[Public health issues of the Roma and non-Roma unemployed in the Ózd microregion of Hungary].

Introduction: In their previous studies authors of the present work showed that public health situation and socioeconomic position of unemployed Roma persons in the Ozd microregion were well below the average of the whole Hungarian population.

Aim: To continue these previous studies, the authors wanted to determine whether the greater proportion of the unemployed Roma persons in the Ózd microregion compared to the country average could contribute to the worse public health situation and the poor hygienic situation of the living environment of unemployed persons hardly or not suitable for learning.

Method: Data from 400 unemployed Roma (96 males, 97 females) and caucasian non-Roma subjects (114 males, 93 females) obtained in 2012 and 2013 using self-completed and interview questionnaires were analysed.

Site-specific risk assessment in contaminated vegetable gardens.

A field survey was carried on in Gyöngyösoroszi, Hungary, near to an abandoned lead/zinc mine to analyse the metal contamination of flooded and non-flooded vegetable gardens, and to evaluate the health risks to local population. Contamination levels of arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury and zinc were measured in soil and homegrown vegetable samples and bioconcentration factors and hazard indices were calculated. The high metal contents of flooded vegetable gardens were caused by floods, the results indicated significant differences between flooded and non-flooded vegetable gardens.

The effects of carbon disulfide and ethanol on the circulatory system of rats.

Carbon disulfide exerted adverse effects on the structure or hemodynamics of the cardiovascular system, and whether ethanol exposure modifies the cardiovascular effect of carbon disulfide, was examined. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were used in the study. Animals in the control and ethanol groups drank water containing 5% sugar, or 10% ethanol in addition to 5% sugar, respectively, for 14 wk.

Haemodynamic effects of lead(II) acetate, ethanol, and their combination in rats.

Objective: The aim of the study was to analyse the haemodynamic background of the hypertension-inducing effect of lead and the role of alcohol effect in hypertension caused by lead.

Methods: Daily lead acetate doses of 0 or 500 mg/kg were administered to Sprague-Dawley male rats. One half of each group received water containing 5% w/v sugar (without ethanol), while the other half of each group received water containing 5% w/v sugar and 10% v/v ethanol, respectively, to drink.