Background. Implementation of the Federal Clean Water Project within the National Housing and Urban Environment Project was based on the results of numerous health studies conducted within the framework of functioning of the interdepartmental system of public health monitoring and introduction of the risk-based approach into sanitary and epidemiological surveillance. In this regard, there was a need to develop a comprehensive approach to securing safety of drinking and recreational water use and assessing efficiency of implemented solutions.

Objective. To assess efficiency of implementation of a system approach to ensuring safety of public drinking and recreational water use on the example of the Voronezh Region.

Materials and methods. The study included laboratory testing of water quality in places of recreational water usage, drinking water quality assessment followed by a health risk assessment, a comprehensive evaluation of the extent of sanitary and epidemiological problems in drinking water supply systems, an online questionnaire-based survey of regional residents on tap water quality, a correlation analysis to establish the relationship between population health and water quality, and experimental studies to assess migration of organic compounds from polymer containers into bottled drinking water.

Results. Challenges of recreational water use are associated with poor quality of surface water in terms of chemical (ammonium ion, nitrates, phosphates, and biochemical oxygen demand) and microbiological water quality parameters. Priority indices of drinking water quality in centralized water supply systems include the contents of nitrates, fluorine, boron, and iron, which are unacceptable in terms of non-carcinogenic risk (HQ > 1). In disadvantaged areas, water quality in centralized drinking water supply systems is considered “extremely poor”. The online survey demonstrated that the majority of the population (30.7 %) prefers to use water filter jugs to treat tap water. We observed significant correlations between the quality of tap and surface waters and disease incidence rates in the population. We also obtained new data on migration of organic compounds from polymer containers intended for drinking water storage and bottling in case of storage temperature excursions.

Conclusion. Our findings served as the basis for the proposed algorithm of implementing a system approach to securing safety of recreational and drinking water use and for evaluating the effectiveness of implemented solutions.

Introduction. The labor of workers of the main occupations in the mining industry is characterized by a combined effect of occupational risk factors, which can be further aggravated by adverse environmental conditions.

Objective: to study working conditions of employees in the mining industry.

Materials and methods. We conducted a hygienic assessment of the technological process of manufacturing oxidized fluxed and non-fluxed pellets during the extraction of iron ore by surface mining and its further processing into high-quality raw materials for ferrous metallurgy, and a study of harmful physical and chemical factors of the working environment.

Results. We established that a sinter machine operator (Class 3.3 hazard working conditions in the summer time), an operator of the agglomeration and firing furnace (Сlass 3.4), and a bunker operator in the shop for fired pellets (Сlass 3.3) work in hot occupational environment. The average value of the intensity of thermal radiation over the irradiation period (1.35 hours) for agglomeration and firing furnace operators was 356.2 W/m2 or 2–2.5 times higher than the maximum permissible level. Increased noise levels (Class 3.2) were measured at the workplaces of conveyor, sinter and furnace operators (14.8 % and 9.25 %). At individual workplaces of sintering machine operators, we registered elevated dust concentrations (Class 3.1), noise levels (Classes 3.1 and 3.2), sulfur dioxide concentrations (Class 3.1), and the sum of irritant chemicals (Classes 3.1 and 3.2 by excess of the maximum permissible concentration (MPC)) were recorded. At workplaces and in the service area of the furnaces at agglomeration and roasting, the maximum permissible level was exceeded for dust (Class 3.1), noise (Classes 3.1 and 3.2), sulfur dioxide (Class 3.1), and the sum of irritant chemicals (Classes 3.1 and 3.2).

Conclusions: The hygienic analysis of the technological process of manufacturing iron ore pellets at the pelletizing plant indicates the presence of sources and conditions forming adverse occupational factors posing health risks for workers. In order to address occupational health and safety issues, it is necessary to introduce comprehensive measures to prevent health disorders in the working population.

Introduction. Pesticides as biologically active compounds posing potential hazard to worker’s health may cause both acute and chronic occupational poisonings (diseases). Apart from the occupational setting, many people get exposed to pesticides during their use in personal subsidiary plots. Various pesticide application techniques, such as ground-based boom spraying of field crops, air blast spraying of gardens, aerial spraying of fields and forests, treatment of greenhouses, seed dressing, fumigation of grain and warehouses, preparation and application of baits, require a differentiated approach to precautionary measures. Safety use practices for pesticides developed by F.F. Erisman Federal Scientific Center of Hygiene in the past shall be revised to incorporate changes in formulations, techniques, and regulations.

