Introduction: Population of the major industrial regions is exposed to multiple airborne pollutants. Actual exposure levels are verified by biomonitoring, which takes into account age and sex characteristics and pollutant metabolism patterns as a basis for establishing exposure-response relationships. Objective: To identify age- and sex-specific patterns and features of contamination of body fluids in the population exposed to airborne chemicals from emissions of diverse local industries. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted in five urban agglomerations noted for high ambient air pollution levels caused by the release of emission components from non-ferrous metallurgy, fuel energy, and wood processing facilities, and four populated areas without such emissions. Bodily fluids (blood and urine) sampled from 1,939 children aged 4–7 years, 408 children aged 8–14 years, and 901 adults aged 18–54 years were tested for 14 contaminants. The exposure assessment was based on instrumental monitoring data and emission dispersion calculations for 2016–2024. In this study, we used the Student’s t-test, Fisher’s t-test, Kruskal–Wallis test, and regression analysis. Results: Air quality monitoring data revealed up to 5.8 and 2.8-fold annual limit exceedances for benzo[a]pyrene and gaseous fluorides in the industrial areas, respectively, whereas emission dispersion calculations showed those for chromium trioxide and copper (up to 2.9 and 15.5 times, respectively). Biomonitoring findings confirmed population exposures and helped reveal the following age- and sex-specific patterns in pollutant distribution: accumulation of manganese, copper, nickel, and chromium in blood of children was up to 2.6 times higher than that in adults; urinary excretion of aluminum and fluoride ions in adults was almost twice as high as in children, and blood benzo[a]pyrene levels in girls and women were up to 4.5 times higher than those in men and boys. Conclusions: Biomonitoring specifies the real exposure load. Sex- and age-specific patterns of biological fluid contamination take into account individual characteristics of pollutant accumulation and clearance, which is essential for objective assessment of cause-and-effect relationships within the exposure–response system. Profiles of bodily fluid contamination are specific for individual components of airborne chemical exposure.

Introduction: The presence and spread of antibiotics and antimicrobials in the natural environment is a serious concern worldwide. Objective: To develop and test a method for determining sulfonamides in water using high-performance liquid chromatography with mass-spectrometric detection (HPLC/MS-MS). Materials and Methods: The study involved samples of various types of water (drinking water, surface and groundwater, swimming pool water, treated wastewater, etc.) collected in 2024–2025 in an industrial city. Over 150 samples of various water types were analyzed during the development, establishment of metrological characteristics, and testing of the methodology. Laboratory testing was carried out using high-performance liquid chromatography with mass spectrometric detection. Conditions for the effective extraction of sulfonamides from water were established using solid-phase extraction with Oasis HLB cartridges. Results: We developed a selective and highly sensitive method for determining sulfonamides in water using high-performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry in the concentration range from 3 to 4,000 ng/dm3 with a determination error of 46–50 %. Conditions for the efficient extraction of sulfonamides from water using solid-phase extraction in Oasis HLB cartridges and a 0.2 % solution of formic acid in acetonitrile as an eluent have been elaborated. The average extraction rate of sulfonamides from various types of water ranged from 75 % to 100 %. As a result of testing the method for determining sulfonamides in various types of water samples, the qualitative presence of six out of seven determined compounds was established in 75 % of the samples, of which sulfanilamide, sulfathiazole, and sulfadimethoxine were detected above the lower limit of detection in the concentration range from 4 to 110 ng/dm3. No exceedances were detected. Conclusion: The study results confirm the feasibility of using high-performance liquid chromatography combined with solid-phase extraction for testing sulfonamides in water at levels representative of their actual concentrations in aqueous matrices.

Within creation of the mathematical model to describe the human respiratory system, we accomplished numeric investigation of non-stationary dust-containing airflow as well as dust particle deposition in the lower airways with the real anatomic geometry based on CT scans. Inhaled air is considered a multi-phase mixture of a homogenous gas and solid dust particles. Motion of a basic carrier gas phase is described using the Euler approach. Solid dust particles are a dispersed carried phase, which is described with the Lagrange approach. The k-ω model is used to describe turbulence. We consider non-stationary airflow during calm inhalation. The article presents calculated flow streamlines for the velocity of particles in inhaled air in the lower airways at different moments. We quantified a share of deposited particles (SDP) with various dispersed structure (between 10 nm and 100 µm) and density (1000 kg/m3, 2000 kg/m3, 2700 kg/m3) in the lower airways; the article provides computed motion paths of particulate matter. Solid particle deposition in the airways has different efficiency depending on particle sizes and density. SDP goes down as their sizes and masses decrease. Particle density mostly influences differences in deposition of micro-sized particles (2.5–20 µm): as particle mass and density grow, SDP in the airways also increases. SDP with their diameter being less than 1 µm amounts to approximately 20 % of all the particles that reach the inlet to the trachea. According to the results obtained by numeric modeling, the greatest share of dust particles penetrates the right main bronchus, predominantly the right middle and inferior lobar bronchi. Dust particles are able to induce diseases of the lungs, pneumoconiosis included.

