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Various human activities result in the release of significant quantity of cadmium to the environment. The study population included adults (230) and children (100) residing near the tobacco plant and a control group, unexposed to elevated cadmium concentrations, living in unpolluted area in the same city. Biomonitoring methods were used to assess the effects of contaminated air on the health of the public (urine samples). Ambient air samples were collected near the cadmium-related plant and in unpolluted area during the last ten years. Values of cadmium concentrations in urine found in polluted area were in range of 0.05-0.42 microg/g creatinine for children and 0.15-1.96 microg/g creatinine for adults. The results indicated statistical significant age-dependent differences in urine cadmium concentration between polluted and unpolluted area for adults. Boys and men had significantly higher urine cadmium levels than girls and women, but in children there were no significant gender-dependent differences in cadmium excretion found out. In conclusion, the results from the present study indicate that cadmium urine concentration in polluted area are very high, particularly in children.

Background: Epidemiological studies point out that air pollution in the cities was a major risk for health of the exposed population. In particular, the effects of air pollutants were adverse to the respiratory tract. In Nis and Niska Banja, the concetrations of pollutants were mainly below the threshold values. However, according to the literature, even these concentrations could exert negative effects, especially the health of the most sensitive group, such as the preschool children. The aim of our study was to evaluate the effects of the current levels of air pollutants in the city of Nis on respiratory symptoms and diseases., Methods: A pilot, cohort, retrospective study included 1 385 children of 1-5 years of age from the zones with statistically significant concentrations of air pollutants, in the period after the birth of the children. The prevalence of respiratory symptoms and diseases was determined on the basis of a modified WHO standard questionnaire completed by the parents., Results: It was revealed that in the more polluted of the studed zones, the prevalence of some respiratory symptoms (cough with cold and phlegm), and the lower respiratory tract diseases was significantly higher., Conclusion: The results of our study showed that the current concentrations of air pollutants in Nis and Niska Banja could represent the important etiological factor for the development of respiratory symptoms and diseases. Our study showed that in the children of up to 5 years of age, the frequency of respiratory symptoms and diseases was significantly higher in more polluted than in less polluted environments.

The principle objective of this investigation was to establish the frequency and form of the arterial hypertension in children between 7 and 16 years in urban and rural population. Specific goals were to determine by screening method, i.e., by elimination, the arterial hypertension prevalence in relation to permanent residence (town-village), age and sex of children; to determine, by the same method, the prevalence of the essential and borderline arterial hypertension; to test the risk factors in patients with essential and borderline arterial hypertension: obesity, hereditary predisposition (relatives of the first and second line), lipids, and ten-year follow-up of children with essential arterial hypertension. The examination included 3000 children (age 7-16 years) during regular school days. Essential arterial hypertension in this study was defined as blood pressure continuously higher than 95th percentile for age and sex in at least three different measurements; secondary causes of hypertension were excluded by available clinical, laboratory and functional investigations. Borderline hypertension was defined as blood pressure continually higher than 90th percentile, and from time to time higher than 95th percentile for age and sex in at least three measurements, when the secondary causes of hypertension were excluded. The obtained results were the basis for the following conclusions: Prevalence of arterial hypertension for all children was 0.93% and was the lowest in children aged 7-8 years (0.83%), and the highest in chil dren aged 15-16 years (2.96%). Prevalence of the essential arterial hypertension was 0.37% and of borderline arterial hypertension 0.56%. Prevalence of the arterial hypertension was higher in urban than in rural population of children (1.09:0.55%), but without statistically significant difference (p>0.05). Hypertension was verified in 60.7% of family members of children with increased blood pressure. 21.4% of hypertensive children were overweight. Hyperlipidemia was noted in 4 children with essential hypertension. All children with arterial hypertension underwent 24-hours Holter monitoring. Patients with essential arterial hypertension had sinus tachycardia in 95% and patients with borderline hypertension in 60% (in stress and pressure).

Sick building syndrome (SBS) is a term used to describe situation in building when more than 30% of occupants suffer from various symptoms which tend to increase by severity during the time people spend in "sick" building and disappear when they leave the building. Typical cases of SBS report vague symptoms, which cannot be objectively measured, and sufferers usually show no clinical signs of illness. Symptom heterogeneity suggests that they do not represent a single disorder. The objective of our study was to establish if SBS is present in our town because new buildings have been built lately producing the artificial environment--exclusively artificial lightning and mechanical ventilation. A total of 812 subjects were included in our study. The investigation of SBS was performed by standardized questionnaires to determine the prevalence of symptoms and complaints. Questionnaires were used to collect data on perception of environment conditions and health during the period they work in this building. The subjects were divided in three groups according to sex, level of education and ownership. Our data suggested that the incidence of symptoms was higher in employers than in owners of the offices. Moreover, the prevalence of SBS was very high-up to 74.76%. It is obvious that certain physical, psychological and organizational factors are involved in the incidence of symptoms, but our investigation suggests that physical factor has a dominant role in development of symptoms, particularly low humidity and low air flow. In addition, our judgment is that SBS exists in our city, probably in the whole country and, therefore, it must be investigated properly.

ELISA was used for follow-up of protozoa Toxoplasma gondii infection in 2,778 pregnant women in the Timok region during the five-year period (1989-1993). The study included 16.66% of all pregnant women in the region. Acute infection was registered in 17 (0.61%) and chronic infection in 1.266 (45.57%). Spontaneous abortions were registered in only 12 (0.43%) tested pregnant women. In relation to the total number of spontaneous abortions (865) in all pregnant women in the region spontaneous abortions in the studied group occurred in only 1.38% of cases. Anomalies in newborns were registered in a total of 3 (0.11%) cases. In relation to the total number of anomalies in newborns (194) from all deliveries in the region, the number of anomalies in newborn in the studied group was only 1.54%. Toxoplasma gondii infection did not significantly affect the frequency of spontaneous abortions and anomalies in newborns of the Timok region during five-year period.