International activity of the Institute of Occupational Health

2024

State Institution "Kundiiev Institute of Occupational Health of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine" is actively developing scientific and creative cooperation with the Wroclaw University of Science and Technology (Politechniką Wrocławską; https://pwr.edu.pl/) in the field of occupational health and safety of workers in the mining industry of the national economy of Ukraine and Poland. Research laboratories of the Kundiiev Institute of Occupational Health and the Faculty of Geoengineering, Mining and Geology (Wydział Geoinżynierii, Górnictwa i Geologii) of the Wrocław University jointly study the features of the influence of harmful physical and chemical factors of the industrial environment on workers, develop engineering and technical prevention measures and mathematical models for calculating the effectiveness of such measures. The leading specialists of the Kyiv Academy of Construction and Architecture and the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute named after Ihor Sikorsky are also involved in the effective implementation of these works. Current issues of occupational health and safety in the mining industry of our countries are the study of the impact of low-frequency noise from mining equipment and vehicles, effective prevention of the impact of the dust factor, protection of the environment from the harmful effects of industrial facilities, assessment of the safety of new production technologies.

In co-authorship with the Wroclaw University of Science and Technology and other leading scientific institutions of the technical and medical profile of the EU and Ukraine, it was prepared and submitted to the competition under the EU grant program HORIZON-HLTH-2024-ENVHLTH-02-06-two-stage "The role of environmental pollution in non-communicable diseases: air pollution, noise, light and hazardous waste" project "Assessment of combined effects of respirable crystalline silica and industrial noise: health risks and prevention strategies" (acronym ACERSON, ID 101155898-1; planned implementation period: 2024 - 2027).

Currently, the specialists of our institutions are discussing and preparing the project for submission to the call "Zero-pollution cities HORIZON-MISS-2024-CIT-01-02 (deadline 11.02.2025)".

To improve the coordination of joint work, between the SI "Kundiiev Institute of Occupational Health of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine" and the Wroclaw University of Science and Technology in December of this year concluded an agreement on scientific and technical cooperation/Porozumienie No. ЗЗ/0180/720/2024, registered in the Central Directory of PWR Contracts (Centralne Reportorium Kontraktow PRW).

We hope that further fruitful cooperation between our institutions in the field of labor safety and occupational health will be of great benefit for improving the working conditions of miners in Ukraine and Poland and other countries of the European Community.

Joint scientific articles:

1. Myshchenko I., Nazarenko V.І^., Stopa M., Maslakiewicz M. (2021) Occupational exposure to infrasonic and low frequency noise: actual problems of hygienic standardization. Ukrainian Journal of Occupational Health, 2021, № 4(69), Р. 235-244; doi.org/10.33573/ujoh2021.04.235

2. Mishchenko I., Nazarenko V., Kolganov A. et al. The content of acoustic signals and biological effects of noise in conditions of high level of work intensity. Journal of Preventive Medicine and Hygiene. 2021.Vol. 62 : E763-E769; https://doi.org/10.15167/2421-4248/jpmh2021.62.3.1588

3. Leonov Yu. I., Nazarenko V. I., Myshchenko I. (2022) Microbiom of office premises and prevention of its harmful effect on office workers. Український журнал з проблем медицини праці/ Ukrainian Journal of Occupational Health. 2022. Vol. 18 № 1. P. 63–70; doi.org/10.33573/ujoh2022.01.063

4. Leonov Yu. I., Nazarenko V. I., Myshchenko I. (2022) The problem of hygienic standardization of air concentration of microorganisms in office premises. Український журнал з проблем медицини праці/ Ukrainian Journal of Occupational Health. 2022. Vol. 18 No 1. P. 147–154; doi.org/10.33573/ujoh2022.02.147

5. LeonovYu.I., Vergolyas M.R., Nazarenko V.I., Myshchenko I. (2023) Ways of Improving the method of using UV radiation for disinfecting drinking water (literature review). Ukrainian Journalof Occupational Health 2023, Vol.19, №2: 151-160; doi.org/10.33573/ujoh2023.02.151

2017

In 2017 SI «Kundiiev Institute of Occupational Health of the NAMS of Ukraine» (further Іnstitute) together with Illinois University (Chicago, USA) was involved in realization and development of the Strategy on occupational health and further studies in medical ecology and planning further joint scientific studies in Ukraine and some other developing countries (with transitional economy). There have been considered and discussed proposals concerning development and functioning a multidisciplinary Centre on studying the Global effect of the environment and occupational factors of the population health on the base of the Institute. It was the forth joint international meeting, where problems of planning the further activity of the Centre and joint scientific meetings, were discussed, aimed at improvement of preventive measures against the effect of radiation and chemical production risk factors in energy. There have been made first attempts to file an application for a grant of 2018-2020 «East-European Consortium for safety and health protection in energy».

Since 2017, the activity is going on concerning the project "Nanostructural and nanoporous materials of medical purpose" under the Marie Curie action program within the framework of the EU Research and Innovation Program "Horizon 2020", co-sponsored by the University of Alicante (Spain) with participation of 10 countries. The aim of the project is to develop new nanostructured and nanoporous medical supplies, which will be further used to treat large numbers of people from heavy metal and radionuclide contamination. The terms: 2017-2020.