Introduction. Special relevance should be assigned to investigating a phenomenon of programmed cell death in working age population in the Far North exposed to airborne metals and sub-Arctic climate, with gene polymorphism taken into account.Materials and methods. We examined adult participants (aged 21–59 years) who lived on territories with subarctic and continental type of climate with different levels of exposure to airborne nickel (n=525). Nickel levels were identified in blood using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry; cell death indicators AnnexinV-FITC+7AAD– and AnnexinV-FITC+7AAD+ – were established with flow cytometry; vascular endothelial growth factor VEGF, immune enzyme assay; IgE to nickel, allergosorbent tests; VEGFA (rs2010963) gene polymorphism, real-time PCR.Results. The immune profile in adults living in the Far North under low-dose exposure to airborne nickel (1.36 ∙ 10-³ mg/(kg ∙ day); 0.12 average daily MPC) and with resulting nickel in blood (0.0123±0.0015 µg/cm³) was characterized with excess levels of AnnexinV-FITC+7AAD+ (R²=0.404–0.503; p=0.029–0.042) and IgE to nickel (R²=0.613; p=0.001). However, exposure to airborne nickel in sub-Arctic climate leads to relative risk RR=1.19 (1.03–1.36); p=0.005) for apoptosis inhibition per the level of AnnexinV-FITC+7AAD– (R²=0.723–0.786; p=0.001–0.016). This risk is associated with the minor C-allele and CC-genotype of the VEGFA (rs2010963) (OR=1.91 (1.03–3.55)–2.93 (1.31–6.57).Limitations. The reference group samples are limited; the results should be verified in future research Conclusion. Exposure to airborne nickel in the average daily dose of 1.36 ∙ 10–³ mg/(kg ∙ day), combined with the minor C-allele and CC-genotype of the VEGFA (rs2010963) induces changes in indices of cell death and the immune profile in adults in the Far North (declining AnnexinV-FITC+7AAD– levels, growing levels of VEGF and IgE to nickel). These genetic and immunological indices can be recommended as key ones in pre-nosologic diagnostics and disease prevention in the far North population. Compliance with ethical standards. The study was accomplished in conformity with ethical standards stipulated by the Declaration of Helsinki and approved by the local ethics committee of the Federal Scientific Center for Medical and Preventive Health Risk Management Technologies (Meeting Report No. 4 dated April 20, 2025). All participants gave informed voluntary written consent to participate in the study.Contributions: Zaitseva N.V. – study concept and design; Nikonoshina N.А. – data collection and analysis, writing the text; Dolgikh О.V. – study concept and design, editing the text; Alikina I.N., Kazakova О.А. – immunogenetic studies; Chigvintsev V.М. – mathematical modeling. All authors are responsible for the integrity of all parts of the manuscript and approval of the manuscript final version.Conflict of interest. The authors declare no conflict of interest.Funding. The study had no sponsorship.Received: May 18, 2026 / Accepted: July 1, 2026 / Published: August 14, 2026

Provision of sanitary-epidemiological welfare for the country population largely depends on control for non-communicable diseases; among them, a substantial contribution belongs to arterial hypertension (AH) due to both its high prevalence and considerable proportion in the morbidity and mortality structure. Apart from the well-known risk factors, considerable influence on formation of AH can be exerted by changes in atmospheric pressure. It is advisable to identify key pathogenetic mechanisms of formation of AH upon changes in atmospheric pressure and indicators that describe them.This review covers materials presented in Russian and foreign publications, which are indexed in PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, CyberLeninka, and Elibrary.ru in 2010-2025 and focus on effects produced by atmospheric pressure on a rise in blood pressure (fifty five reports). The accomplished review has allowed establishing blood pressure to grow upon atmospheric pressure differences due to activation of the sympathoadrenal system (SAS) and renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) with a subsequent growth in cardiac output and heart rate (HR). When atmospheric pressure goes down, a decline in the vascular tone and partial oxygen density (ρO2) are the initial segments; when it grows, arterial walls swell and spastic vasoconstriction occurs. Indicators for further profound analysis may include heart rate, cardiac output, blood pressure, biochemical indicators that describe SAS and RAAS activation, functional indicators that describe the state of the autonomic nervous system, ultrasound indicators to describe morphofunctional state of the heart and vessels, as well as hemoglobin oxygen saturation (SpO2) under declining atmospheric pressure. Our results can be used in hygienic descriptions of effects produced by changes in atmospheric pressure on formation of AH within social and hygienic monitoring as well as for implementing branch activity plans with their focus on adaption to climate change within providing sanitary-epidemiological welfare of the country population.Contributions: Khasanova А.А. – study concept and design, collection and analysis of literature data, writing, and editing; Zaitseva N.V., Shur P.Z. – research design, editing; Ustinova О.Yu. – collecting and analyzing literature data, and writing text. All authors are responsible for the integrity of all parts of the manuscript and approval of the manuscript final version.Conflict of interest. The authors declare no conflict of interest.Funding. The study had no sponsorship.Received: September 22, 2025 / Accepted: December 2, 2025 / Published: January 15, 2026

