Introduction. To develop the Arctic region and the Northern Sea Route (NSR), large-scale programs are being implemented to improve living conditions for the population, and investment projects and social initiatives are being supported.

The purpose of the study was to assess the population health status in the port cities of the Northern Sea Route.

Materials and methods. Data from the federal information fund for social and hygienic monitoring in the sections “Medical and demographic indicators” and “Population health” for 2007–2024. An analysis of the incidence in the cities of Anadyr, Arkhangelsk, and Murmansk, as well as in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation in general was conducted. Morbidity rates by age group were calculated per 100,000 of the corresponding population. Statistical processing was performed using Microsoft Office Excel 2013.

Results. In 2024, incidence rates for children diagnosed for the first time were above the Arctic average, for adolescents they were at the Arctic average, for adults they were below the Arctic average in Arkhangelsk and Murmansk, and above the Arctic average in Anadyr. An increase in incidence of anemia, obesity, and diabetes type 1 and type 2 was observed across all population groups. Based on the analysis conducted, a stable trend towards a decrease in the incidence of certain diseases in the Murmansk city population was noted.

Limitations. The study was conducted only for the port cities of NSR, for which statistical forms on the state of health of the population are generated.

Conclusion. The conducted analysis of the morbidity of the population of the studied port cities of NSR made it possible to identify nosology, the morbidity rates of which exceeded the average Arctic indicators for the period 2007–2024.

Compliance with ethical standards. The study does not require the submission of a biomedical ethics committee opinion or other documents.

Contribution:
Buzinov R.V. – the concept and design of the study;
Myasnikov I.O. – writing and editing text;
Novikova Yu.A. – statistical analysis, interpretation of results, writing text;
Sklizkova N.A. – analysis of literature data, interpretation of results;
Fedorov V.N. – data processing, editing of the article text;
Kizeev A.N. – collection and processing of material;
Levanchuk A.V. – collection of material.
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 was carried out as part of research project reg. No. 125040104706-8 and did not have any sponsorship support.

Received: April 17, 2026 / Revised: April 28, 2026 / Accepted: July 1, 2026 / Published: September 28, 2026

Introduction. The advancement in the chemical industry has led to the development of a broad spectrum of synthetic polymer materials. Their exceptional performance characteristics, combined with the capability to engineer materials with tailored properties, facilitate their extensive application in industrial manufacturing. However, the propensity of polymer surfaces to accumulate electrostatic charge presents potential risks of adverse health effects for end-users, necessitating systematic monitoring and hygienic evaluation of these products and materials.

The purpose of the study was to substantiate methodological approaches for measuring electrostatic field strength in the vicinity of polymeric material surfaces.

Materials and methods. The electrostatic field strength of a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) fabric specimen was measured both at rest and after undergoing a series of rubbing cycles involving various materials.

Results. The measured electrostatic field strength values did not exceed established hygienic limits and ranged from 1.04 ± 0.20 to 8.70 ± 1.54 kV/m, depending on the number of rubbing cycles. When the specimen was subjected to friction with synthetic textile materials, the results demonstrated greater stability compared to those obtained with natural wool fabric.

Limitations. The findings of this study are applicable exclusively to measurements of electrostatic field strength from synthetic polymer materials conducted under controlled laboratory conditions.

Conclusion. The experimental results confirmed the feasibility of employing the triboelectric effect for measuring and evaluating the strength of the electrostatic field generated by polymeric materials. The obtained data enable the determination of the minimum number of rubbing cycles required for electrostatic field strength stabilization, as well as the criteria for selecting contact materials for electrostatic induction on specimen surfaces.

Compliance with ethical standards. The study does not require an opinion from a biomedical ethics committee or other documents.

Contributions:
Kriyt V.E. – research concept; editing;
Sladkova Yu.N. – research design; text writing;
Sklyar D.N. – research design; material processing;
Volchkova O.V., Plekhanov V.P. – material collection.
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 17, 2026 / Revised: May 25, 2026 / Accepted: July 1, 2026 / Published: September 28, 2026

Introduction. The importance of rivers as one of the main types of water resources lies in their use for water supply, irrigation of agricultural lands, fishing, and recreational purposes. At the same time, pollution of rivers as a result of economic activity is a global problem.

The purpose of the study was a hygienic assessment of the water quality in the rivers of the Don basin in the Voronezh Region.