In 2017, the WHO project "Strengthening the Capacity for Rational Management of Biocides (Pesticides and Disinfectants) to Reduce the Impact on the Population in Ukraine" was launched under the chairmanship of the Institute of Public Health named after. O. Marzeyev of the National Academy of Medical Sciences (NAMS) for financing through the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP). The main objective of the project is to strengthen the national potential of Ukraine in ensuring the safe use and production of certain groups of biocides, pesticides and disinfectants, in particular, through their life cycle. The staff of the Institute prepared materials for publication "National review on biocides". The terms: 2017-2018.

In 2017, an agreement on development of direct contacts and scientific cooperation on occupational medicine and occupational pathology was signed with the Institute of Medicine and Radiology of Serbia named after Dragomir Karadzovich. In order to improve the quality of the diagnosis and prevention of occupational diseases in workers of Ukraine and Serbia, it is planned to make an analysis on prevalence of diseases of the bronchopulmonary system of occupational pathology in workers of both countries and to develop modern methods for diagnosing the pathology of the broncho-pulmonary system of occupational genesis. The terms: since 1917 and further.

During 2017, the work on the project "Assessment of the effectiveness of biological prophylaxis (on the basis of pectin) of adverse effects of compounds of heavy metals on the human body" was continued with the National Institute of Occupational and Environment Health (Vietnam, Hanoi). An analysis of the results of the study on the content of lead in blood and urine of 250 children (2-14 years old) and 78 adults (workers of the battery enterprises), residents of Dong Mai of the Hing Yen province, before and after the treatment with pectin within 1, 3 and 6 months has been made. High effectiveness of prophylactic preparations manufactured in Ukraine on the basis of pectin substances was proved. As a result of the work, a special report of the Government of the SR Vietnam was prepared on the feasibility of using PECTIN TECHNOLOGY LIMITED COMPANY (Ukraine) for prevention of harmful effect of lead on children's body, as well as on the expansion of the program of scientific and technical cooperation with Ukrainian specialists.The terms: 2016-2019.

Studies on the safe use of disinfection means in sugar production (since 2017 and further), together with the Institute of Biotechnology in agricultural and food industries, Poland, Leshno, were continued. The terms: since 2014 and further.

Main events in 2017.

(1). 27.03.2017 there was held a lecture of Prof. Andrey Korchevskiy (Chemistry & Industrial Hygiene, Inc., CO, USA) “Risk Assessment in Industrial Hygiene: Do we need new Approaches?” in the IOH. Also, a meeting was conducted concerning development of a document on the collaboration of the Institute with the Chemistry & Industrial Hygiene, Inc., CO, USA, headed by V.I. Chernyuk, Director of the Institute. 34 specialists of IOH were present.

(2). 30.03.2017: a WHO meeting «Occupational Health» was held in the Institute. Two foreign representatives were present: Dr. Elisabeth Paunovich Officer, WHO EURO, Director of the Department on policy and management, Bonn, Germany; Dr, Маrte Everard, WHO representative, Head of the WHO Representative Office in Ukraine. From the Institute – 11 scientists.

(3). 28.04.2017: a Working Group of the ICOH with Prof. Sergio Iavicolli, Secretary General of the (ІСОН), 1) concerning representatives from the Institute in ICOH (three persons with the IOCOH financial support) (2) preparation of summaries of the projects, developing in the Institute at the present time, in order to forward them to the Secretariat of the ICOH for further publishing in the information digest. Now, the following scientists with be representatives from the Institute in the ICOH: V.I. Chernyuk (Director of the Institute), Dr. N. Bobko and Dr. N. Dmytrukha.

(5) 24-26 May 2017: V International Conference «Chemical and radiation safety: problems and solutions» under the auspices of NATO within the framework of the program «Science for peace»: Participants from Romania (Mihail Simion Beldean-Galea, Maria-Virginia Coman, Radu Mihaffiscu, Viorel Arghius, Adina Croitoru, Csaba Horvath, Fiorina Copaciu, Irina Ciotlaus (Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania)), Germany (Frank Hartmut (Bayreuth University, Bayreuth, Germany), Austria Antoniadou M., Kahr J., Trifonova A., Rosenberg E. (Vienna, University). From the Institute – 3 persons.

24-26 May 2017: V International Conference “Risk management in labor and production protection. A European way in formation and improvement of organization of work conditions» (Hotel «Bratislava). Participants from: Switzerland, США, Lithuania, Great Britain, Greece, Kazakhstan. From IOH- Prof. V.I. Chenyuk, N. Bobko, I. Kononova.

(7). 13-15 September 2017: International Conference “LED Progress” in the exhibition of LED lighting (KyivЕxpoPlaza). Participants: Коrolyov G. (Seoul Semiconductor, South Korea), Аntipin S. (Osram Semiconductor, Germany), Mikhalik Б. (Osram GmbH, Germany), Маsnev Ю. (LedEffect, The Netherlands), Weber А. (Lighting Solutions, Germany). From IOH – V.G. Martirosova (with a presentation).

(8). 12-13 October 2017: V International Seminar «Ethics of bio- and nanotechnologies and biosafety. Participants from Tajikistan and Belarus. From the Institute – V. F. Demchenko and Yu.S.Baranov.