Abstract

Using a systemic approach, this study highlights the problems of public health in the Primorsky Territory and demonstrates that the spread of ecology-related diseases depends on climatic, sanitary, and social factors. The indicators of health assessment that were selected include demographics, cancer and disease, and lung and urinary system diseases. Additionally, specific habitat parameters affecting the spread of ecology-related diseases were established. Ecological and hygiene evaluation of the system “environment–health–man” revealed that among the environmental factors, the greatest public health concerns in the Far East are climate, geochemical and biological features of the territories, consequences of human impact on the environment, nutrition, and housing. These results indicate that further studies of the specifics of particular territories are necessary to explain the emergence and development of diseases, to predict the level of public health, and to develop targeted health prevention programmes to level the influence of environmental factors on human rights.

Abstract

Background Road transport workers (RTWs) are at high risk of exposure to several occupational carcinogens. However, there are gaps in knowledge regarding the extent and the circumstances of exposure. As a sub-study of the Australian Work Exposures Study, this study investigated the prevalence of occupational exposure in Australian RTWs. Methods A random sample of Australian working population was invited to a telephone interview regarding their current jobs. An automated expert-assessment procedure was applied to self-reported job-related tasks using a web-based application. 162 RTWs were included in this study. Results RTWs were exposed to diesel exhaust (97%), solar ultraviolet radiation (78%), environmental tobacco smoke (55%), benzene (29%), silica (15%), and asbestos (10%) at work. Besides driving on roads, vehicle maintenance-related tasks were the major source of carcinogen exposures among RTWs. Discussion Most RTWs are exposed to at least one carcinogen at work. We have identified tasks where the use of control measures could potentially reduce exposures. Am. J. Ind. Med. 59:31–41, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.