Features of occupational diseases caused by fibrogenic aerosols at enterprises in the Arctic

Abstract

Introduction. Industrial dust aerosols with a predominantly fibrogenic effect remain an important risk factor for the health of the working population in the Arctic.
 The study aims to explore the features of the development, structure and prevalence of occupational diseases caused by fibrogenic aerosols at enterprises in the Arctic.
 Materials and methods. The authors have studied the archival data of the socio-hygienic monitoring "Working conditions and occupational morbidity" and the register of extracts from occupational disease records (Order of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation No. 176 dated 05/28/2001).
 Results. At enterprises in the Arctic in 2007–2021, fibrogenic aerosols ranked ninth (4.8%) in terms of the number of exposed workers, and fifth among harmful production factors in terms of the number of occupational diseases caused by their action (491 cases or 9.1%). They were characterized by the formation of employees of coal enterprises (83.1%), dominance in the structure of the pathology of chronic bronchitis (87.7%), etiological association with weakly fibrogenic aerosols (94.3%). The risk of diseases from exposure to fibrogenic aerosols in miners was higher than in metallurgical workers (RR=12.9; 95% CI 9.63–17.26; p<0.001), construction (RR=11.7; 95% CI 10.78–19.11; p<0.0001) and transport (RR=31.3; 95% CI 10.11–77.19; p<0.001) enterprises. For 15 years, researchers have observed a decrease in the number of diseases caused by the action of fibrogenic aerosols, and the risk of their development in 2007–2009 was higher than in 2019–2021: RR=2.10; 95% CI 1.19–3.71; p=0.009.
 Conclusion. In the prevention of occupational pathology from the effects of fibrogenic aerosols, the priority remains to improve dust suppression methods and respiratory protection equipment for sinkers, miners of the treatment face, machinists of mining machines and other specialists of coal mining enterprises in the Arctic