Introduction. The relevance of the study is due to the importance and insufficient study of the health risks of exposure to rare earth elements (REE) and the likelihood of REE triggering immunogenetic mechanisms of vascular aging.Materials and methods. The observation group included fifty three employees of the main production who were exposed to REE. Workplace air was found to contain lanthanum, 0.00028–0.0039 mg/m³; praseodymium, 0.000044–0.00070 mg/m³, terbium, <0.000007 mg/m³; yttrium, <0.00001 mg/m³. The reference group consisted of 64 administrative workers who did not come into contact with REE. The study involved using the allergosorbent test, flow cytometry, ELISA, and PCR. Statistical data analysis was performed with Statistica 10.0. Data analysis included the Student’s t-test, R², RR, OR, and 95% CI; the significance of intergroup differences was taken at p<0.05. Results. In the observation group, elevated REE levels detected in the workers’ blood (1.46–1.87 times; p<0.05), was associated with an increase in CD277+-lymphocyte expression (R²=0.53–0.89; p<0.05) and higher OR of IgG hyperproduction to lanthanides and TNF-α (OR=2.38–7.71). Significant differences were found in the polymorphism of the AGT Thr174Met (CT; OR=2.96, CI=1.33–6.59) and ApoE Cys130Arg (TC; OR=9.07, CI=1.93–42.67) genes. Limitations. Limited sampling of the main group of workers; limited number of modern reports concerning the assessment of immune mechanisms of vascular aging associated with exposure to REE.Conclusion. Exposure to REE in main production workers is accompanied by increased levels of butyrophilin, lanthanide IgG, and an increased relative risk of developing disorders associated with single-nucleotide polymorphism of angiotensinogen and apolipoprotein vascular aging genes (RR=2.07–7.25). The identified immunological and genetic indicators can be recommended for early diagnosis and prevention of work-related diseases involving implementation of immunological pathways of early vascular aging under exposure to REE.Compliance with ethical standards. The study was conducted in accordance with the principles stated in the Declaration of Helsinki. The study protocol and design were approved by the Local Ethics Committee of the Federal Scientific Center for Medical and Preventive Health Risk Management Technologies on March 13, 2024 (Protocol No. 2).Contribution: Zaitseva N.V. – study concept and design; Chelakova Yu.A. – data collection and analysis, writing and editing the text; study concept and design; Dolgikh O.V. – editing the text. All authors are responsible for the integrity of all parts of the manuscript and approval of the manuscript final version.Conflict of interest. The authors declare no conflict of interest.Funding. The study had no sponsorship.Received: February 25, 2026 / Revised: April 16, 2026 / Accepted: May 20, 2026 / Published: June 18, 2026

Introduction. Investigating formation of specific immune phenotypes associated with cytokine profile features in viral infections upon their additional modification by exposure to chemical factors will provide better insight into pathways of immune dysfunction associated with environmental factors.Materials and methods. A mixed population of immunocytes was isolated and cultivated for 48 hours, and the cytokine profile was analyzed by enzyme immunoassay. Inducing factors were represented by benzo(a)pyrene and viral vaccine antigens hemagglutinins of influenza viruses type A and B.Results. The multidirectional effects of benzo(a)pyrene on the production of pro-inflammatory cytokine mediators were established under exposure "in vitro" conditions with activation of TNF-α and MCP-1 expression and inhibition of IL-8 production (p=0.001–0.018). Modification of cytokine expression in the presence of influenza viral antigens led to preferential stimulation of cytokine production (IL-1β, IL-18, IL-8, IFN-γ, TNF-α, MCP-1) (p=0.015–0.045). Simultaneous introduction of benzo(a)pyrene and influenza virus antigens into the cell culture was accompanied by declining expression of mediators IL-1β, IL-8 and IFN-γ (p=0.005–0.047). Thus, influenza virus antigens stimulate production of pro-inflammatory mediators, while experimental benzo(a)pyrene burden adversly modifies biological effects of viral antigens, inhibiting cytokine expression. Limitations. The limitations of the methodological approach are related to the need to further verify the obtained results and to extrapolate them to the macroorganism level.Conclusion. The study findings show the high modifying activity of benzo(a)pyrene affecting the pro-inflammatory cytokine profile, canceling the additional expression of IL-1β, IL-8 and IFN-γ mediators induced by influenza antigens and reducing the protective immune potential. The revealed features of the combined effects produced by benzo(a)pyrene and influenza virus antigens, verified in an in vitro experiment, will allow specifying the mechanisms and peculiarities of the impact of chemical and biological factors to solve the problems of prevention of viral diseases under additional threats and risks associated with chemical exposures (exemplified by benzo(a)pyrene).Compliance with ethical standards. All donors signed voluntary informed consent to participate in the study. The study was carried out in accordance with the Helsinki Declaration of the World Medical Association (revised 2013) and the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Dignity of the Human Being with regard to the Application of Biology and Medicine: Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine (1999), according to the principles of “Good Clinical Practice” (GOST R 52379–2005) and approved by the Local Ethics Committee of the Federal Scientific Center for Medical and Preventive Technologies for Public Health Risk Management (Protocol No. 3 dated March 20, 2024).Contribution: Zaitseva N.V. – study concept and design, editing the text; Starkova K.G. – study concept and design of the, data collection and analysis, writing the text; Dolgikh O.V. – study concept and design, editing the text. All authors are responsible for the integrity of all parts of the manuscript and approval of the manuscript final version.Conflict of interest. The authors declare no conflict of interest.Funding. The study had no sponsorship.Received: April 24, 2026 / Accepted: June 18, 2026 / Published: July 31, 2026

