R² = 0.728), and eye (R² = 0.850) diseases. Miners’ work experience at diagnosis of occupational diseases ranged from 5 to 42 years. Musculoskeletal diseases ranked first across all six length-of-service groups (55.8–60.8 %), followed by the vibration syndrome (14.1–26.9 %) and sensorineural hearing loss (11.0–21.9 %). The increase in years of work experience was accompanied by rising occupational disease rates (R² = 0.963). The most pronounced health disorders were observed within 11–15 years of service.

Conclusion: When implementing health-building measures, it is necessary to consider work experience-related characteristics of miners’ health conditions, particularly the early risk of musculoskeletal diseases.

Introduction: Working conditions in shipbuilding and ship repair are notorious for intense exposure to a whole range of occupational risk factors. To assess their health impact, it is expedient to use a method for assessing the age-specific dynamics of chronic disease risk based on the annual risk increment.

Objective: To assess the dynamics of chronic disease accumulation with age in workers of different occupational groups at shipbuilding facilities.

Materials and Methods: We used the results of a medical examination of 1,638 men and women employed at five shipbuilding and ship repair facilities in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region divided into two occupational groups: blue-collar workers and managers. Working conditions were assessed based on the officially published results of a special assessment of working conditions at these facilities for 2022–2025. Statistical data analysis was performed using SPSS 11.5 and Microsoft Excel 2010.

Results: Our analysis of the findings of the special assessment of working conditions revealed persistently high levels of occupational hazards, including noise, chemical pollution, and heavy physical work, all posing health risks to shipwrights. Periodic medical examinations showed a predominance of diseases of the circulatory system (22 %), primarily arterial hypertension, and bilateral sensorineural hearing loss (13 %), which requires increased attention to at-risk workers.

Conclusion: Working conditions of ship fitters, assemblers, woodcutters, and other core personnel are of hazard levels 2 to 3. The assessment of age-specific disease burden using the annual risk increment criterion revealed an accelerated accumulation of chronic conditions in production department managers compared to blue-collar workers. The findings will be used to develop preventive measures aimed at maintaining health and longevity of shipbuilding and ship repair workers.