Vol 96, No 9 (2017)

The main achievements of the State Scientific Center of the Russian Federation — A.I. Burnazyan Federal Medical Biophysical Center in some key scientific areas are submitted data based on the presentation at the extended meeting of the Board of the Federal Medical Biological Agency “Results of the activity of the State Scientific Center of the Russian Federation — A. I. Burnazyan Federal Medical Biophysical Center of the Federal Medical Biological Agency of Russia in 2016 and prospects for 2017-2018”. The principal attention is focused on hygienic and and radiobiological areas of research.

The main aspects of radiological and nuclear terrorism have been considered in the paper. The nuclear terrorism scenario, i.e. the usage of nuclear weapons by terrorists has been emphasized to look unlikely. While the threat of radiological terrorism related to the usage of radioactive materials with the purpose of malicious exposure to the public, for example, by detonating of a “dirty bomb” with further radioactive contamination of the environment where people live, or by a hidden usage of radioactive materials appears to be rather realistic. The character and consequences of the usage of various types and sources of ionizing radiation from alpha-emitting radionuclides to gamma-, gamma-beta or beta-emitting radionuclides under external, internal or contact exposure have been discussed. The criteria of radiation impact to a person are emphasized to include both the absorbed dose and absorbed dose rate. In the case of external exposure it is necessary to consider the character of the exposure: total (whole body exposure) or local (some parts of a body) to a person; in the case of the internal exposure — features of distribution and metabolic characteristics of a specific radionuclide. Deterministic effects (acute radiation sickness, local radiation injury, chronic radiation sickness) and stochastic effects (malignant tumors, hereditary diseases) are considered as effects of the radiation exposure. Under the comparison of a radiation threat due to different pathways as a result of an act of radiological terrorism usually the first place is taken by the external exposure, followed by the internal exposure by inhalation intake of radionuclides, in the case of dispersed radioactive materials due to detonation — through wounds and burned skin surfaces; the lesser important pathway is oral intake of radionuclides. The analysis of various scenarios of the radiological terrorism shows the number of casualties with deterministic effects will be small, while the number of people with stochastic effects will not be discernible from spontaneous variation of levels of the prevalence rate of malignant tumors and hereditary diseases. The main negative factor of radiological terrorism is psychological impact of the terrorism associated with a radiation threat

Studies to enhance radiation and health monitoring at legacy sites are relevant and fall in the responsibilities of FMBA of Russia, which provides medical and health-care support to employees of enterprises under the State Corporation Rosatom, as well as the population living near these enterprises. The paper reviews data of long-term radiation and health monitoring (2005-2016) at nuclear and uranium legacy sites in Russia and the Central Asia countries, the methodical guidance of which was performed by State Scientific Center of the Russian Federation — A.I. Burnazyan Federal Medical Biophysical Center. The experience gained during the research allowed us identify the actual areas for the further work: the need for a comprehensive study to assess all significant risk factors to be evaluated; unification of collection and collation of radio-ecological data; improvement of the radiation protection system, taking into account international recommendations and methodological approaches to assessing the health conditions of the population.

In the article there are presented data of the study of the radiation situation on the territory and at premises of the “Electric Mechanical Plant” Company, one of the units of the former uranium mining and milling facility of the former Lermontov Almaz Production Association. At the area of waste rock dumps and off-balance ores, the radiation situation was shown to meet requirements of health regulations SP LKP-91.The radiation situation in 14 out of 15 observed workshops and office premises meets the requirements for the limitation of the public exposure to natural radiation sources in occupational conditions established by health regulations and norms SanPiN 2.6.1.2800-10. In one building (warehouse premises), the requirements for equivalent equilibrium volumetric activity of radon (EEVA) in indoor air are exceeded. Based on the annual EEVA of radon values the assessment of effective doses in the work of the personnel over the one shift, was shown to be overestimated up to 7 times due to the daily variation of radon volumetric activity concentration.

