[The intestinal microenvironment in healthy persons under the technogenic action of an industrial city]

The intestinal microflora was studied in 806 healthy persons residing in three different environmental areas of the city of Volgograd. The study indicated that there were qualitative and quantitative differences in its composition, the heterogenicity of microbiocenosis being due to the degree of ambient air pollution. The changed found allowed four cenotypes (normal variants) of the microflora to be identified in urban residents. As the technogenic burden was ascertained to increase on the population, there was a rise in the incidence of atypical variants of the microflora, which were detectable at a rate of 30.6% in the ecologically good central area whereas their rates were 63.3 and 74.9% in both a northern and a southern areas where the basic enterprises of chemical and metallurgic industries are located.