Methodological principles of waste hazardousness classification

The Aim of the Research. Clarification of the problem of the negative impact of waste on the environment and public health. They appear from the waste formation and at all stages of its handling. Materials and Methods. One of the priority areas of approximation to the requirements of the European Union in waste management is the harmonization of modern Ukrainian legislation with European standards, adaptation of regulations, including the classification of waste according to the degree of danger. The article provides a comparative analysis of the legal framework for waste hazardousness assessment currently existing in Ukraine with WHO recommendations and EU Directives. The methodological principles of classification of waste according to a degree of hazardousness are substantiated and recommended for implementation. Results and Conclusions. It is scientifically proven that the assignment of waste to a certain classification category of hazard should be based not only on quantitative calculations of chemical composition and toxicity of constituent ingredients that are part of the waste, but also on experimental testing of samples using alternative methods. Key Words: waste, EU Directive, classification, biological testing, toxicity, hazard, alternative methods.

Computer time-lapse microscopy of living cells with the TSITOMIR video complex: scientific, medical, and ecological possibilities

Reliable testing of effects of various natural and synthetic substances on cells is critical in searching for effective inhibitory or stimulating agents. Such work is essential in the discovery of anticancer drugs and testing toxicity of newly synthesized compounds. We use the TSITOMIR (“World of Cells”) computer video complex developed in cooperation with the Planar Corporation (Minsk). This complex is intended for time-lapse video microscopy of living cells (mouse and human fibroblasts, cells from human hair follicle and urine, cancer cultures). We elaborated a method for counting cells in low-density cell cultures to calculate the number of cells in the same growth substrate areas during cultivation, and to build cell genealogy trees. We also developed a non-invasive technology for receiving and analysing cells from human hair follicle and urine. It was shown that the cells obtained aged after a two-week cultivation, and therefore were not prone to immortalization, i.e., suitable for use in research for regenerative medicine. The method allows to obtain cell numbers in dynamics and makes it possible to get statistically valid quantitative data by using a minimal number of culture flasks. This approach can be exploited for testing antiproliferative and apoptosis-inducing effects, as well as the action of various substances and their combinations.