We have examined bone metabolism in children living in Eastern Siberia; the aim was to substantiate markers of musculoskeletal diseases. As a result, we have established that children with diseases of the musculoskeletal system have statistically significantly higher levels of N-osteocalcin, ionized calcium and alkaline phosphatase in blood than children without them (р < 0.05). The obtained results indicate that the G894T polymorphism of the candidate endothelial NO-synthase gene, associated with a high frequency of the T allele of the eNOS G894T gene is one of the etiological factors in the development of bone metabolism disorders, and the marker itself should be attributed to the predictors of the formation of pathology of the musculoskeletal system in children of the region from Eastern Siberia.

N-nitrosamines in food products are a serious health threat due to their carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic effects on the kidneys, spleen, GIT, and liver. Meat products are a major source of their exposure. Within a joint Russian-Vietnamese study, health risks for the Vietnam population were assessed using the methodology developed in the Eurasian Economic Union. As a result, unacceptable risk levels associated with Nnitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) in meat products were established for children under 6 years and adults 18-50 years old. However, the reference dose for NDMA established by the US EPA is based on limited data and requires experimental definition. The objective of this study is to overview the publications devoted to the study of the toxic effects of N-nitrosamines and to justify an experiment design for identifying and validating biomarkers of exposure and response upon N-nitrosamines’ exposure. In conformity with the international standards OECD and GLP principles, a design is going to be created for a 180-day experimental study of NDMA chronic toxicity using Wistar rats. The number of animal groups exposed to NDMA is four, and one group is control. Oral exposure to NDMA will take place using gavage 7 days a week. The experiment involves monthly monitoring of biochemical indicators (AST, ALT, and GGT) and NDMA levels in blood. The created design is expected to help establish points of departure (reference level, benchmark dose level) for chronic exposure as well as provide significant data for risk assessment. Taking into account three established approaches used in experimental studies to refine risk assessment’s parameters, the Benchmark dose (BMD) method was selected for this experiment’s design.

Introduction: In the context of developing market relations and digitalization of the economy, effective consumer protection takes on special significance. Objective: A comprehensive analysis of trends in violations of mandatory requirements for consumer protection in the Russian Federation in 2021–2024 and the impact of the ongoing market surveillance reform on their structure and dynamics. Materials and methods: We have analyzed reporting data of the Russian Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing (Rospotrebnadzor) for 2021–2024 using comparative, statistical, and formal legal methods. Results: We established that between 2021 and 2024, the number of market surveillance activities and identified violations in the field of consumer protection increased by 9.1 and 7.6 times, respectively, primarily due to a 50.5-fold increase in the number of indirect checks. In 2024, 20,600 episodes of harm to life, health and property of consumers due to violations of consumer protection legislation were registered against 10,900 in 2021 demonstrating a 1.9-fold increase. We found a trend toward formation of new zones at risk of violations in digital segments (online trade and services). We also noted the predominance of violations of special regulations in trade (+90 %) and of basic provisions of the Consumer Protection Law in the service sector. Conclusions: Our findings highlight the importance of planning market surveillance activities using a risk-based approach and developing indicators of risks of violations of mandatory requirements for consumer market segments with a high number of violations per check and high economic damage per episode of harm to consumer’s life, health and property. It is relevant to develop a scientific and methodological basis for sequential implementation of the risk-based model for market surveillance.