Materials and methods. Object of research: rivers of the Voronezh region. Subject of the study: sanitary and chemical indicators of the water quality. The study used primary data from the Voronezh Center for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring for 2023-2025 at 22 monitoring control points on 7 rivers for 4 generalized indicators and 10 substances.

Results. The priority indicators of water quality in rivers for non-compliance with hygienic standards include dissolved oxygen, BOC₅, COС, iron content (total), copper (total). Non-compliance of water quality indicators with hygienic standards was revealed in the Don, Chernaya Kalitva, Tikhaya Sosna, Bityug, and Khoper rivers. At the monitoring points of control of the Don River, there are significant differences in the average values of the water quality indicators downstream in relation to the control point located above. The adverse impact of diffuse and man-made runoff from the territories of populated areas, and above all, the cities of Voronezh and Pavlovsk, is traced. The sections of the Don River from Novovoronezh to Liski are relatively safe.

Limitations. The limitations of the study are related to the discrete nature of monitoring the water quality in rivers (4 times a year), the annual and seasonal variability of river water regimes due to the volume of precipitation, and other changing natural and man-made factors.

Conclusion. According to the results of the study, the priority sanitary and chemical indicators of water quality in rivers for the region and the most polluted places and rivers were identified.

Compliance with ethical standards. The study does not require the submission of a conclusion from the biomedical ethics committee or other documents.

Contributions:
Klepikov O.V. – concept and design of the study;
Kurolap S.A. – concept and design of the study;
Molokanova L.V. – preparation of the review and the introduction section;
Kulnev V.V. – general analysis of the material, preparation of conclusions, preparation and editing of the article;
Kizeev A.N. – significant contribution to the concept of the study, preparation of conclusions, final approval of the manuscript;
Nikanov A.N. – significant contribution to the concept of the study, preparation of conclusions, final approval of the manuscript.
All authors are responsible for the integrity of all parts of the manuscript and approval of the manuscript final version.

Acknowledgements. The authors would like to thank Alexander I. Sushkov, Head of the Voronezh Center for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring, for the primary data provided for the analysis and for his interest in cooperation with the Department of Geoecology and Environmental Monitoring at the Voronezh State University.

Conflict of interest. The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Funding. The research was carried out at the expense of the grant of the Russian Science Foundation No. 25-17-00219 “Integrated hydroecological diagnostics and monitoring of environmental risks of drinking and recreational water use in the Verkhnedonsky basin”, https://rscf.ru/project/25-17-00219/.

Received: April 17, 2026 / Revised: May 12, 2026 / Accepted: July 1, 2026 / Published: September 28, 2026

Introduction. In hygiene and epidemiological research, there are in demand spatial analysis tools from geographic information systems, including geostatistical analysis and various methods for grouping or classifying data on a map. Modern GIS functionality includes various tools for automatic data grouping, the results of which can vary significantly depending on the chosen method and the characteristics of the data sample. However, criteria for selecting appropriate tools have not been developed.

The purpose of the study. Based on the assessment of the variability of water quality indicators in centralized drinking water supply systems, to justify the choice of tools for automatic data grouping in modern geographic information systems.

Materials and methods. The methods used were content analysis, statistical methods for processing the collected information, methods for constructing and analyzing databases, methods for visualizing spatial data, and methods for grouping them using GIS.

Results. The similarity of the results of data groupings using the geometric interval, natural boundaries, and quantiles (quartiles) methods for samples with a distribution close to normal, as well as between the standard deviation and equal intervals methods, was revealed. The convergence of the results of different groupings for samples with no normal distribution is less typical.

Limitations. The findings and conclusions obtained in the study are applicable to methods of grouping and analyzing indicators associated with point objects and cannot be extrapolated to geostatistical analysis.

Conclusion. The study revealed the influence of key statistical characteristics of a sample on the results of automatic data grouping using tools in geographic information systems, using ArcMap as an example. When choosing a data grouping tool, it is advisable to primarily consider the normality of the distribution.

Compliance with ethical standards. The study does not require the submission of a biomedical ethics committee opinion or other documents.