Objective. To substantiate hazard-specific safety requirements for various pesticide application techniques and equipment in the agricultural industry.

Materials and methods. We analyzed regulatory documents and guidelines, results of our own long-term studies, and publicly available information on the safe use of pesticides in agriculture.

Results. Based on our findings, we suggest measures for the safe use of pesticides complying with appropriate regulations for the processed crops and application rules and taking into account conditions of the equipment used. We also provide recommendations for prevention of acute pesticide poisoning for agricultural workers, farmers and users from the standpoint of occupational health.

Conclusion. It is important to develop a profound document summarizing occupational safety and health requirements for all pesticide use practices.

Background. Uneven distribution of fresh water sources on the land surface encourages a search for effective techniques of potable water preparation by desalination of seawater. Hygienic issues of such desalination methods as distillation, reverse osmosis, electrodialysis, and ion exchange have been investigated by now and appropriate limitations, requirements, and additional measures to ensure safety of desalinated drinking water have been established.

Objective. To summarize and systematize the results of studying characteristics of various methods of seawater desalination for its further use for drinking and household purposes.

Materials and methods. We conducted a systematic review of studies published in Russian and in English, found in the PubMed and Web of Science databases, and selected 40 literary sources containing an empirical assessment of effectiveness of seawahttps ter desalination and preparation of drinking water. We also scrutinized regulatory documents and guidelines of domestic sanitary legislation. The research results were systematized by the main desalination methods.

Results and discussion. We established that the use of seawater for the preparation of fresh water for drinking and household purposes is becoming increasingly widespread around the world. Drinking water obtained from seawater, in all cases, requires additional treatment and measures to optimize its mineral composition and protect against microorganisms.

Conclusion. The main challenges of ensuring sanitary and epidemiological wellbeing of the population when using desalinated seawater for drinking and household purposes include selection of a source, arrangement of sites of water intake properly protected from natural and man-made pollution, substantiation of techniques and modes of preliminary preparation of source seawater adequate to its composition, basic desalination, ensuring safety of products of destruction and migration of toxic substances from reagents and materials of desalination plants, additional conditioning with the necessary elements and disinfection of the prepared water, as well as environmental protection from desalination waste.

Introduction. Atmospheric aerosols contain many carcinogenic and toxic substances, a significant part of which is represented by heavy metals. Traditionally, metal analysis is preceded by air sampling on AFA-HA-20 filters; yet, the lack of regulations on permitted background levels of trace elements in the filter material may limit reliability of measurements. Selection of filters with similar technological parameters can be a way to improve analytical accuracy.

Objective: To determine contamination of different types of filters and to establish its effect on the results of spectral analysis of airborne metal concentrations in a large industrial city.

Materials and methods: We analyzed unexposed AFA-HA-20 filters and Merck Millipore MF filters (n = 30 each) for the content of 13 heavy metals identified as priority pollutants within the Federal Clean Air Project. To assess the effect of filter contamination on the analytical error, air sampling was performed by exposing Merck Millipore MF filters at mobile monitoring stations in the city of Lipetsk. The filters were then analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry with prior microwave mineralization.

Results: Our findings confirm the repeatedly obtained data on metal contents in null AFA-HA-20 filters and indicate significantly lower levels of contamination of unexposed Millipore MF filters made of mixed cellulose ethers.

Conclusions: The risk of obtaining false positive and false negative results depends on the level and variability of the content of a particular trace metal in the filter. The AFA-HA-20 type of filters traditionally used for ambient air sampling may itself confound measurement result.

Introduction. The article presents data on the role of milk and dairy products, including fermented milk products, in the human diet and reflects their important role in providing the body with proteins having a high essential amino acid content. In addition to all health benefits of milk, fermented dairy products have dietary and medicinal properties while their digestibility is higher than that of milk.

Objective. To demonstrate the role of fermented milk products in human nutrition and benefits of fermented milk products enriched with probiotic microorganisms for preventive nutrition in the microbiocenosis of the gastrointestinal tract.

Materials and methods. The article presents an analytical review of literary sources on the role of milk and dairy products, including fermented milk products, in human nutrition and provides information on the per capita production and consumption of milk and dairy products in the Russian Federation. It also addresses the problem of dysbiosis since fermented dairy technology can pose a serious microbiological risk related to favorable conditions for the growth of extraneous microorganisms coming from raw materials, starter cultures, and equipment during the production process. The absence of stringent quality standards for fermented milk products contributes to manufacturing of various counterfeit foods.

