Scientific directions of the Department of Hygiene
- Air pollution impact on children's physical development and health;
- Water pollutants;
- Hygiene and medico - social problems in homes for children with special needs;
- Physiological modes of work and rest in the workplace;
- Work environment factors and their effects on the body;
- Physical development and health status of children and students from Varna;
- Early Childhood Development;
- Methods of body composition analysis;
- Issues of student sexual culture and reproductive health;
- Risk factors of acute myocardial infarction related to the surrounding and workplace environment;
- Nutrition behavior problems and nutrition risk behavior in groups of the population;
- Issues of breastfeeding;
- Meteotropic reactions;
- Preventive medicine in the workplace - physical work environment factors;
- Hygiene issues of healthcare establishments;
- Vocational training and important professional traits;
- Early diagnosis of occupational intoxication with fluorine;
- Organization of medical and hygiene anti - epidemic provision in times of natural disaster;
- Nutritional epidemiology and food safety.
The research activities at the Department are focused on today's topical and socio-economic environment issues. Hygiene issues of the expanding seaside resorts and the impact of resort factors on the organism of different ages and professional groups are being investigated (M. Kazakova). Shift and night work in contemporary forms of work and their impact on natural biological rhythms is another topical issue which has proved its importance within the research themes of the Department (Sn. Solakova).
Hygiene issues related to the training of 6-year-old first-graders are being developed (P. Nikolova, K. Petrova). Extensive research on physical development and acceleration rates of children nowadays, their physical capacity, health status and frequency of obesity have been conducted (K. Petrova).
Since the establishment of the Department of Hygiene, the research work has been targeted at research on the impact of some heavy metals (lead, manganese) on the body and the possibility of their biological prevention. Laboratory constellations for early diagnosis of lead and manganese effects have been developed. The impact of manganese on certain sides of amino acid metabolism and the activity of certain enzymes have been investigated. Principles of preventive nutrition for people, working in professional contact with manganese, have been developed (P. Nikolova). Health status of workers in contact with lead and the possibility of biological prevention have been examined (P. Nikolova, B. Kavaldzhieva L. Dimitrova, V. Nestorova, Yu. Chalakova, T. Georgieva, D Tomov).
For the first time in the country, comprehensive studies on the effects of aluminum on the organisms of workers have been conducted (P. Nikolova, B. Kavaldzhieva L. Dimitrova, V. Nestorova, Iv. Dzhedzhev, D. Tomov) and specific recommendations for preventive nutrition are being developed (P. Nikolova, B. Kavaldzhieva).
One invention for cytochemical detection of cellular manganese (L. Halacheva, B. Dokov) and two rationalizations - Electron-microscopic demonstration of manganese in erythrocytes and semi-quantitative method for its determining (B. Kavaldzhieva) have been created.
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The collaborators of the Department have co-authored three monographs and a Glossary of Terms. Twelve dissertation theses have been defended since the establishment of the Department. Over 550 reports and scientific articles in national and international journals and collections have been published.
The scientific achievements of the collaborators of the Department have been presented at numerous forums in Bulgaria and abroad. Тhe Department has been involved in the organization and implementation of the First National Conference of the Bulgarian forum "Health and Safety Workplaces" - Sofia, the annual Assemblies of IMAB in Varna, International Seminar on Electromagnetic Fields under the aegis of the WHO and the Air Force of the United States (2001 ), the national congresses and conferences on nutrition, the Jubilee scientific session, dedicated to the 45th anniversary of the Department (2008).