Contribution:
Fedorov V.N. – concept and design of the study;
Novikova Y.A. – collection and processing of material, responsibility for the integrity and proportionality of all parts of the article;
Myasnikov I.O. – data analysis, study design adjustments, editing of the article text;
Sklizkova N.A. – data analysis, editing of article text;
Levanchuk L.A. – data analysis, interpretation of results, editing of the article 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 17, 2026 / Accepted: July 1, 2026 / Published: September 28, 2026

Insolation is a critical factor affecting a person’s psychophysiological state and ensuring residential safety. In the Russian Federation, compliance with insolation standards is enshrined in law, and the presentation of insolation duration calculation results is a mandatory requirement for design documentation. However, the question of revising or abolishing the hygienic standard for the duration of insolation is increasingly being raised as it has lost its relevance and is restricting the density and height of development. The purpose of this study was to review domestic and international insolation standards and analyze and systematize the main issues arising during hygienic assessments of insolation in residential and public buildings. The review materials included regulatory and methodological documents available in the reference systems TechExpert, ConsultantPlus, and Garant, as well as foreign regulatory documents, as well as domestic and international publications indexed in the search engines PubMed, Scopus, CyberLeninka, and eLIBRARY.RU. An analysis of domestic regulatory documents from 1963 to the present has revealed a significant decline in hygienic standards for insolation (shortened regulatory periods, shorter durations, and intermittent insolation regimes) and, as a result, the potential for higher building density and heights compared to mandatory minimum European standards. This has led to a discussion of current standards as ineffective and inadequate. It is noted that exposure to sunlight is assessed as an important criterion for the quality of the indoor environment; however, in-depth studies are required to substantiate the minimum required insolation of premises.

Contributions:
Kriyt V.E. – research concept; editing;
Sladkova Yu.N., Shmarov I.A. – research design; text writing;
Sladkova Yu.N., Shmarov I.A., Volchkova O.V. – research design; material processing.
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 17, 2026 / Accepted: July 1, 2026 / Published: September 28, 2026

Introduction. Maintaining the health in medical workers, given the social significance of their occupational activities, is one of the priority tasks of occupational medicine.

The aim. To identify trends in working conditions and in the occupational health status in medical workers in the Murmansk region in 1988–2023.

Materials and methods. We performed an analysis of production hazards and of all registered occupational ill-health cases (n = 73) in medical workers (n = 55) of the Murmansk region. The information came from the of the Federal Service for Supervision in Protection of the Rights of Consumer and Man Wellbeing social and hygienic monitoring “The population working conditions and occupational morbidity” and the regional occupational ill-health registry. The statistical analysis used the criteria of agreement (χ²) and approximation (R²), relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI), Student’s t-test (Microsoft Excel 2016).

Results. Occupational diseases (OD) in healthcare workers were established to be caused by infectious factors (37.0%), harmful chemicals (28.8%), higher than permissible workload (31.5%) and vibration (2.7%). We revealed features of development, nosology, and prevalence of occupational diseases in health workers of three categories: in medical doctors, middle and junior personnel. Despite changes in the annual number of diseases and sick workers (from zero to 12 cases), both indicators demonstrated only a weak upward trend: R² = 0.025 and R² = 0.029. Over 1988–2023, the average occupational morbidity rate in health workers in the Murmansk region was 0.90 cases per 10,000 workers, which was 6–12 times less than in the region.

Limitations. The possibility of registering diseases that originated in the Murmansk region in other regions of Russia.

Conclusion. The newly established data on progress of pathological changes, nosology and morbidity rates can be used for updating prevention of occupational ill-health in medical workers of the Murmansk region.

Compliance with ethical standards. Ethics approval was not required for this study.

Contribution:
Syurin S.A. – study conception and design, data collection, manuscript writing;
Kovshov A.A. – analysis and interpretation of results, manuscript 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: October 10, 2025 / Accepted: July 1, 2026 / Published: September 28, 2026

Introduction. Working in hazardous conditions is associated with physical overload and to adverse exposure to physical and chemical factors, both leading to the early manifestation of diseases. Accounting for the biological age of workers is critical as it helps to detect premature aging and take timely, personalized measures to maintain health and workability. SIRT1, commonly termed the “longevity gene”, protects cells from oxidative stress, and its polymorphism can potentially affect aging rates.

The aim of the study. To determine aging rates in ferrous metallurgy workers and evaluate the association between them and the SIRT1 rs7069102 polymorphism.

Materials and methods. The study included two hundred twenty nine men aged of 30 to 59 years working at a metallurgical plant. The converter shop group consisted of 103 workers while the reference group included 126 employees from administrative and management units. Aging rates in the subjects were determined using the Gorelkin – Pinkhasov method. SIRT1 gene polymorphism was genotyped using the commercially available SNP-Screen kit (Synthol, Russia) by real-time PCR. Odds ratios with 95 % confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using SPSS.

