https://doi.org/10.33573/ujoh2025.01.74
I. Horbachevsky Ternopil National Medical University, Ministry of Health of Ukraine, Ternopil, Ukraine SI TERNOPIL OCDC MOH
Full article (PDF), UKR
Introduction.
In the 1960s–1970s, a new field of science—epigenetics—emerged, which gained wider recognition in the 1990s following the discovery of the role of epigenetic modifications in the development of various diseases. By the 2000s, with advancements in sequencing technologies and bioinformatics, epigenetics became one of the key disciplines in biology and medicine. However, a true breakthrough in medicine, particularly in preventive medicine, occurred when evidence emerged showing that epigenetic changes induced in an individual by internal and external factors (both beneficial and harmful) could be transmitted to subsequent generations. This realization led to an expanded understanding of hygiene as a science concerned not only with the health of populations exposed to specific factors but also with the well-being of multiple future generations. Knowledge of epigenetic mechanisms has proven particularly valuable for preventive medicine, which focuses on occupational disease prevention.
The aim of this study
To provide hygienists, occupational health specialists, and physicians treating workers in hazardous professions with fundamental knowledge of epigenetic mechanisms, their impact on human health, and potential changes in the epigenetic landscape—not only in those directly exposed to certain factors (both harmful and beneficial) but also in their offspring across multiple generations.
Materials and Methods.
A comprehensive analytical review of scientific publications was conducted using abstract databases, including PubMed, MEDLINE, Free Medical Journals, BioMed Central, and V. I. Vernadskyi National Library of Ukraine.
Results.
This article presents a literature analysis of the effects of environmental factors, including occupational hazards in welding, on the epigenetic landscape and, consequently, human phenotype. Various epigenetic mechanisms and their influence on the development of diseases in workers exposed to hazardous conditions, as well as the formation of epigenetically mediated diseases in their offspring, are examined.
Conclusions.
Environmental factors, lifestyle choices, and occupational hazards actively influence the internal environment, triggering various epigenetic mechanisms that shape the epigenetic landscape. Epigenetic modifications induced by environmental factors, lifestyle, and hazardous occupational exposures can predispose offspring to a range of epigenetically mediated diseases. Epigenetic changes caused by welding fumes can increase the susceptibility of offspring to neurodegenerative and metabolic disorders. In female welders, epigenetic effects are transmitted through the placenta and mitochondrial DNA, significantly impacting brain development and metabolism in their children. In male welders, epigenetic changes in sperm increase the risk of obesity and diabetes in sons, as well as Parkinsonism in children of both sexes. The likelihood of developing Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease in the children of welders is increased by 30–50%, diabetes by 40–60%, and obesity by 30–40%. The probability of these pathologies is influenced by the gender of the welder parent, as epigenetic inheritance mechanisms differ between males and females.
Keywords: epigenetics, environment, occupational hazards, welding.
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