Results. The article outlines the main provisions of the expert hygienic assessment of specialized food products for preventive nutrition for the purpose of their state registration on the example of fermented milk bioproducts, defines criteria for assessing the quality and safety of specialized products for dietary nutrition and requirements for technical documentation on these products, and provides the list of necessary documents for expert examination of hygiene and safety of specialized products for therapeutic and preventive nutrition.

Conclusion. The permission to use novel fermented milk products as preventive nutrition foods shall be based on results of assessing their compliance with the requirements of technical regulations of the Customs Union and the Eurasian Economic Union on the quality and safety of products and their raw materials, packaging and labeling.

Introduction. Various copper compounds are most widely used as plant protection agents in agriculture. From a hygienic point of view, information on excessive accumulation of copper in plants related to the use of a specific formulation of copper- containing pesticides is of interest.

Our objective was to assess feasibility of increasing statistical significance of results of determining low residue levels of a copper-containing pesticide in apple samples by flame atomic absorption spectrometry using a high-resolution spectrometer in combination with developed approaches to sample preparation of plant-based foods, including homogenization with dry ice and microwave mineralization.

Materials and methods: We analyzed 30 samples of apples collected in three different agro-climatic zones by flame atomic absorption spectrometry and electrothermal atomization atomic absorption spectrometry. Both methods were validated on 10 samples with added copper at levels 1-5 of the lower limit of quantitation. A statistical calculation was performed based on a simple Student’s test to assess the significance of differences between the results of measurements by flame and electrothermal techniques. Homogeneity of variances was estimated using the Fisher test to clarify the possibility of comparing two data sets.

Results: The use of a technique of cryo-grinding and microwave decomposition in a microwave reactor in combination with a high-resolution continuum source atomic absorption spectrometry demonstrated a decrease in scattering and the limit of detection and better repeatability in the analysis of parallel samples. Results of statistical calculations confirmed the homogeneity of variances in data samples obtained for electrothermal and flame techniques, and the further Student’s t-test showed insignificant differences between the results of measurements obtained by FAAS and ET-AAS.

Conclusion: Our findings prove that modern methods of sample preparation in combination with highly sensitive equipment allow a significant reduction in the limit of detection and scattering of test results.

Background. The coronavirus pandemic, also known as the COVID-19 pandemic, introduced significant changes in vital activities of the population and spread of airborne infectious diseases, the study of which enables ranking of preventive measures.

The objective of our study was to assess the degree of influence of the lockdown and social distancing imposed in the Krasnodar Krai in 2020 due to the pandemic on the incidence of airborne communicable diseases based on the example of varicella.

Materials and methods. We conducted a retrospective analysis of a 10-year incidence of varicella in the population of the Tuapse district, Krasnodar Krai using monthly and annual data on the incidence of infectious and parasitic diseases (Form No. 2) in the Tuapse district for 2011–2020 and the “Population Incidence” software, version 5, by applying standard techniques and methods of studying the epidemic process.

Results. Stringent restrictive measures taken in the country in 2020 in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic caused a significant decrease (by 741 %) in the incidence of chickenpox among the population of the Tuapse district compared to the long-term average rate. In April – May and July – September 2020, varicella incidence rates were 30.98 and 7.75 per 100 thousand population or 7.4 and 18.8 times lower than the long-term average, respectively. The majority of chickenpox cases in the Tuapse district (as in the country as a whole) were pediatric – 94.02 % (RF – 94.3 %), with children aged 3 to 6 years making up 61 % of the total.

Conclusion. The lockdown and social distancing imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic has a significant reducing effect on the incidence of airborne infectious diseases in the population in the absence of effective vaccination.

Introduction: Due to a high incidence of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the Russian Federation in 2020, identification of the regional features of the disease spread has become relevant for understanding of the further development of the development of the epidemic process, organizing and implementing comprehensive preventive measures.

Objective. To study regional features of the COVID-19 epidemic process in the Lipetsk Region.

Materials and methods. We used data from the Center for Hygiene and Epidemiology in the Lipetsk Region, notifications by healthcare facilities, summary reports on COVID-19 cases in the regions (Form 1076), and the website “стопкоронавирус.рф” (“stopcoronavirus.rf”).