Results. Calculations of the odds ratio showed that working in the converter shop more than doubled the risk of an accelerated aging rate compared to normal or delayed rates (OR = 2.221; 95% CI = 1.303–3.785; p = 0.004). A high, though insignificant, prevalence of accelerated aging was found in carriers of the mutant G allele in the reference group.

Limitations. Neither health effects of electromagnetic radiation from office equipment nor the lifestyle of the study participants were taken into account in the analysis. Biological age was determined using the method that allowed for anthropometric parameters only.

Conclusions. Working in the converter shop increased the risk of accelerated aging. The SIRT1 rs7069102 polymorphism did not contribute significantly to the aging rate in either study group.

Compliance with ethical standards. Ethics approval was provided by the local Ethics Committee of the Yekaterinburg Medical Research Center for Prophylaxis and Health Protection in Industrial Workers (Protocol No. 1 of February 26, 2021). The research was done in accordance with ethical principles of the World Medical Association (2013) Declaration of Helsinki. All subjects gave their written informed consent for inclusion before they participated in the study.

Contributions:
Astakhova S.G. – study conception and design, data collection and processing, draft manuscript preparation;
Bereza I.A., Shaikhova D.R., Kikot A.M. – statistical data analysis, draft manuscript preparation, editing;
Sutunkova M.P., Potaturko A.V., Fedoruk A.A. – study conception and design, editing;
Polianina D.D., Bokovoy V.D. – data collection and processing.
All authors are responsible for the integrity of all parts of the manuscript and approval of its final version.

Conflict of interest. The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Funding. The study had no sponsorship.

Received: May 25, 2026 / Revised: June 5, 2026 / Accepted: July 1, 2026 / Published: September 28, 2026

Introduction. The high-intensity workloads can contribute to emotional burnout (EB) in healthcare care workers (HCP). Alexithymia (AT) is one of the external determinants of EB.

The purpose of the study is to identify the relationship between alexithymia and psychological characteristics and EB in healthcare care workers.

Material and methods. The psychometric online study was conducted using the Toronto Alexithymia Scale, V.V. Boyko’s questionnaire, Leonhard-Schmishek’s questionnaire, the Spielberger-Khanin scale, the Zung scale, and E. Heim’s method, as well as the Lifestyle index. Results are presented as medians, upper and lower quartiles, and extensive indicators. The Mann-Whitney U test and χ² criterion were used to compare indicators, correlation analysis was used to assess the relationship between features, and contingency table analysis and relative risk calculations were used to assess the probability of EB developing.

Results. 37.8% of HCP were diagnosed with AT, 40.0% had an intermediate degree of AT, and 22.2% of HCP had a “non-alexithymic” personality type. High levels of state anxiety, trait anxiety, depression, differences in the structure of character accentuations, and predominantly use maladaptive forms of behavioral strategies are characterized for AT persons. The symptoms of “experiencing psychotraumatic circumstances” and “dissatisfaction with oneself” predominate in the Tension phase in HCP with AT; emotional and moral disorientation are in the Resistance phase; depersonalization, emotional deficit reduction of occupational responsibilities are in the Exhaustion phase. The greatest strength of connections is noted between AT and state anxiety, trait anxiety, depression, the Tension phase, and the Resistance phase symptom “reduction of occupational responsibilities”. The severity of AT increases the risk of forming the Tension phase, the “reduction of occupanional responsibilities” symptom of the Resistance phase by 3.0–5.5 times.

Limitations. The study is one-stage, performed with the participation of one occupational group.

Conclusion. Alexithymia and emotional burnout should be considered as interrelated components that form a complex pattern of professional maladjustment in healthcare care professionals. The results substantiate the importance of considering personality factors when developing psychoprophylactic measures to prevent EB in healthcare personnel.

Compliance with ethical standards. The study was performed in accordance with ethical standards and approved by the Local Ethics Committee of the East-Siberian Institute of Medical and Ecological Research (conclusion No. 3 dated February 16, 2021, conclusion No. 5 dated March 21, 2023).

Contribution:
Pankov V.A. – concept and design of the study, collection of material, writing text, editing, approval of the final version of the article, responsibility for the integrity of all parts of the article;
KuleshovaM.V. – concept and design of the study, collection and processing of material, statistical processing, writing text, responsibility for the integrity of all parts of the article.
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 work was performed within the funds allocated for the implementation of the State task for the East-Siberian Institute of Medical and Ecological Research.

Received: March 25, 2026 / Accepted: July 1, 2026 / Published: September 28, 2026

Introduction. The influence of age on the health in workers in hazardous working conditions remains largely unexplored.

