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Biomedical subjects

J A Indulski

Publications and source records attributed to J A Indulski.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

[Principles of assessing health and environmental risk in view of directives issued by the EEC].

The Directive 93/67/EEC on the principles for assessment of health and environmental risks associated with the traffic of newly introduced chemicals was discussed. The Directive applies to so called new chemicals which require notification in countries of the European Community. Risk assessment is essential for risk management which comprises control, prevention and reduction of harmful effects of chemicals on the human health and environment. In Poland an act on chemicals is being drafted which will, among others, include the provisions on health and environmental risk assessment. The principles presented for risk assessment and methods for identifying the hazard, assessing the magnitude of exposure as well as the characterisation of risk and development of criteria for drawing final conclusions can be, in opinion of the authors, adapted to the Polish legal regulations. It is suggested to built up a subject matter background and to publish guidelines on the magnitude of admissible risk acceptable to populations exposed, manufacturers and importers as well as to the state administration. An admissible risk should be specified for all health and environmental effects and for groups of exposed population stratified according to age and health state.

Environmental Monitoring↗
PubMed1994

[Assessment of health risk in view of changes in labor code and methods used for protecting the environment].

In view of the present and proposed amendments to the Labor Code as well as bearing in mind anticipated harmonization of regulations in this area with those of EEC, the authors emphasize the need for well developed methodology for assessing chemical safety in an occupational environment with special reference to health effects in people exposed to chemicals. Methods for assessing health risk induced by work under conditions of exposure to chemicals were divided into: methods for assessing technological/processing risk, and methods for assessing health risk related to the toxic effect of chemicals. The need for developing means of risk communication in order to secure proper risk perception among people exposed to chemicals and risk managers responsible for prevention against chemical hazards was also stressed. It is suggested to establish a centre for chemical substances in order to settle down all issues pertaining to human exposure to chemicals. The centre would be responsible, under the provisions of the Chemical Substances Act, for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of the present situation and for the development of guidelines on assessment of health risk among persons exposed to chemicals.

Hazardous Substances↗
PubMed1994

[Assessment and monitoring of chemical substances "existing" over the territory of the European Union].

The author discuss legal regulations on supplementing information about physical, chemical, toxic and onco-toxic properties of the so called "existing" chemicals, adapted by the European Economic Community. The Chemical Substances Act is being now drafted in Poland. This will be related with the introduction of the category of "existing" chemicals. The performance adapted by the EEC may serve as an example how to solve this problem in our country. It is suggested that a list of chemicals produced in Poland and imported from other countries be developed. This list will serve as a basis for establishing of the national priority list of chemicals which should be taken into consideration in setting up plans for supplementing indispensable information about chemicals present in Poland. It seems that adaptation of a criterion for identifying priorities (magnitude of production and import) similar to that of the EEC is not only justified from the substantial point of view but it is also of a very practical value. Establishment of cooperation with a relevant EEC Commission is considered as the best way to obtain information about chemicals used in Poland.

Environmental Exposure↗
PubMed1993

Current principles of hygienic standards setting (Part II).

The paper presents general principles of setting the hygienic standards for substances of threshold effect and nonthreshold agents. The authors introduced the mathematical models used for quantitative risk assessment and models for assessment of the dose-response relationship according to the physiological principles.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Occupational exposure standards. Historical outline and present state.

The paper presents the history of hygienic standards setting in various countries, as well as the current situation in this respect. Methodological approaches to hygienic standards setting in the USA and USSR have been analysed and compared. The paper shows also the contribution of international organizations to unification of both the definition and the approach to MAC setting. The authors present systems of MAC setting in such countries as USA (ACGIH, NIOSH, OSHA), former USSR, Germany, Scandinavian countries, Hungary and Poland. The paper comprises also classification of substances and carcinogenic agents adopted by IARC as well as the classifications in those countries which publish lists of carcinogens.

Carcinogenicity Tests↗
PubMed1993

Current principles of hygienic standards setting. Part I.

A critical analysis of the present situation with respect to hygienic standard setting is presented. The authors introduce requirements for developing scientifically based exposure limits for chemicals as well as differences between documentation of recommended exposure limits for the agents occurring in the working environment and in the communal environmental medicine.

Documentation↗
PubMed1993

Biological markers of early health effects in the assessment of the risk of cancer in people exposed to environmental carcinogens.

Biomarkers of early health effects represent the intermediate stages of the carcinogenesis process, between the initiation and conversion stage and the clinically overt neoplastic disease. The cellular processes indicated by those markers correspond, therefore, to the promotion process. Detection of those cellular processes is extremely important, as the promotion process lasts for many years and bears some signs of being reversible. The promotion process, consisting of a range of consecutive cellular changes involves, among others, activation of proto-oncogens and their transformation into oncogens, and inactivation of the suppressor genes. Therefore, the possibility of observing the trends of those changes by monitoring protein products of the oncogens and suppressor genes in the easily available material (blood, urine) is very useful. Inhibition of intercellular communication seems to play an extremely important role in the complex mechanism of transformation of a normal cell into a neoplastic one. During the carcinogenic process promotion stage, the inhibition is associated with the proteins which form the intercellular junctions and participate in cellular adhesion. That group of proteins includes carcinoembryonal antigen (CEA) and tissue polypeptide antigen (TPA), the tumour antigens which have been known for years. The possible relationship between increased TPA and CEA concentrations is supported not only by the data from the oncology but also by the data from the studies on populations exposed to agents known to increase the risk of neoplastic disease.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗
PubMed1993

[Organizing evaluation of chemical substances in EEC countries and in Poland prior to their admission to trade turnover].