Introduction. Working in a chemical production environment is associated with a high risk of developing cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in workers. The study aims to consider the characteristics of the immune and genetic status of workers with cardiovascular pathology engaged in the production of mineral fertilizers. Materials and methods. The observation group included 74 people (with a history of CVD). The comparison group included 85 people (conditionally healthy, with no history of CVD). The work used immunological methods: allergosorbent test with an enzyme label, membrane immunofluorescence on a flow cytometer, ELISA. To statistically process the results of the study, the authors used the following criteria: Student's t-test, Mann–Whitney U-test, relative risk index (RR), odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). The significance of the differences was considered significant at p<0.05. Results. The observation group had elevated levels of IgG specific to N-nitrosodimethylamine (RR=1.10; 95% CI=0.93–1.29), VEGF (RR=1.72; 95% CI=0.64–4.61), CD304+ (NRP1) (RR=1.76; 95% CI=1.04–2.97) and Notch 1 receptor (RR=1.89; 95% CI=1.05–3.39). Comparative assessment of frequency of alleles and genotypes of the endothelial NO-synthase gene eNOS Glu298Asp (rs1799983) revealed authentically 10% higher frequency of the G allele (OR=2.53 (CI=1.23–5.22), RR=1.28 (CI=1.06–1.55), р≤0.05) and 1.67 times higher frequency of the GG genotype (OR=3.72 (CI=1.49–9.29), р≤0.05) in the observation group. Limitations. Limitations of the study are associated with a limited sample used as the observation group. Conclusion. Established elevated expression of cell differentiation clusters of neuropilin-1 CD 304+ (RR=1.76; 95% CI=1.04–2.97) and transmembrane receptor protein Notch 1 (RR=1.89; 95% CI=1.05–3.93) against higher frequency of the G allele and GG genotype of the eNOS Glu298Asp gene increases likelihood of changes in endothelium, impaired vascular wall permeability and development of cardiovascular pathology in conditions of biocontamination with nitrosamines among workers working in the production of mineral fertilizers. Ethics. The work was carried out in accordance with the principles of the Helsinki Declaration. The protocol and design of the study were approved by the local committee of the Federal Research Foundation "Federal Scientific Center for Medical and Preventive Technologies for Public Health Risk Management" dated 03/13/2024, Protocol No. 2.

Introduction. The musculoskeletal (MS) system stores heavy metals like aluminum, potentially causing bone defects in polluted environments. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the immune and genetic profile in children with MS diseases under exposure to aluminum biocontamination. Materials and methods. One hundred sixty six children from an aluminum province were selected to make up observation with diagnosis as 66, M85.8 «Other specified disorders of bone density and structure») and comparison (100 healthy) groups. The following iondices were estimated: CD19+ (cytofluorometry), IgG to aluminum (allergosorbent testing), osteocalcin (EIA), IgG, IgM, IgA (Mancini). PCR determined TLR4 A8595G (rs1927911) and VDR C>T (rs2228570) polymorphisms. Results. The aluminum content in blood in examined children with MS diseases was 0.0317 ± 0.0051 mg/dm³, which is 2.66 times higher than in the comparison group. IgG to aluminum in 74.5% of thr children exceeded the reference range. N-osteocalcin was reduced by 1.13 times. CD19+ hyperexpression (2.36 times), IgG increase by 1.2 times and IgA deficiency by 1.32 times were established. In the observation group against the comparison group, a significant increase was established in the frequency both of the variant allele G TLR4 and the variant allele C and the CC genotype VDR, by by 1.9 times and 1.4–2.6 times accoridngly. Research limitations. The sytudy sample was limited to children aged 3–6 years living in a zone exposed to aluminum production emissions; for the observation group, diagnosis M85.8. Conclusion. We established activation in the B-lymphocytes→reagins system, CD19+→IgG→specific IgG to aluminum compartments, which may indicate that immunity participoates in the formation of MS pathology. The presence of variant alleles and genotypes of candidate genes VDR C>T (rs2228570), TLR4 A8595G (rs1927911) increases the risk of metabolic and immune disorders associated with bone tissue by 1.2–1.6 times.

The study of combined effects of chemicals and their assessment is one among urgent issues of hygiene and preventive medicine. Chemicals with variable chemical composition that persist in environmental objects produce simultaneous effects on human health; given that, it is a challenge for researchers to assess combinations of chemicals with variable composition. To identify key areas of development and improve the methodology for addressing it, it is necessary to systematize knowledge as regards studying patterns and features of combined toxicity. This review presents the most significant, in terms of their science intensity and effectiveness, methodological approaches to the assessing effects produced by a mixture of chemicals, which have been developed over the past thirty years. This review focuses on data provided in Russian and foreign scientific literature sources, which are indexed in the search engines eLIBRARY, PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of Science, Scopus and international scientific organizations and devoted to methods for assessing combined effects of chemicals (fifty four publications). In general, existing competency models for assessing combined toxicity of substances have reached a certain level of knowledge. At present, established interactions of substances (antagonism, synergism and its special cases - potentiation and emergence) tend to be more complex than simple summation; risks that cause adverse consequences of combined exposure are calculated; multivariate regression and neural network models are used to improve the quality, adequacy, and objectivity of assessment. However, despite the existing general scientific achievements in this area of ​​research, there is an urgent need for further development of methodological approaches to quantitative assessment of additional risk caused by combined effects. Expanding scientific foundations will allow further improving the methodology for hygienic regulation over levels of chemicals in their various combinations in environmental objects. This is critically important for updating the system of state regulation aimed at minimizing risks and health harm, as a key component of the Russian Federation sovereignty.

