Hygienic Assessment of Inhalation Risk in Schools Within the Zone of Influence of the Chemical Fertilizer Manufacturing Industry: An International Experience Analysis

In this study, the health risks posed to school children residing near major international mineral and chemical fertilizer manufacturing complexes (Kutina, Croatia and Rayong, Thailand) were hygienically evaluated based on global epidemiological data. Although traditional monitoring methods often yield values within safe regulatory limits when assessing each gas individually, evaluating the cumulative, multi-component exposure plays a pivotal role in non-invasive diagnostics. Relying on the methodology established by S. Phantu and S. Bootdee, a comparative analysis was performed on nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ammonia (NH3), and hydrogen fluoride (HF) gases from international cohort data alongside localized hazard quotients (HQ). The findings revealed that the prevalence of respiratory symptoms among students in schools adjacent to the plants was significantly higher than in the control group, with a cumulative Hazard Index (HI) reaching 2.15. Conclusively, the combined assessment of laboratory-epidemiological indicators substantially enhances the accuracy of differential forecasting regarding the risks of childhood morbidity.