Noninvasive methods for studying the influence of nonferrous metallurgy emissions on human health

There are presented methodological approaches to assess the risk of negative factors associated with characteristic areas of metallurgical enterprises in pollution of the environment with heavy metals to human health. The use of noninvasive biotesting, based on established correlations of indices of trace elements and oxidative status in the body is suggested. As a non-invasive biological material, alveolar moisture condensate from the person (expirate) is used. The basis for the health risk assessment is information on the balance of two components of the oxidative process responsible for the adaptive function of the body — free radical oxidation and antioxidant defense system. An imbalance of these processes contributes to the development of oxidative stress, the complication of the course of many diseases. The deviation in quantitative indices of a number of elements, primarily of metals of variable valency, which participate in reactions of lipid peroxidation, showing pro- or antioxidant properties can also serve as the indicator of the effects of complex heavy metals. The identified relationship of trace elements and oxidative status allows providing the approach to the assessment of processes of peroxidation in the assessment of microelement exchange indirectly. To study the intensity of peroxidation and capacity of the antioxidant defense system in expirate a number of methodological solutions was proposed — methods of chemiluminescence and spectrophotometry, as well as biotest, allowing detect deviations in the oxidative status and based on the level of bioluminescence of lyophilized bacteria by oxidative potential of investigated expirate of alveolar moisture. The complex of methods for assessment of the degree of the health risk associated with pollution by heavy metals can be used for screening observations in selected contingents with the purpose of formation of risk groups such as individually for the choice the optimal ways of correction of disorders and the assessment of the efficiency of preventive or corrective measures. Examples of methodological approaches in one of the regions of accommodation of the enterprises of nonferrous metallurgy, and in the estimation of risk development of pathological conditions and the efficiency of the treatment for a particular worker of the metallurgical plant, as the patient in the clinic of occupational diseases.