Objective: To study the impact of age on the health of underground miners on the Kola Peninsula.

Materials and methods. We studied the impact of age on the development and nosological structure of 11,003 non-occupational and 1,597 occupational diseases in ten age groups. Data sources included periodic medical examinations and Murmansk regional registry of occupational pathologies.

Results. The changes in miners’ health associated with increasing age include gains in the incidence of non-occupational musculoskeletal pathology (from 4.10 to 158.11 cases per 100 workers), circulatory diseases (from 14.28 to 116.22 cases), and ear diseases (from zero to 18.92 cases). Also, there was a decrease in the proportion of respiratory diseases at the age of 55 years and over (p=0.010), digestive diseases at the age of 40–44 and over (p=0.003 – <0.001), skin diseases after the age of 25–29 (p=0.015 – <0.001), and endocrine diseases at the age of ≥ 60 (p=0.011). An increase in the incidence of musculoskeletal pathology was observed at the beginning of working life, while a rise in circulatory and ear diseases took place at the end of working life. The proportion of healthy workers decreased with age from 33.3% at age <20 to none at age over 55 years. The most pronounced increase in occupational diseases was observed among persons aged of 41–45 years. Among those aged over 55 years, compared to workers aged of ≤40 years, the incidence of occupational diseases increased by 67.1 times, and the proportion of workers with occupational pathologies increased by 58.5 times.

Limitations. The accompanying impact of changes in service length on miners´ health, which should not theoretically differ in all age groups.

Conclusion. It is necessary to consider age periods with increased risk of developing health problems that require targeted preventive measures.

Compliance with ethical standards. Ethics approval was not required for the study.

Contribution. The author confirms sole responsibility for the study conception and design, data collection, analysis and interpretation of results, and manuscript preparation. The author is responsible for the integrity of all parts of the manuscript and approval of the manuscript final version.

Conflict of interests. The author declares that there is no conflict of interests.

Funding. The study had no sponsorship.

Received: April 17, 2026 / Accepted: July 1, 2026 / Published: September 28, 2026

Until the 1990s, scientific research focused on the oil and gas industry as a whole. However, no studies were conducted on working conditions or worker health specifically related to gas transportation enterprises. Subsequent studies from 2000 to 2020 showed that workers in key occupations in the gas transportation industry are exposed to a range of adverse occupational factors. The leading one is industrial noise. Therefore, for more than 50 years, sensorineural hearing loss from industrial noise exposure remained the primary occupational disease among workers at gas transportation enterprises.

The purpose of the study. Based on the analysis of literature data, to identify harmful and dangerous production factors at the workplaces of employees of gas transmission enterprises and to determine the main ways to prevent diseases that are contraindications for continuing work.

Scientific publications indexed in international (Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed) and in domestic (RSCI) databases for 1990–2026 were analyzed. A feature of the gas transportation industry in the Russian Federation is that most of the large natural gas transportation enterprises are concentrated in the regions of the Far North and equivalent territories. These territories are characterized by remoteness from the main industrial centers with frequent poor transport accessibility, which requires a special procedure for medical care for workers on the basis of a wide network of departmental health posts. Recent studies have shown that in the territories equated to the Far North, the greatest health risks for employees of the main production of gas transmission enterprises are associated with exposure to industrial noise. In this regard, a program for the prevention of the development and progression of arterial hypertension and sensori-neural hearing loss has been developed and tested, which can significantly reduce the likelihood of loss of occupational disability.

Conclusion. Unfavorable factors of the production environment at the workplaces of employees of the main occupations of gas transmission enterprises are considered and systematized. Traditional harmful and dangerous production factors for the personnel of gas compressor and gas distribution stations are industrial noise, general vibration, physical overloads, unfavorable microclimate, potential fire and explosion hazard of equipment.

Contribution:
Ikonnikova N.V. – collecting and processing material, writing text;
Grebenkov S.V. – concept and design of research, analysis, editing;
Boyko I.V. – concept and design of research, analysis, editing;
Nikanov A.N. – writing the text, editing.
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 17, 2026 / Revised: June 23, 2026 / Accepted: July 1, 2026 / Published: September 28, 202

Introduction. Hypertension (HA) is the leading chronic disease among diseases of the circulatory system. More than 45% of the population suffer from hypertension. Healthy lifestyle factors (HLS) belong to the eating behavior of patients, but a significant part of patients do not follow their diet.

The aim of the work is to establish the role of eating behavior in the formation of the health in HA patients.