This paper presents systems how chemical substances, those in use and new ones, are evaluated in the EEC countries and in Poland prior to their admission to trade turnover. The Polish hygienic monitoring of chemical substances in comparison with systems operating in the Western countries requires a very thorough verification. New organizational concepts of evaluation of chemical substances before their admission to trade turnover in Poland are generally outlined. It is stressed that issues related to production and entering the market with chemical substances require new legal regulations. It also is necessary to set up a national centre responsible for implementing provisions of the Chemical Substances Act which is now being drafted.

Chemical Industry↗
PubMed1992

[Acetylation phenotype as a biomarker of sensitivity to the carcinogenic effect of aromatic amines].

The feasibility of genetic screening used for the determination of the acetylation phenotype in workers exposed to carcinogenic aromatic amines seems to be well-grounded. A conclusion like that is supported by numerous epidemiologic observations which show that the slow acetylators are more prone to bladder cancer under the conditions of exposure to aromatic amines than the fast acetylators. The significance of the acetylation phenotype for the processes which start the transformation of the normal bladder epithelium cells into the neoplasm was explained by studying the metabolism of the carcinogenic amines in the cells of mammals, including humans. Further tests are required to explain to what degree the genetic inclination is associated with the occurrence of the slow acetylation phenotype dependent on the tobacco smoking and on other factors, such as diseases, past or present.

Acetylation↗
PubMed1992

[Project for amending regulations regarding jobs prohibited to women].

Considering that the current legal regulations on jobs prohibited to women lack consistency, especially in relation to the criteria for including specific jobs into the prohibited category, and because the regulations fail to protect women satisfactorily from the harmful effects of occupational and environmental loads and exposures, preparation of new legal regulations on those matters has been attempted. Special stress has been put on specifying parameters which, when measured and compared with the suggested allowable values, should provide a basis for deciding whether a woman can be employed at a specified post. Separate criteria have been specified to determine jobs prohibited to women: a) irrespective of age, b) at reproductive age, c) during pregnancy and lactation. The irrespective-of-age restrictions result from lower average physical efficiency of women in relation to men, lower muscular strength and different psychical or biological characteristics. Lower allowable physical loads and lower maximum allowable weights of objects to be carried or moved by women have been specified. In specifying the restrictions for women at the reproductive age it has been assumed that, when determining the maximum allowable concentrations of chemicals at workplaces, effects of those chemicals on the reproducibility and health state of the off spring were taken into consideration. However, for chemicals which, according to the present knowledge, show genotoxic, teratogenic, or reproduction-disturbing effects, employers will be obliged to inform the reproductive-age female employees about the risk involved, as well as to take steps to reduce, as far as possible, below MAC the concentrations of those chemicals in the ambient air at workplaces. The restrictions in the employment of the pregnant and lactating women are intended to ensure conditions enabling correct development of pregnancy and safe growth of the fetus and, subsequently, of the neonate. The restrictions relate to: physical effort--as this has been proved to affect the course and the outcome of pregnancy (increased abortion risk, reduced duration of pregnancy, reduced neonate weight); exposure to carcinogens--as there is evidence that carcinogens display genotoxic properties and are capable of permeating the placenta: exposure to agents which can disturb the course of pregnancy and damage the fetus or unfavourably affect health condition of the offspring even if the MAC and MAI values are not exceeded; exposure to biologic agents, evidently harmful to the fetus and to the condition of health of the progeny.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1992

The role of biological markers in toxicology.

Biological markers are tools that can be used to clarify the relationship, between exposure to a xenobiotic compound and health impairment and to indicate individual or population differences that affect the biologically effective dose. Biological markers, broadly defined, are indicators of variation in cellular or biochemical components or processes, structure, or function that are measurable in biological systems or samples. There is growing interest in the use of biological markers to study the health effects of exposure to environmental toxicants in occupational medicine, epidemiology, toxicology, and related biomedical fields.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Biological monitoring of risk of bladder cancer in persons occupationally exposed to aromatic amines.

Recent advances in molecular biology and toxicology have greatly contributed to the early diagnosis of biological changes which may evoke neoplasms. This paper reviews the issues regarding the screening of persons occupationally exposed to carcinogenic aromatic amines. The screening was designed for an early detection of bladder cancer by means of biochemical tests. The applied tests facilitated the estimation of the level of aromatic amines which penetrate an organism (biomarkers of exposure), early diagnosis of the biochemical disorders which may influence cancer development (biomarkers of early effects) and the detection of genetic predispositions which enhance risk of such disorders (biomarkers of susceptibility).

Amines↗