[The dust factor in the manufacture of basalt fibers].

A study was made of the labour conditions of those workers engaged in the production of basalt fibre (BF). Morphological makeup is examined as is dispersity and cytotoxicity of the dust produced in the process of BF making. An issue is addressed of usefulness of setting special hygienic regulations for BF dust.

[The role of lead as a harmful factor in the manufacture of crystal products].

The article deals with research into dust contamination of crystal processing shops, and contains toxicological data related to different lead-containing dusts. It was established that the dust concentrations containing 51 to 66% silicon dioxide was higher in the crystal-cutting shops as compared with other shops. The content of lead in the dust in the composition and crystal processing shops was higher than that in the crystal-cutting shops.

[The solubility of welding dusts and their cytotoxicity].

It was established as a result of cytotoxicity studies of 15 welding dusts of different compositions in experiments on embryonal fibroblast cell cultures that the biologic activity of these substances depends on the solubility in growth media of their major components: alkaline and alkaline earth metals, iron, cremnium and, to a vast degree, that of the manganese. Conclusion has been made that a comparative assessment of welding dusts' biological activity on cell cultures should involve the kinetic parameters of their solubility in growth and supportive media, and the duration of the substances' affecting the cell cultures should be long enough to reveal the combined action of its major ingredients.