Introduction. A temporary decline in incidence and mortality caused by influenza and acute respiratory viral infection (ARVI) during the COVID-19 pandemic did not decrease their significance for population health. Despite a well-known regulation role that belongs to social and environmental conditions in phase transformations of an epidemic process, there are scarce studies in research literature that focus on investigating complex effects produced by environmental factors on the clinical course of the analyzed infections.The aim of this study. To identify social-and hygienic determinants of influenza and ARVI incidence.Materials and methods. The study results were obtained by using open data published by Rosstat and departmental materials of Rospotrebnadzor over the period between 2010 and 2022. Overall, 232 indicators were used in the study; they described hygienic and epidemiological aspects, peculiar climatic conditions, financial and social parameters as well as people’s habits and healthcare infrastructure in Russian regions taken on the annual basis.Results. The study found several key factors affecting influenza and ARVI incidence. They included the following indicators: volumes of pollutant emissions into ambient air (r=0.12 and r=0.23 respectively); proportion of workers exposed to working conditions not conforming to safe standards (r=0.13–0.29); UVB, average monthly horizontal radiation and average precipitation volumes (r=0.12–0.7); the proportion of urban population (r=0.13 and r=0.59); volumes of alcohol sales (r=0.27–0.53); gross regional product (r=0.08–0.42); the number of middle-level healthcare workers (r=0.14; r=0.36); capacity of polyclinics (r=0.41) and others.Limitations. The study limitations are related to the analyzed dataset (selected indicators and time period).Conclusion. The identified peculiar effects produced by these factors as well as lifestyles can be used for substantiating medical and preventive activities aimed at improving the sanitary-epidemiological situations in the country.Compliance with ethical standards. The study did not require the conclusion of a biomedical ethics committee or other documents (the study was performed using publicly available official statistics).Contributions: Zaitseva N.V. — research concept and design, editing the text; Kleyn S.V., Kiryanov D.A. — writing and editing the text; Glukhikh M.V. — data collection and statistical analysis, writing the test. All authors are responsible for the integrity of all parts of the manuscript and approval of the manuscript final version.Conflict of interest. The authors declare no conflict of interest.Funding. The study had no sponsorship.Received: August 1, 2025 / Accepted: November 3, 2025 / Published: December 19, 2025

Introduction. Failures of neuro-immune regulation can be caused by both external exposures and polymorphisms of candidate genes, transcription genes in particular.The purpose of the study. To estimate effects of exposure to benzene and rs1042522 polymorphism of the TP53 gene on formation of the immune state and phenotype in children suffering from disorders of autonomic nervous system (ANS) (G90.8 and G90.9).Materials and methods. The study involved eighty-five children (aged 7–12 years) — 46 children exposed to benzene (blood benzene concentration > 0 μg/cm) (observation group), and 39 children not exposed to benzene (reference group) who lived in the Perm region and had disorders of ANS (the observation group was 2.1 times more likely to have a disease (p < 0.05)). CD3+CD95+, IL-4, IFN-γ and IgG to benzene were determined by immunobiologic methods. The gene polymorphism was evaluated by Real-time polymerase chain reaction.Results. Benzene contamination in the observation group was established to be equal of 0.0069 ± 0.0014 µg/cm3. The analyzed indices were shown to be different between the groups; thus, absolute CD3+CD95+ expression was 1.4 times as low and IFN-γ 1.7 times as low in the observation group against the reference one whereas IL-4 and IgG specific to benzene were 2.6 times and 2.5 times as high respectively. We found an authentic direct relationship between the level of IgG specific to benzene and IL-4 (r = 0.21; r = 0.51; p < 0.05 respectively), and an inverse relationship between IFN-γ expression (r = –0.53; p < 0.05) and blood benzene levels. The observation group showed to have significant (p < 0.05) higher frequency of the allele C and CC genotype of the TP53 rs1042522 gene, 1.4 and 1.6 times higher respectively against the reference group (RR = 1.60; CI: 1.21–2.09).Research limitations. Are related to a small sample size.Conclusion. The hypothesis regarding participation of by benzene and changed polymorphisms of the candidate gene TP53 (the allele C of the TP53 Pro72Arg gene) in creating relative risks (RR = 1.60) of immune regulation failures. This can be considered a condition for formation of a specific phenotype of ANS diseases (with more frequent manifestations of pathology signs) associated with benzene.Compliance with ethical standards. The study was approved by the local ethics committee of the Federal Scientific Center for Medical and Preventive Health Risk Management Technologies, the meeting protocol No. 5 dated February 28, 2023. All participants and their legal representatives gave informed voluntary written consent to participate in the study.Contribution of the authors: Zaitseva N.V., Dolgikh O.V. — concept, interpretation, editing of data; Yaroma A.V. — concept and design of research, analysis and interpretation of data, writing the text of the article, compiling a list of references, statistical data processing; Kazakova O.A. — data analysis and interpretation, statistical data processing. All authors have approved the final version of the manuscript and bear full responsibility for the integrity of all its parts.Funding. The research was not granted any sponsor support.Conflict of interest. The authors declare no competing interests.Received: May 14, 2025 / Accepted: June 24, 2025 / Published: October 31, 2025