The evaluation of the sanitary-hygienic and ecological state of the environment on the territory of the location of the former silo launchers of intercontinental ballistic missiles after their partial elimination, as practical testing of the main provisions of the developed draft methodological manual on ensuring of environmental and hygienic safety of the sites for placing silo launchers after their decommissioning and Land reclamation. A comprehensive observation of the combat launch positions of liquid intercontinental ballistic silo based missiles after their decommissioning and partial liquidation was carried out. In accredited testing laboratories in soil, water, building structures, there were carried out.studies of the qualitative and quantitative content of unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine (UDMH) and its degradation products, heavy metals, radionuclides. In studied soil samples unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine was found to be in the soil in 69.4.7% of cases, and in 40.8% of cases in the studied samples, the excess of the MPC content of UDMH was recorded by 1.2 - 32 times. The study of soil on the degradation products of UDMG revealed their presence in some substances in most of studied samples, but their values did not exceed the MPC. The content of a number of heavy metals, both anthropogenic (zinc, lead, nickel) and natural (cobalt, chromium) nature was noted to exceed the maximum permissible and approximately permissible concentrations. It has been established that if the incomplete disposal of the former chemically hazardous facilities of the Ministry of Defense and land reclamation is concerned, the environment may contain toxic and highly toxic substances in concentrations exceeding the established standards. This circumstance determines the potential danger of decommissioned, but not properly disposed former military facilities for the environment, as well as for the local population. The experience gained during the practical activities made it possible to make the necessary additions and changes to the final version of the draft document on ensuring environmental and hygienic safety of the areas where the silo launchers were placed after their decommissioning and land reclamation.

The global pollution of the environment and the functioning of the Mining and Chemical Combine (MCC), Rosatom State Corporation are potential sources of tritium in the Yenisei River ecosystem. The distribution of residual tritium in organs and tissues of the freshwater rayfinned fish Carassius gibelio (Prussian carp) as a representative of the Carassius phytophagous genus of Cyprinidae family was studied for the determination of the 3Н accumulation in the aquatic plants-fishes food chain in water bodies contaminated with radionuclides. At the first stage, the work was done on the accumulation of tritium by the biomass of hydrobiont plants. To do this, 3000 g of biomass in terms of wet weight were placed in aquaria with a volume of 100 liters with specific water activity of 100 kBq/l. The work shows mentioned aquatic plants to accumulate actively the introduced tritium, storing up to 70% of the radionuclide. At the same time, the content of organically bound tritium in biomass increased to 21% of total accumulated tritium. Then the plants (hornwort, duckweed) were dried, mixed with dry fish food (1: 1), and the mixture was compressed into pellets, each with activity up to 50 Bq. The pellets were used for forcible feeding of fish, during the experiment, each individual absorbed up to 330 kBq of tritium radionuclide for 550 days. Studies have shown about 75% of the total accumulated amount of tritium in fish specimens to present in muscle tissue. When determining the content of tritium in proteins and lipids in experimental systems, no specific features have been revealed in the use of Ceratophyllum and Lemna as a source of nutrition.

In experiments on intact mice provided by continuous access to drinking water with reduced oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) only for 30-49 days there are revealed following signs of a modification of the vital status: a slowdown in body weight gain, a decrease in behavioral activity, a decrease in the thymus and spleen mass, signs of a change in intestinal microflora composition, in comparison with the original tap water and distilled water. Reduction of ORP was achieved by distillation of water, and also by electrochemical treatment at the "Ideal" plant. In addition, water samples were used in the experiment with the addition of antioxidants: ascorbic acid and melanin, which also reduced the ORP. At X-ray irradiation in a non-lethal dose of 1.5 Gy, 24 hours after exposure to radiation, there were no statistically significant differences in the damaging effect of radiation in animals that drank water of different quality. At the same time, with an irradiation dose of 5 Gy, an acceleration in the recovery of hematological indices and behavioral activity in the use of water with reduced ORP was noted. The intake of these water samples after irradiation contributed to a statistically significant increase in the number of endogenous hematopoiesis colonies in the spleen as compared to the use of tap water.

