Pub Date : 2025-01-21DOI: 10.1080/15459624.2025.2449945
Maria Francisca Portilha-Cunha, Pedro Norton, Arminda Alves, Ana R L Ribeiro, Adrián M T Silva, Mónica S F Santos
Effective decontamination of hospital surfaces is crucial to protect workers from antineoplastic drugs (ADs) since dermal absorption is the main exposure route to these hazardous medicinal products. Sampling after daily cleaning in oncologic settings from a tertiary hospital was initially performed and exhibited low contamination levels; however, cyclophosphamide was still found (up to 957 pg/cm2) above the guidance value (100 pg/cm2) in four locations, evidencing the need to properly assess and update the cleaning protocols. Then, cleaning efficiencies of six solutions and different protocols were evaluated (including, for the first time, four commercial cleaning solutions/disinfectants not designed specifically for AD removal) after deliberate contamination of three model surfaces with 13 pharmaceuticals: bicalutamide, capecitabine, cyclophosphamide, cyproterone, doxorubicin, etoposide, flutamide, ifosfamide, imatinib, megestrol, mycophenolate mofetil, paclitaxel, and prednisone. Wipe sampling and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry were employed to determine surface contamination after cleaning. Results revealed that: (i) none of the solutions or procedures totally removed all target pharmaceuticals from surfaces; (ii) the removal efficiency increased with cleaning steps (average removals above 90% were attained for Vyclean and Clinell Universal Spray using two cleaning steps); and (iii) the cleaning efficiency was likely favored by the application of the solution/disinfectant directly on the surfaces. Therefore, considering the dissimilar chemical structures and properties of the numerous ADs in use, the cleaning agent and protocol should be adjusted to the reality of each healthcare unit. Still, the scientific community is encouraged to develop a cleaning solution/protocol to simultaneously eliminate/remove as many ADs as possible.
{"title":"Tackling antineoplastic drugs' contamination in healthcare settings: New insights on surface cleaning approaches.","authors":"Maria Francisca Portilha-Cunha, Pedro Norton, Arminda Alves, Ana R L Ribeiro, Adrián M T Silva, Mónica S F Santos","doi":"10.1080/15459624.2025.2449945","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15459624.2025.2449945","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Effective decontamination of hospital surfaces is crucial to protect workers from antineoplastic drugs (ADs) since dermal absorption is the main exposure route to these hazardous medicinal products. Sampling after daily cleaning in oncologic settings from a tertiary hospital was initially performed and exhibited low contamination levels; however, cyclophosphamide was still found (up to 957 pg/cm<sup>2</sup>) above the guidance value (100 pg/cm<sup>2</sup>) in four locations, evidencing the need to properly assess and update the cleaning protocols. Then, cleaning efficiencies of six solutions and different protocols were evaluated (including, for the first time, four commercial cleaning solutions/disinfectants not designed specifically for AD removal) after deliberate contamination of three model surfaces with 13 pharmaceuticals: bicalutamide, capecitabine, cyclophosphamide, cyproterone, doxorubicin, etoposide, flutamide, ifosfamide, imatinib, megestrol, mycophenolate mofetil, paclitaxel, and prednisone. Wipe sampling and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry were employed to determine surface contamination after cleaning. Results revealed that: (i) none of the solutions or procedures totally removed all target pharmaceuticals from surfaces; (ii) the removal efficiency increased with cleaning steps (average removals above 90% were attained for Vyclean and Clinell Universal Spray using two cleaning steps); and (iii) the cleaning efficiency was likely favored by the application of the solution/disinfectant directly on the surfaces. Therefore, considering the dissimilar chemical structures and properties of the numerous ADs in use, the cleaning agent and protocol should be adjusted to the reality of each healthcare unit. Still, the scientific community is encouraged to develop a cleaning solution/protocol to simultaneously eliminate/remove as many ADs as possible.