Ambient air pollution is currently a global problem. The presence of various toxic compounds in ambient air, including metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) with fine suspended particles, contributes to the development and increase in population morbidity.The aim of the study. To conduct a review of up-to-date methods for determining levels of metals and PAHs in fine particles polluting ambient air, which are currently available in scientific reports.The material for this review was represented by data from Russian and foreign scientific literature published in the abstract databases Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus and eLIBRARY and devoted to investigating levels of metals and PAHs associated with fine particles in ambient air (twenty two reports).Analysis of literary sources has shown that it is more efficient to use multi-cascade impactors for sampling metals and PAHs contained in different fractions of fine particles. To prepare a sample for analysis, a whole filter is usually used, which is subjected to acid decomposition or liquid extraction for analysis of metals and PAHs, respectively. As an analytical method, most studies use inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for metal analysis and gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection for PAH analysis.Conclusion. Analysis of scientific and methodological literature has shown that it is effective to use multi-stage impactors for taking metal and PAH samples, which are parts of different fractions of fine-dispersed particles. Metals are analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry at the ng and µg level. PAHs are analyzed using gas chromatography with massspectrometric detection and found at the ng and µg level. However, the sampling time is 24 hours or more.Contribution: Nurislamova T.V., Zorina A.S. – research design and editing; Zaitseva N.V. – concept and editing; Krylov A.A., Zvereva L.A. – literature data collection and analysis, text writing. All authors are responsible for the integrity of all parts of the manuscript and approval of the manuscript final version.Conflict of interest. The authors declare no conflict of interest.Funding. The study had no sponsorship.Received: April 3, 2025 / Revised: June 2, 2025 / Accepted: September 19, 2025 / Published: October 20, 2025

Introduction. The Federal Project “Clean Air” has been implemented in the country since 2019. Its aim is to considerably improve ambient air quality by directive-controlled reduction of emissions of ‘priority pollutants’ – chemicals that persist in ambient air in levels higher than the valid safe standards and/or make their contribution to population health risks. The aim of this study. To suggest an algorithm for substantiating, verifying and correcting lists of priority pollutants and objects for which emission quotas are to be set considering all accumulated experience in the Project implementation. The ultimate goal is to achieve effective management of ambient air quality and population health risks. Materials and methods. The results of aggregated calculations per cities included in the Project, lists of priority pollutants and objects for which emission quotas are to be set, health risk assessment results, data obtained by instrumental measurements of ambient air quality at social and hygienic monitoring posts. Results. The suggested algorithm of actions aimed at selecting and creating more precise lists of pollutants with established quotas and their emission sources in areas covered by the Federal Project includes verification of priority pollutant lists with instrumental monitoring data, mandatory establishment of causes and sources of considerable discrepancies between “Clean Air” calculated and field data, identification and parameterization of unaccounted emission sources. Our suggestion is that a list of objects for which emission quotas are to be set should include economic entities making a contribution to violation of safe standards and creating unacceptable health risks. They should be included regardless of their category, total emission mass and other secondary characteristics that do not have a direct correlation with an actual impact on the environment and human health. Limitations. The limitations of the study are related to the analyzed data set: only cities included in the quota experiment are included. Conclusion. The algorithm involves a shift from directive-established reduction in emissions from all economic entities with priority pollutants in their emissions to a targeted calculated reduction adequate to a risk level and a contribution made by a given economic entity to this risk. Effectiveness of the Project activities should be assessed per residual risk levels (which should be verified with monitoring data, epidemiological and/or specialized profound biomedical examinations). Such assessments should become a mandatory element in the system for setting emission quotas. We have developed recommendations to improve the regulatory base for setting emission quotas, which assign greater significance to population health indicators within the whole system for managing ambient air quality.

In the problem of studying hospital microflora, there has arisen a need to standardize the impact of microbiological agents and develop minimum permissible levels of exposure as health risk criteria that allow optimizing the provision of anti-epidemic protection in medical institutions. The proposed indicators, criteria, and norms of control of the hospital environment are indicative, since it is extremely difficult to establish the dependence between the number of microorganisms in the air, at the objects of the hospital environment, and the incidence of patients, due to the lack of threshold levels, reference substitutions, and minimal infected doses of microbial agents. System analysis of scientific literature performed using the databases Web of Science, Scopus, The Cochrane Library, MedLine, PubMed, CyberLeninka, eLibrary.RU, showed that the effect of the microbiological factor, most likely, should be considered threshold-free, taking into account the extensive list of criteria for evaluating the epidemic situation that are not standardized and do not imply a quantitative assessment of microbiological risk. The priority area of ​​optimization of antiepidemic measures, taking into account the methodological basis for analysis of health risk, is the development of requirements for the permissible content of microbial agents in the air of the hospital environment and flushing from surfaces. The subsequent establishment of indicative indicators of the assessment of the nosocomial environment will contribute to the fulfillment of mandatory requirements by medical institutions on the one hand, and on the other hand, the exercise of the powers of the Federal Service for Supervision in Protection of the Rights of Consumer and Man Wellbeing (Rospotrebnadzor). In this regard, the scientific search in the field of ensuring the safety of the hospital environment should be focused on the problem of developing parameters for the dependence of the incidence of the care-associated infection and the exposition of microbiological agents based on the establishment of the minimum valid levels of exposure and the levels of acceptable health from the effects of hospital strains.