Materials and methods. A total of four hundred twenty HA patients aged of 35–55 years living in Moscow under dispensary observation were examined. The patients’ health status was studied using a sample card based on patients’ medical records.

Results. The study of the health status in HA patients that in 30% of patients it was assessed as unsatisfactory. The relationship between the eating behavior in patients and the features of the course of HA was revealed. The eating behavior in HA patients revealed various disorders

Limitations. The study was limited to the analysis of 420 sample maps and questionnaires of HA patients, which made it possible to obtain reliable results using various statistical methods.

Conclusion. Adverse factors of eating behavior play a significant role in the formation of the health in HA patients, which can be leveled with positive changes in the patient’s lifestyle, orientation towards a proper healthy diet and a healthy lifestyle.

Compliance with ethical standards. The study was approved for publication by the Local Ethics Committee of the Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University of the Ministry of Health of Russia (Meeting Minutes No 261 dated 05/18/2026) and was conducted in accordance with the requirements of the CEC dated 08/01/2025 No63.A

Contribution. all co-authors made an equal contribution to the study and preparation of the article for publication, approved the final version and are responsible for the integrity of all its parts.

Conflict of interest. The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Funding. The study had no sponsorship.

Received: May 25, 2026 / Revised: August 3, 2026 / Accepted: August 7, 2026 / Published: September 28, 2026

The article summarizes the results of the analysis of domestic and foreign reports devoted to the study of the safety of children’s toys. The articles were searched in scientific electronic libraries: eLIBRARY.RU, CyberLeninka, the PubMed information system, the ScienceDirect database, and the Elsevier information platform. The search depth is 7 years (2020–2026). Analytical and comparative methods were used to study the problem in the field of toy safety. Scientific articles were established to be presented in journals of various thematic profiles. For the most part, these are articles on the requirements of the technical regulations TR CU 008/2011 “On the safety of toys”, on the issues of counterfeit products entering the country, and articles on market research for children’s goods. An analysis of literary sources shows a small number of publications devoted to the hygienic assessment of toys. The works present the results of organoleptic, microbiological, and toxicological studies, and consider the psychological and pedagogical aspects of game products. However, there are no published reports on the study of the effects of electromagnetic fields (EMF) from electric toys. Toys are sources of EMF, including radio frequency range, in some cases as close as possible to the child’s body, as a result, the potential risk to children’s health increases. The development of modern electronic technologies is also penetrating the toy market, with more and more complex toys appearing every year – interactive, electronic and radio-controlled toys. In the current methodological document of the MUK 4.1/4.3.2038–05 “Sanitary and epidemiological assessment of toys” there are no methods for instrumental monitoring of EMF levels generated by children’s toys. Hygienic studies and updating of methodological documents in the field of electromagnetic safety of toys are required.

Contribution:
Kalinina N.I. – research concept and design, data analysis, text writing, editing;
Dubrovskaya E.N. – analysis of materials; editing;
Sladkova Yu.N., Kriyt V.E. – editing.
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 17, 2026 / Revised: May 13, 2026 / Accepted: July 1, 2026 / Published: September 28, 2026

Introduction. An important stage in creating bioprophylactic complexes is the selection of their components, which requires trustworthy and detailed science-based substantiation for the inclusion of certain elements. Iron is one of such components, given the high prevalence of iron deficiency in the population and the essential role of this trace metal in various physiological processes involved in maintaining the resistance of the organism to heavy metal toxicity. Yet, the issue of a systematic and comprehensive analysis of scientific data confirming this role remains relevant.

The aim of this review is to collect, summarize, and systematize research data on characteristics of the mechanisms underlying the development and manifestation of iron deficiency conditions associated with heavy metal toxicity to develop bioprophylactic measures within the framework of personalized medicine.

We searched for English and Russian-language reports on the topic issued in 2007–2025 in PubMed, Scopus, eLIBRARY.RU, and CyberLeninka databases. Of 250 articles found, 41 full-text report was selected based on the inclusion criteria.

Our findings show that iron deficiency can enhance toxic effects of heavy metals and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. Dysregulation of iron also mediates the toxic effects of pollutants on the central nervous system, kidney, liver, blood, and hematopoietic organs. Iron-dependent lipid peroxidation, mediated by ferroptosis, is considered one of the key mechanisms.

Conclusion. Iron deficiency reduces the adaptive potential and resistance of the organism to the toxic effects of pollutants. Experimental data confirm the importance of ferroptosis in toxic responses at the cellular level and open up a new attitude vision of preventive medicine on prevention of this effect.

