Polish journal of occupational medicine and environmental health最新文献

The paper presents the history of hygienic standards setting in various countries, as well as the current situation in this respect. Methodological approaches to hygienic standards setting in the USA and USSR have been analysed and compared. The paper shows also the contribution of international organizations to unification of both the definition and the approach to MAC setting. The authors present systems of MAC setting in such countries as USA (ACGIH, NIOSH, OSHA), former USSR, Germany, Scandinavian countries, Hungary and Poland. The paper comprises also classification of substances and carcinogenic agents adopted by IARC as well as the classifications in those countries which publish lists of carcinogens.

The paper presents some aspects of radiation hazard which occurs in a non-nuclear sector of industry, namely radiation hazard in non-uranium underground mines. The radiation hazard is caused in each type of underground mine by the naturally occurring noble radioactive gas-radon (222Rn) and radioactive products of its decay 218Po, 214Pb, 214Bi/214Po the so-called 'radon daughters' occurring in the mines' air. The paper presents the concept of how to provide a reliable system of assessment of miners' exposure by application of representative individual dosimetry, and also presents principles of computer-aided methods for interpretation of the results of miner's dosimetry useful for conversion of dosimetry data to the term of expected risk of cancer caused by exposure at miner's workplaces. The representative Individual Dosimetry system strengthened by computer-aided methods of analysis of results provided essential information on radiation cancer risk for miners employed in coal mines, metal-ore mines, chemical raw material mines in Poland. The coefficient of annual cancer risk induction is 1.5 x 10(-4) year-1 for coal mines, 1.40 x 10(-4) year-1 for metal ore mines and 1.5 x 10(-4) year-1 for chemical raw material mines. The radiation risk appears to be of the same magnitude as the conventional risk of life loss at work-related accidents. The average Lost Life Expectancy coefficient for both the radiation risk and conventional risk are 0.5 and 0.3 year per each miner, respectively.

Since 1990 directions of various processes in the field of environmental and occupational health and their influence on the state of health of the population have been discussed at annual symposia organised by the Foundation. In this paper, the authors try to present problems arising from the transformation into the market economy and inherited from the previous regime, discussed during the symposium held in 1993. They also emphasise the significance of appropriate legal regulations, better understanding of the environmental and occupational health, the role of the society in the decision-making process and training of both doctors and workers how to protect health and environment.

Experimental data and clinical observations indicate that an increased expression of oncogenes or their point mutations play an essential role in the process of carcinogenesis. It was important to find out that environmental and occupational carcinogens activate cellular oncogenes and contribute to increased amounts or occurrence of mutated oncoproteins. The latter are responsible for activating mechanisms which further the neoplastic transformation of cells. The researches are mainly concerned about two oncoproteins: oncoprotein coded by the ras oncogene--called p21 protein and oncoprotein coded by the erbB-2 oncogene--called p185 protein. Investigations performed on neoplastic cells show that the neoplastic transformation process involves not only the afore-said oncogenes and their oncoproteins but also other oncogenes, and that the process itself required activating of more than one oncogene. At present, it is possible to use measurements of oncoproteins in the biological material which is easily available. Due to this fact, a number of works in which measurements of oncoproteins in blood serum were used to assess cancer risk in persons exposed to carcinogens present at the work place, have been published.

"Hygitest" detector tubes for ethyl acetate based on a silica gel carrier treated with an indicator reagent--chromium-sulphuric acid were developed. Their quality parameters were compared with the characteristics of the detector tubes for ethyl acetate produced by other companies. An evaluation of the developed detector tubes in industrial atmosphere was carried out. The results obtained are discussed in view of the non-specificity of the detector tubes proposed.

The effects of combined exposure to m-xylene and n-butyl alcohol on rotarod performance and motor activity in rats and respiratory rate in mice were investigated in the condition of an acute inhalation experiment. Rotarod performance and motor activity were tested in rats exposed to various concentrations of m-xylene, n-butyl alcohol and their mixture consisting of 50 Vol-% m-xylene and 50 Vol-% n-butyl alcohol immediately after termination of a 4-hour exposure period. The respiratory rate in mice was recorded in short 6 min duration exposures to individual solvents and their 50:50 Vol-% mixture. Both solvents and mixtures caused concentration-dependent disturbances of rotarod performance in rats. The medial effective concentration (EC50) for the effect amounted 6530 ppm, 1980 ppm and 3080 ppm for n-butyl alcohol, m-xylene and their mixture, respectively. Both solvents and their mixture changed the spontaneous motor activity in the rat. Because of a two-phase effect, the concentration-dependence of the observed changes could not be defined. The evaluation of the combined effect in motor activity test was carried out by comparing experimental values with expected ones assuming the summation of individual solvent effects. The tested solvents resulted in a concentration-dependent decrease in respiratory rate in mice. The concentration which decreased the respiratory rate to 50% (RD50) was 3010 ppm, 1360 ppm and 3140 ppm for n-butyl alcohol, m-xylene and their mixture, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Genotoxic effect and hepatic microsomal monooxygenase activities were assessed in mice treated with Acid Green 16 (single i.p. injection at dose 75 mg/kg) superimposed on prolonged ethanol consumption (10% solution in drinking water for 2-4 months). Treatment of mice with Acid Green 16 led to an increased frequency of micronucleated erythrocytes in bone marrow. In animals pretreated with ethanol the frequency of micronucleated erythrocytes, produced by Acid Green 16, was significantly higher. The changes in frequency of micronucleated erythrocytes were accompanied by the enhanced activity of microsomal monooxygenases manifested by higher activity of 7-ethoxycoumarin o-deethylase (the level of cytochrome P-450 was not altered). The obtained results showed that ethanol tended to increase the genotoxic effect of Acid Green 16. However, the slight inductive effect of ethanol on microsomal monooxygenases did not provide clear evidence that the genotoxic effect of Acid Green 16 was associated with ethanol stimulation of the metabolic activation of the dye in the liver.