Tattoos and permanent makeup involve intradermal pigment deposition and may introduce toxic trace elements into the body. Despite increasing popularity, harmonized EU regulations on tattoo ink composition only came into force in 2022 under REACH. This study evaluated the chemical safety of 41 commercially available inks in the EU following the implementation of these restrictions. Twelve heavy metals were analyzed (Cd, Pb, As, Hg, Zn, Cu, Ni, Cr, Co, Sb, Se, Mn). Copper showed the highest concentrations (mean 1751 mg/kg; max 25,701 mg/kg), while cadmium was lowest (mean 0.13 mg/kg). Exceedances of EU limits were recorded for Ni (24 samples), As (20), Cr(VI) (16), Cu (10), Sb (8), Co (6), and Pb (5); mercury was not detected in any ink. Dermal exposure was modeled across three tattooing scenarios using SED, MoS, HQ, and LCR indicators. Unacceptable non-cancer risk (MoS < 100) was mainly associated with copper (up to 85.4% of products), with additional concerns for zinc and arsenic (~50% of samples in higher-use scenarios). HQ values > 1 were most frequent for Ni, Cr(VI), and Cu, affecting up to 68.3%, 43.9%, and 58.5% of inks, respectively. Lifetime cancer risk above 1 × 10⁻⁴ was observed for nickel in several products. Despite recently tightened European regulations, a substantial share of inks remains non-compliant and may pose carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health risks, underscoring the need for continued market surveillance and enforcement.

Heavy metal exposure is a significant public health problem, especially among children, who are a particularly vulnerable group. This study investigates the non-dietary exposure of children to lead, cadmium, and zinc and the associated health risk in three selected locations near the former non-ferrous metal smelters. Soil samples were collected from schools, parks, playgrounds, and other recreational places where children spend their free time in three districts of such towns as Katowice, Świętochłowice, and Piekary Śląskie. The contents of Cd, Pb, and Zn in the surface soil samples had the following ranges: 4.09–20.94 mg Cd/kg d.m., 161.70–1027.68 mg Pb/kg d.m., and 577.76–1475.93 mg Zn/kg d.m., respectively. The threshold doses of Cd, Zn, and Pb are 0.001 mg × kg⁻¹ × day⁻¹, 0.3 mg × kg⁻¹ × day⁻¹, and 0.0035 mg × kg⁻¹ × day⁻¹. A significant health risk was estimated as a result of non-dietary exposure of children to lead. The greatest non-cancer health risk in the population of children <6 years of age and in younger school children (<12 years of age) was shown. The problem was especially concerning in the scenario that assumed ingestion of soil particles in the areas most heavily contaminated with lead in the Katowice—Szopienice district. The public health policy should aim to monitor the current exposure of the local population to Pb and educate them on effective prophylactic methods to minimize environmental health risks.

Background: The postpartum period may predispose to a higher prevalence of mental health disorders. The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms, life satisfaction, and quality of life in breastfeeding women in the maternity ward in relation to specific medical and social factors. Methods: The study group consisted of 304 female patients from the maternity ward of the Multispecialist District Hospital in Tarnowskie Góry, Poland. The research tool included four questionnaires: Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, Satisfaction with Life Scale, and Euro-Quality of Life Questionnaire. Results: The majority of women in the maternity ward reported good psychological well-being. Anxiety symptoms affected 11.9% of postpartum women, depressive symptoms—7.3%, and symptoms of postpartum depression—5.9%. The COVID-19 pandemic caused an increase in anxiety and depressive disorders (relative differences-expressed as a percentage). Women who gave birth by cesarean section were more likely to declare problems that negatively impacted their quality of life and health than those who gave birth naturally (OR = 1.28, 95% CI: 0.77–2.11). The risk of experiencing anxiety and depressive symptoms, as well as postpartum depression symptoms decreased as self-rated health increased (OR = 0.96, 95% CI: 0.94–0.99; OR = 0.96, 95% CI: 0.94–0.99; OR = 0.96, 95% CI: 0.93–0.98, respectively). Higher level of life satisfaction was associated with higher levels of education and economic status, attendance at childbirth classes, and a higher self-assessment of health (OR = 4.1, 95% CI: 1.6–10.51; OR = 2.96, 95% CI: 1.41–6.24; OR = 1.99, 95% CI: 1.13–3.49; OR = 1.01, 95% CI: 1.01–1.04, respectively). Conclusions: Screening for mental disorders during the postpartum period enables the early identification of symptoms and the implementation of appropriate treatment. Women who give birth by cesarean section and have medical complaints should be given special follow-up care. Health policy should ensure wider access to psychological and psychiatric care during the postpartum period.

Background: There is a growing demand for sensitive and accurate screening tools for the early detection of cognitive impairment. The Rowland Universal Dementia Assessment Scale (RUDAS) has shown promise in multicultural populations. It may offer advantages over the widely used Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), which has limited sensitivity, particularly in assessing executive functions. The aim of this study was to adapt and validate the Polish version of the RUDAS and to compare its diagnostic performance with the MMSE in detecting cognitive impairment among patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and vascular dementia (VaD). Methods: A total of 126 subjects were evaluated, including 37 with AD, 30 with VaD, and 59 healthy controls. All participants were assessed with both the MMSE and RUDAS, and their test results were subsequently compared. Results: A strong correlation was found between total scores on the RUDAS and MMSE (RS = 0.81, p < 0.001). The area under the ROC curve was slightly higher for RUDAS (AUC = 0.94) than for MMSE (AUC = 0.89), suggesting better diagnostic accuracy. At a cut-off score of 25, RUDAS showed a sensitivity of 0.84 and a specificity of 0.87; MMSE showed a sensitivity of 0.74 and a specificity of 0.91. Conclusions: The Polish version of RUDAS demonstrates strong diagnostic utility and may offer a slightly more sensitive alternative to MMSE for dementia screening, especially in its early stages. Further normalization studies on larger and more diverse clinical populations are recommended.