Contributions:
Nikogosyan K.M. – data collection and processing, data analysis, draft manuscript preparation;
Minigalieva I.A. – study conception and design, editing;
Sutunkova M.P. – study conception and design;
Dubrovin D.A. – data collection.
All authors are responsible for the integrity of all parts of the manuscript and approval of the manuscript final version.

Statement on the use of artificial intelligence tools. No AI tools were used in the preparation of this article.

Conflict of interest. The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Funding. The study had no sponsorship.

Received: March 6, 2026 / Revised: April 21, 2026 / Accepted: July 1, 2026 / Published: September 28, 2026

This article systematizes information about the arsenic content in water, its harmful effects when consumed, and provides materials on assessing public exposure to arsenic and health risks assessment. The analysis of original studies on the content of arsenic in soil, water bodies, arsenic poisoning performed via bibliographic and abstract databases: PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, RSCI (eLIBRARY.RU). Based on the results of a targeted search, sixty full-text reports were selected, of which 36 fully meet the specified inclusion criteria. Geochemical arsenic provinces have been found in many countries around the world, including Russia. In such territories, drinking water (mainly from underground sources) is the main route of arsenic entry into the human body, and arsenic contamination of drinking water sources is a leading hygienic problem. Minimal effective concentrations of inorganic arsenic in drinking water were identified: 0.0062 mg/L – coronary artery disease and hypertension; 0.00988 mg/L – cognitive decline in children; 0.023 mg/L – hyperkeratinization and pigmentation of the skin.

Limitation. Most original studies fail to take into account risk factors that modify arsenic exposure, and exposure estimates are often based on single arsenic concentration measurements.

Conclusion. The toxic effect of arsenic on the human body is generally known, but there are uncertainties associated with the chronic effects of low doses of this element. At the same time, the minimal effective concentration associated with the risk of circulatory diseases developing is 1.6 times lower than the maximal permissible concentration (MPC). It is advisable to justify different reference doses for individual critical organs and systems, especially for effects on the cardiovascular and nervous systems, as well as to consider possible changes in the MPC of arsenic in drinking water.

Contribution:
Stepanyan A.A. – collection and analysis of literature sources, writing of the text;
Kovshov A.A. – concept and design of the study, editing, formulation of conclusions;
Isaev D.S. – processing of the material, editing;
Shilov V.V. – editing.
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 17, 2026 / Revised: June 1, 2026 / Accepted: July 1, 2026 / Published: September 28, 2026

Introduction. Wildfire smoke (WFS) is a complex mixture of particulate matter (PM) and toxic gases. Nevertheless, the contribution of each fraction to the overall toxicity remains poorly understood. Peat smoke, characterized by prolonged smoldering and a specific chemical composition, is of particular interest.

Materials and methods. Peat smoke extracts (PSE) were obtained by bubbling smoke through a DMEM culture medium, followed by separation into unfiltered (UF-PSE), containing PM and soluble gas components, and filtered (F-PSE), containing only water-soluble gases. The obtained extracts in dilutions of 1:3, 1:1, 3:1 and without dilution were used for exposure of 3T3-SV40 mouse fibroblast culture. Cytotoxicity was assessed using the dye exclusion method, cellular metabolic activity was assessed using the MTT assay, and fragmentation and whole-genome DNA methylation were assessed using the comet assay. The qualitative composition of volatile compounds in UF-PSE was determined using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Results. No statistically significant differences in cell viability, fragmentation, or whole-genome DNA methylation were detected between the experimental and control groups. However, a trend toward a dose-dependent decrease in viability and metabolic activity was noted under UF-PSE, which was absent for F-PSE. The level of whole-genome DNA methylation under UF-PSE exposure was 1.6 times higher than under F-PSE. Volatile aldehydes C1–C4, primarily acetaldehyde and formaldehyde, were identified in the chemical composition of UF-PSE. No other volatile organic compounds were detected.

Limitations. The study is limited to the use of a single 24-hour exposure to F-PSE and UF-PSE on 3T3-SV40 with a qualitative chemical analysis of smoke components, a study of its cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, ability to introduce epigenetic changes and influence the metabolic activity of cells.

Conclusion. Although there were no statistically significant differences, the identified trends indicate a possible contribution of PM to the cytotoxicity and epigenetic effects of peat smoke, which requires further study, including chronic exposure and its quantitative chemical analysis.