Retrospectively, from the 60s of the last century to the present time, coordinated approaches have been considered in our country and in the United States in addressing the issues of ensuring radiation safety and radiation rating of short-term space flights and establishing the maximum radiation exposure levels for cosmonauts and astronauts. At the same time, for long space flights some basic differences in the choice of radiation hazard criteria for a complex (in contrast to terrestrial) character of the radiation impact of cosmic radiation are shown. Differences in models of the formation of the radiation hazard to the organism are also noted taking into account the recovery and compensatory processes. A thorough experimental and model substantiation of not only the risk of immediate effects, but also the main and unfavorable long-term effects of cosmic radiation on cosmonauts, have been carried out. To solve problems of rationing in Russia and establish the dose limits for cosmonauts, the results of unique experiments are presented and quantitative approaches to the determination of the state of the leading regulatory systems, body reserves, the total radiation risk throughout the life of cosmonauts, as well as the possible reduction of the average life expectancy.

The article covers issues related to the specifics of requirements for the personal protection equipment (PPE) in the field of the nuclear power usage, and briefly describes the history of the PPE evolvement. This work was performed by the employees of the A.I. Burnazyan Federal Medical Biophysical Centre (former Institute of biophysics) which has been creating and enhancing PPE for the personnel of radiation hazardous facilities for more than 60 years. Successes of the PPE developers include the creation of the light respirator “ShB-1 Lepestok” which has been in use since 1950s till now in almost all industries, energy engineering, agriculture, medicine, etc., as well as the development of materials, structures, technology of manufacturing and practical application of reusable, decontaminable, physiologically acceptable insulating suits, fresh-air horse respiratory PPE, decontaminable basic and supplementary overalls and safety footwear for the personnel of nuclear industry and energetics. The system of the personal protection from radiation exposure has been proved during rectification of the consequences of the accident at the Chernobyl NPP. The article examines interim results of major transformation of the personal protection system for the personnel of radiation hazardous facilities in the beginning of 21st century. At the present time efforts on the creation of the PPE standardization and certification system in nuclear industry become regular again. Interstate and national standards regulating requirements and test methods for PPE and materials for its manufacturing, as well as the Technical Regulations “Safety of the personal protection equipment” have been both developed and put in practice. Methods of testing PPE with substances specific to the nuclear industry are being developed, and the Rosatom’s PPE certification system is being formed.

The aim of this study was a retrospective evaluation of the reproductive health of the male staff of the Kalinin and Kursk nuclear power plant (NPP).

Material and Methods. Fertility indices were used for the evaluation of the reproductive health status (ability to have children) and the health status of their offspring. For the assessment of the fertility there were used data concerning the marital status, childbirths and radiation doses received by males, obtained from the questionnaires, developed as part of this study. The data about the health of newborns was obtained from information copied from the individual cards of pregnant history cases and infant history case. In total, in the study there was analyzed data on the marital status of 679 men from Kalinin and 631 men from Kursk NPP, as well as data on the 735 and 813 newborn in the families of staff of the Kalinin and Kursk NPP, and data on 1438 and 1284 pregnant women respectively. As control groups there were used data about health of newborns and pregnant women of cities of Udomlya and Kurchatov. The combined groups included 1549 newborns and of 2718 pregnant women.

Results. Infertile marriages due to the male infertility accounted for 7.3% of the Kalinin NPP personnel, and 2.5% — of Kursk NPP personnel. The incidence and complication rates of the pregnancy in families of Kalinin and Kursk NPP staff are comparable with those in the control group of pregnant women and were 75.7%, 61.6% and 71.0%, respectively. Adverse pregnancy outcomes (spontaneous abortions and early neonatal death of the newborn) were recorded in 6.9%, 0.1% in the families of the personnel of the Kalinin NPP and 8.9%, 0.2% in the families of the personnel Kursk of the NPP complying with the control values of 7.6% 0.2%, respectively. The frequency of the birth of the health child corresponds to control values as  73.6% of the families of the personnel of the Kalinin NPP, amounting to 65.3% in the families of the personnel of the Kursk NPP and 69.7% in the control group. The relative risk of birth of a child with congenital malformations RR = 0,84 in the families of staff at Kalinin NPP and RR = 1.0 — at Kursk NPP.