Results. Incidence rates indicated a slow development of the epidemic with a growth rate of 0.68 %. Two rises were registered during the year 2020. Female COVID-19 cases prevailed (154.7 0/000 [95 % CI: 150.95–157.10]). The main risk groups included people aged 50–64 years (212.2 0/000 [95 % CI: 206.4–217.7]), 30–49 years (167.9 0/000 [95 % CI: 163.7–172.4]), and 65 years and older (126.2 0/000 [95 % CI: 121.1–131.0]). Among professional groups, high incidence rates were observed among healthcare workers (547.8 0/000 [95 % CI: 520.83–576.52]) and employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (257.1 0/000 [95 % CI = 214.65–305.41]). Most people got infected in their home (42.3 ± 0.4 %). We established that moderate (39.8 ± 0.4 %) and mild (31.3 ± 0.4 %) forms of the disease with symptoms similar to those of upper respiratory tract infections (47.4 ± 0.4 %) prevailed. The mortality rate did not exceed the national average (1.6 % and 1.8 %, respectively). In general, timely and consistent implementation of comprehensive measures helped influence the epidemiological situation in the region: the epidemic process was characterized by a moderate intensity of morbidity and mortality and had no explosive nature that could have destroyed the infrastructure of the region. At the same time, further monitoring and analysis of the COVID-19 situation in the Lipetsk Region is important, especially in view of the COVID-19 vaccination campaign and subsequent formation of herd immunity.

Introduction. The search for methods of correcting pathogenetic disorders related to Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of tuberculosis, a highly hazardous communicable and socially significant disease, determines the relevance of the research and its objective to study the role of citric and succinic acids in protective and adaptive processes in warm-blooded animals with connective tissue disorders induced by inactivated mycobacteria.

Materials and methods. The study was conducted on male Wistar rats with diseases induced by complete Freund’s adjuvant (a mineral oil emulsion containing heat-killed Mycobacterium tuberculosis). The animals were given a feed-added mixture of organic acids at 17 mg/kg body weight (minimum) and 88 mg/kg body weight (maximum) for 4 weeks. Hematology and biochemistry tests were performed using standard methods. The activity of succinate dehydrogenase in blood lymphocytes was determined by the cytobiochemical method. X-rays were obtained using stationary veterinary imaging equipment.

Results. The protective effect of carboxylic acids in the exposed animals with Freund’s adjuvant-induced leukocytosis (expressed by a 28 % increase in white blood cells compared to the negative control, p < 0.05), oxidative stress (expressed by an increase in the concentration of malondialdehyde (MDA) by 40 %, p < 0.001, and in inhibition of catalase by 4 %), and subchondral bone sclerosis was characterized by a dose-dependent reduction in immunotoxic manifestations of the disease such as normalization of the number of white blood cells (p < 0.05 compared to model animals); a 27 % reduction in MDA, p < 0.001, a 10 % catalase activation, p < 0.01; succinate dehydrogenase normalization, and a decrease in dystrophic changes in the articular system of animals.

Conclusion. The results of hematological, biochemical and radiological tests prove that pathological biochemical and morphological changes related to administration of inactivated M. tuberculosis to warm-blooded animals can be modified by a mixture of citric and succinic acids added to feed, which allows a better understanding of the pathogenesis and an increased therapy effectiveness.

Introduction. To achieve the goal of eliminating viral hepatitis by 2030, it is necessary to assess the real situation, improve epidemiological surveillance and prevention of these infections.

Objectives: To evaluate the results of epidemiological surveillance of chronic viral hepatitis B, C, D and hepatocellular carcinoma in order to optimize the surveillance system at the regional level.

Materials and methods: We analyzed the incidence of viral hepatitis B, C and liver cancer in the regions of the Northwestern and Central Federal Districts of the Russian Federation over the past 10 years. We also studied the prevalence of hepatitis B, C, D, and hepatitis C virus genotypes (6,020 cases), and examined 465 case histories of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma in the Leningrad Region using techniques of epidemiological analysis, ELISA, PCR, and statistical methods.

Results: We established a tendency towards a decrease in the incidence of chronic hepatitis B and C in all study areas. In 2020, high rates of hepatitis B (26.2 and 9.1) and hepatitis C (49.2 and 39.2) were registered in St. Petersburg and Moscow per 100,000 population, respectively. The prevalence of hepatitis D in the Leningrad Region was 6.3 per 100,000 population. Hepatitis C virus genotypes 1 and 3 prevailed (48.9 % and 43.9 %, respectively). A high incidence of liver cancer was established in St. Petersburg, the Pskov and Novgorod Regions.

Conclusions: Our findings prove the efficiency of the surveillance system and prevention of chronic hepatitis B and C. The main objectives are to further reduce the incidence rate, screen all patients with chronic hepatitis B for hepatitis D, and use the results of molecular genetic studies and cancer registries for epidemiological surveillance purposes.