Compliance with ethical standards. The study was approved by the local ethics committee of the East-Siberian Institute of Medical and Ecological Research (Protocol No.7 of 12/15/2023), conducted in accordance with the European Convention for the Protection of Vertebrate Animals Used for Experiments or for Other Scientific Purposes (ETS N 123), Directive 2010/63/EC of the European Parliament and the Council of 22.09.2010 on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes.

Contribution:
Abramova V.A. – concept and design of research, data collection and processing, statistical data processing, text writing, editing;
Vasyuhina P.O. – data collection and processing;
Alekseenko A.N. – concept and design of research, data collection and processing; Vokina V.A. – concept and design of research, data collection and processing;
Sosedova L.M. – concept and design of research, editing.
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 8, 2026 / Accepted: June 18, 2026 / Published: September 28, 2026

Introduction. Since 2023, atmospheric air quality monitoring has been conducted in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk as part of the implementation of the federal «Clean Air» project. Conducting a health risk assessment based on the monitoring results prior to implementing measures to reduce pollutant emissions into the atmosphere will allow assessing the impact of measures aimed at improving the quality of life for the population of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.

Materials and methods. The work utilizes the findings from atmospheric air quality monitoring conducted by the Center for Hygiene and Epidemiology in the Sakhalin Region at four stations. The list of substances to be monitored has been determined based on a combination of factors, including: consolidated calculations of atmospheric air pollution; government monitoring data; public health risk assessment based on calculations of the dispersion of pollutant emissions.

Results. The excess of hygienic standards for atmospheric air quality during the period of 2023–2025 has been identified. High concentrations of benzo(a)pyrene, carbon black and inorganic dust containing 70–20% SiO₂ are observed. However, due to the health risk assessment methodology, it is only possible to calculate and evaluate chronic risks for benzo(a)pyrene based on data from 2025. Therefore, the levels of chronic, non-carcinogenic risks for specific organs and systems decreased from acceptable to minimal levels in 2025.

Limitations. The limitation is the project-based nature of the work, which makes it difficult to conduct scientific analysis and adjust monitoring.

Conclusions. The levels of health risks identified in this study should be used as a basis for further assessment of the measures effectiveness. It is necessary to summarize and consolidate the experience gained during the implementation of activities under the federal project for the purpose of subsequent application in socio-hygienic monitoring of atmospheric air quality.

Compliance with ethical standards. The study does not require submission of the opinion of the biomedical ethics committee or other documents.

Contribution:
Isaev D.S. – research concept and design, analysis of laboratory research results, performing health risk assessment, writing the text;
Stepanyan A.A. – analysis of laboratory research results;
Kovshov A.A. – research concept and design, writing the text;
Funtusova O.A., Sukhanova A.V. – сollection of laboratory research results.
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 17, 2026 / Accepted: July 1, 2026 / Published: September 28, 2026

Introduction. Scientific literature provides substantial evidence regarding the effects of the Earth’s weakened geomagnetic field on the human body, primarily derived from short-term experimental studies. However, these data do not allow a reliable assessing of “dose-response” and “time-effect” relationships. To evaluate the duration and intensity of hypogeomagnetic field exposure in shielded facilities, employment duration (length of service) was used as a proxy indicator.

This study aims to conduct a retrospective analysis of a 30-year electronic database of periodic medical examinations and assess the risk for hypertensive heart disease and unspecified myocarditis among workers in shielded versus standard office environments.

Materials and methods. Two cohorts were formed based on differing occupational conditions: workers in shielded facilities (exposed group), n=411; and workers in standard office environments (unexposed group), n=352. Relative risk (RR), odds ratio (OR), and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated.

Results. Priority nosological entities were identified according to the ICD-10. The study revealed a strong, statistically significant association between work in shielded facilities and hypertensive heart disease, RR=1.958 (1.062–3.609), as well as unspecified myocarditis RR=4.282 (1.25–14.671).

Conclusions. Risk assessment for hypertensive heart disease, unspecified myocarditis, and occupational environmental factors demonstrated a statistically significant association between working conditions and prevalence among employees exposed to the Earth’s weakened geomagnetic field.

Compliance with ethical standards. The study does not require a conclusion on biomedical ethics, since it is the result of generalization of many years of work of scientists in this direction.

Contribution:
Plekhanov V.P. – research concept and design, data analysis, text writing;
Sklyar D.N. – editing;
Kalinina N.I. – analysis of materials; editing.
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 17, 2026 / Revised: May 21, 2026 / Accepted: July 1, 2026 / Published: September 28, 2026