Assessment of cognitive impairments in mining machine operators with different work experience at a potash fertilizer plant

Introduction. The central nervous system in workers engaged in harmful production is subject to significant changes, manifested by impaired cognitive functions.

Purpose was to assess the relationship between changes in the cognitive functions in employees of a potash fertilizer plant and the duration of their work in harmful working conditions.

Materials and methods. There were examined thirty six machinists of mining machines employed at the enterprise for the production of potash fertilizers with harmful working conditions of class 3.3 (harmful factors — silvinite, dihydrosulfide, industrial noise, general and local vibration, microclimate, severity of the labour process). The comparison group consists of 32 employees with acceptable working conditions. Psychodiagnostics were performed using the Stroop test, tests for the level of attention and adequacy of classification and analysis operations, and measurement of the speed of motor responses.

Results. Employees with long-term work experience under conditions of exposure to production factors exceeding hygienic standards have lower cognitive function indices than people with normal working conditions. Thus, for workers with work experience of 8 years or more, the index of flexibility — rigidity of cognitive control was significantly lower by 1.2 times, indices of functional mobility and efficiency of nervous processes were lower by 1.2 to 1.4 times than for workers who worked in acceptable working conditions. At the same time, the indices in workers with up to 8 years of work experience employed in harmful and acceptable working conditions were close in value and had no significant differences. Conducting regular psychophysiological diagnostics can allow diagnosing the onset of cognitive dysfunction by minimal manifestations and timely carry out preventive measures.

Limitations. the impossibility of conducting test tests if the subjects do not have the skills to work with peripheral devices of a personal computer (computer keyboard, mouse).

Conclusions. Working in conditions exceeding hygienic standards can lead to the appearance of mild (pre-dement) cognitive impairments, the severity of which depends on the duration of work associated with exposure to harmful industrial factors.

Compliance with ethical standards. The study was approved by the ethic committee of the Federal Scientific Center for Medical and Preventive Technologies for Public Health Risk Management (protocol 1 of February 03,2022). All patients were informed about the purpose of the study, and voluntary informed consent was obtained.

Contribution of the authors:
Savinkov M.A. — collection of material, statistical processing, writing of the text;
Nosov A.E., Kostarev V.G., Ustinova O.Yu. — the concept of research, editing;
Shcherbakov A.A. — writing the text.
All authors — approval of the final version of the article, responsibility for the integrity of all parts of the article.

Acknowledgment. The study had no funding.

Conflict of interests. The authors declare no conflict of interests.

Received: August 12, 2024 / Accepted: October 3, 2024 / Published: December 28, 2024