**8. References**

Bhandari, A.; Surampalli, Y.P.; Adams, D.G.; Champagne, P.; Ong, S.K.; Tyagi, R.D.; Zhang, T.Ch. (2009). *Contaminants of emerging environmental concern*. pp. 1-6, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) ISBN 978-0-7844-1014-1, Reston, Virginia USA.

Hansen, A. (1993). *The mass media and environmental issues – Studies in communication and society*. pp. 12-28, ISBN 978-0718520533 Leichesters University Press, UK.

**10** 

*Russia* 

**Polysystemic Approach to Risk Assessment** 

Health hazard from natural and anthropogenic sources has begun to be analyzed 2-3 decades ago. Until recently this analysis was primarily applied for human safety in incidents. However, due to stochastic features of risk assessment its applicability to the diagnosis, prevention, and protective or compensatory measures in some cases can be very limited.

The proposed concept combining approaches based on risk analysis and sanogenetic analysis is aimed at increasing the efficiency of both approaches in addressing issues of risk prediction.

1. Identifying of risk groups in the population subjected to anthropogenic influences is associated with the formation of groups in which the frequency of fixation of certain pathological processes is dramatically increased. However, modern approaches of epidemiological analysis are based on statement of the accomplished fact (prevalence of cancer, hematological diseases, congenital and hereditary abnormalities, reduced life span, *etc*.). Most these consequences are long-lasting (sometimes for many years) and

2. In cases when anthropogenic influences are evaluated on the basis of detection of undesirable biological responses (e.g. chromosome aberrations, accumulation of lipid peroxidation products, changes in activity of some enzymes etc.) the recorded shifts usually ambiguously determine the expected consequences. Biological aftereffects of the detected shifts can to a certain degree reflect both desirable (development of resistance)

3. In most cases, the above-listed approaches are informative only in relatively high doses and concentrations of this or that anthropogenic factors and are almost irreproducible

4. Many effects (mortality, pathologies) as consequences of anthropogenic risk factors are

5. The data on the effect of some harmful factors suggest that the probability of this effect is proportional to the probability of spontaneous appearance of the same effect, caused by a complex of other factors of human life. We can speak about synergism of various factors. 6. Modern industrial conditions practically exclude single-factor exposure. Existing methods of epidemiological risk assessment practically cannot differentiate between

There are several reasons necessitating integrated approach to risk analysis:

state the hazard rather than predict the risk.

and undesirable (fixation of certain pathologies) outcomes.

in case of low-dose and low-concentration influences.

unspecific, i.e. can be caused by other factors.

**1. Introduction** 

Mikhail Karganov, Irina Alchinova and Nadezhda Khlebnikova

*Institute of General Pathology and Pathophysiology, Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, Moscow* 