Introduction. Diseases of the nervous system (NS) occupy a leading place in the structure of child prevalence. The environmental conditions create a growing number of stress-inducing factors able of affecting the child body. Aluminum and its compounds are a good example here, it, in turn, is the most common element on Earth. The increase in the volume of pollution of environmental objects with these chemical pollutants, aspects of its toxic properties in relation to the immune and nervous systems, are attracting more and more attention. However, despite the problem being obvious and urgent to be solved, the pathway of adverse effects produced by aluminum on the immune and nervous system still remains unclear. Materials and methods. We examined sixty six 4–7 years children living in an area affected by emissions from aluminum production. The observation group consisted of children (n = 39) suffering from a nervous disease. The comparison group consisted of a child population (n = 27) without pathology of the nervous system. Immunological exploration was conducted by using flow cytometry, radioallergosorbent tests, and ELISA tests. Results. We comparatively analyzed cell differentiation clusters in the groups of the examined children; as a result, we identified authentically excessive expression of receptors, which were pathogenetically linked to nervous system pathology, in the test group (butyrophilin, toll-like receptor): BTN3/CD277rel., CD284, HLA-DRrel./abs. We also identified elevated aluminum concentration in biological media, elevated IgG specific to aluminum and HCE in blood serum (p < 0.05). These findings allow recommending these indicators as priority ones for children with diagnosed ‘disorder of autonomic nervous system, unspecified, G.90.9’ associated with elevated aluminum contamination in biological media. Research limitations. Children without any nervous system pathology did not participated in the study. Conclusion. We established children with disorder of autonomic nervous system (G.90.9) and elevated aluminum contamination in biological media to have elevated expression of cell differentiation clusters (CD277, CD284) and the late activation marker (HLA-DR) in their blood. This was combined with non-specific (elevated levels of neuron-specific enolase marker) and specific (IgG specific to aluminum) signs of autoimmune aggression, which was not identified in children without elevated contamination of their biological media with aluminum.

Introduction. Influenza remains a global public health problem due to high morbidity, associated mortality, and economic losses. Vaccination is a key tool for the disease control.The purpose of the study. To assess the epidemiological and economic effectiveness of influenza vaccination programs in the Russian Federation from 2010 to 2022 through analysis of prevented cases of morbidity, mortality, and related losses.Materials and methods. A retrospective analysis of data from Rosstat and Rospotrebnadzor was conducted. Regression modeling was applied to evaluate the association between vaccination coverage and influenza and influenza related morbidity/mortality with a one-year lag. Economic effectiveness was assessed according to the guidelines MR 5.1.0095–14 "Calculation of actual and prevented economic losses from mortality, morbidity, and disability of the population associated with the negative impact of environmental factors".Results. At the national level, mortality ranged from 0.22 per 100,000 population in 2011 to 0.42 per 100,000 in 2014; the lowest morbidity was recorded in 2014 (9.02 per 100,000), and the highest in 2011 (216.5 per 100,000). Statistically significant inverse correlations (p < 0.05) were found between vaccination coverage and the morbidity/mortality rates of the considered nosologies. Model-based estimates indicated vaccination to prevent up to 92.1 thousand influenza cases annually among children, 1.772 million influenza-associated ARVI cases, and 1,432 influenza-associated pneumonia deaths among adults. The cost-benefit ratio of influenza vaccination campaigns ranged from 2.21 (2019) to 3.48 rubles per 1 ruble invested (2011). The total prevented economic losses were estimated at 54.49 billion rubles in 2011 and 102.48 billion rubles in 2019.Research limitations. The study’s limitations include the set of analyzed data, the mathematical modeling methods used, and the estimates of influenza-associated morbidity and mortality.Conclusion. The findings confirm that influenza vaccination programs are effective medical and economic strategies that significantly contribute to reducing the disease burden and strengthening public health in Russia.Compliance with ethical standards. The study does not require the approval of a biomedical ethics committee of other documents (the study was performed using publicly available official statistics).Contribution of the authors: Zaitseva N.V. — research concept and design, editing, approval of the final version of the article; Kleyn S.V. — editing, writing the text, approval of the final version of the article; Glukhikh M.V. — statistical data processing, collection and processing material, writing the text. All authors are responsible for the integrity of all parts of the manuscript and approval of the manuscript final version.Funding. The study had no sponsorship.Conflict of interest. The authors declare no conflict of interest.Received: September 3, 2025 / Accepted: October 8, 2025 / Published: December 17, 2025