Conclusion. No impact of occupational exposure on the reproductive health was revealed for the male staff both at Kalinin and Kursk NPP.

The article is devoted to the assessment of occupational risks of employees of the nuclear industry. A literature review on currently used indices of occupational risks and working conditions on high-tech enterprises of the nuclear industry has shown that because of ther lack of occupational diseases related to exposure to ionizing radiation, and low level of industrial injuries, these indices are not appropriate for the inclusion in the evaluation of the individual professional risk. Classes of working conditions according to hazards and risk group health of the worker, work-related diseases and the level of allostatic load are sufficient for the practical assessment. The given formula for the calculation of the index of allostatic load according to psycho-physiological examinations as the part of the modern legislation is required to implement periodic medical examinations of workers of the nuclear industry. A developed one-dimensional multiparameter index and decision rules describe the level of the loss of health of the employee. The constructed regression model for classes of working conditions allows predict the level of losses of health of the employee. A risk matrix was developed for the evaluation of individual professional risk.

In the article there is considered the content of the terms of such branches of science as "psycho-hygiene" and "psycho-prophylaxis", the history of the incurrence, tasks, structure, interrelationship and significance in the activity of specialists taking part in the elimination of consequences of radiation accidents and incidents. Psycho-hygiene, presenting a part of general hygiene, is an interdisciplinary field of scientific knowledge referred to general and social hygiene, social and medical psychology, and psychiatry also. It deals with the influence of various environmental factors and labor activity on the mental health of a person, as well as the development and implementation of measures to preserve people's mental health at the public, group and individual levels. The main subject of psycho-hygiene is mentally healthy people, and the most important task is the creation and provision of conditions for the formation of a harmoniously developed personality. In psycho-hygiene, like any other science, there are several areas of activity. These are: fundamental, applied and practical. In the form of the implementation of measures, it is divided into preventive, restorative and curative. Psycho-prophylaxis is a system of state, social, psychological, hygienic and medical measures aimed at ensuring a high level of mental health and preventing the occurrence of mental disorders. Psycho-prophylaxis has such main subject as subclinical, painful manifestations in the psyche of people, in the conditions of occurrence and impact of unfavorable and stressful factors on the person. It develops and implements measures to prevent the occurrence of mental illness, and also facilitates the rehabilitation of people with mental disorders. Considerable attention is paid to the role and importance of psycho-hygiene and psycho-prophylaxis in the activity of emergency rescue teams. In the course of the elimination of consequences of radiation accidents and incidents, in this category there is possible the appearance of psychological trauma with a complex, specific and multifactorial stress effect that underlies a whole spectrum of mental disorders. The implementation of a complex of timely psycho-preventive measures will allow reveal initial signs of mental disadaptation, psychosomatic pathology, emotional burnout and determine effective measures for restoring and preserving mental health in emergency rescue specialists of teams of Federal Medical Biophysical Centre of the the Federal Medical Biological Agency of Russia.

There are presented results of the study of the hygienic assessment of actual nutrition of students. On the basis of obtained results there was established the imbalance of the consumption of essential chemical elements — essential macronutrients and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals). There is considered the problem of the attitude of contemporary students to nutrition and nutrition peculiarities of students. The results allow make a conclusion that the nutrition of students at the medical University cannot be considered as satisfactory. There were revealed serious violations in the diet regime and nutrition ration. Against background of these violations there was noted the high level of overall morbidity rate, including nutrition-related diseases. This leads to the relevance of the development and implementation of the program to optimize the nutrition in the system of higher education.