</p>","PeriodicalId":16599,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene","volume":" ","pages":"1-14"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-01-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143006316","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The pathogenic potential of airborne particles carrying the SARS-CoV-2 viral genome was examined by considering the size distribution of airborne particles at given distances from the respiratory zone of an infected patient after coughing or sneezing with a focus on time, temperature, and relative humidity. The results show an association between the size distribution of airborne particles, particularly PM1 and PM2.5, and the presence of viral genome in different stations affected by the distance from the respiratory zone and the passage of time. The correlation with time was strong with all the dependent factors except PM1. Also, the effect of time intervals on the median concentration of airborne PM in the range of PM7 and PM10 was significant. Accordingly, in the first 20 min after coughing, the COVID-19 patient was more likely to be exposed to PM-carrying RNA genomes of SARS-CoV-2. The other finding was that the two distances of 0.25 m to the patient's left of the respiratory zone and 1.0 m above the breathing zone showed positive results for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in all studied time intervals. The patterns of results suggested that there was a high potential for distribution of the virus in an infected patient based on position and airflow and that the severity of infection and viral load may influence the presence of viral load in droplets when coughing. Based on the results, one can conclude that ventilation plays a key role in mitigating the risk of airborne virus transmission in indoor environments, and it has been shown that reductions in particulate concentrations occur when portable air purifiers are placed near the breathing zone. The use of personal protective equipment for the patient and healthcare personnel to minimize the distribution of virus particles in the air is recommended.
{"title":"The pathogenic burden potential of airborne particles in emanating from the respiratory area of COVID-19 patients (a case study).","authors":"Somayeh Soleimani-Alyar, Rasoul Yarahmadi, Maryam Borhani-Jebeli, Golnaz Yarahmadi, Farah Bokharaei-Salim, Alireza Alipour, Maryam Soleimani-Alyar, Hamid-Reza Monavari, Mohammad-Mehdi Darvishi, Sara Dalvand","doi":"10.1080/15459624.2024.2447317","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15459624.2024.2447317","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The pathogenic potential of airborne particles carrying the SARS-CoV-2 viral genome was examined by considering the size distribution of airborne particles at given distances from the respiratory zone of an infected patient after coughing or sneezing with a focus on time, temperature, and relative humidity. The results show an association between the size distribution of airborne particles, particularly PM<sub>1</sub> and PM<sub>2.5</sub>, and the presence of viral genome in different stations affected by the distance from the respiratory zone and the passage of time. The correlation with time was strong with all the dependent factors except PM<sub>1</sub>. Also, the effect of time intervals on the median concentration of airborne PM in the range of PM<sub>7</sub> and PM<sub>10</sub> was significant. Accordingly, in the first 20 min after coughing, the COVID-19 patient was more likely to be exposed to PM-carrying RNA genomes of SARS-CoV-2. The other finding was that the two distances of 0.25 m to the patient's left of the respiratory zone and 1.0 m above the breathing zone showed positive results for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in all studied time intervals. The patterns of results suggested that there was a high potential for distribution of the virus in an infected patient based on position and airflow and that the severity of infection and viral load may influence the presence of viral load in droplets when coughing. Based on the results, one can conclude that ventilation plays a key role in mitigating the risk of airborne virus transmission in indoor environments, and it has been shown that reductions in particulate concentrations occur when portable air purifiers are placed near the breathing zone. The use of personal protective equipment for the patient and healthcare personnel to minimize the distribution of virus particles in the air is recommended.</p>","PeriodicalId":16599,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene","volume":" ","pages":"1-13"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-01-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143006638","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-15DOI: 10.1080/15459624.2024.2447321
Timothy A Sipkens, Rym Mehri, Ruth Perez Calderon, Richard G Green, Andrew Oldershaw, Gregory J Smallwood
Particle filtration efficiency (PFE) is a critical property of face masks, with the most common test methods using sodium chloride as a challenge aerosol. In the absence of bottom-up uncertainty budgets for PFE, interlaboratory comparisons provide an alternative route to robustly quantify the precision and bias of the method. This work presents the results of several interlaboratory comparisons of particle filtration efficiency performed across a network of laboratories. Using log-penetration as a surrogate for PFE, it is shown that expanded reproducibility intervals were consistent across most samples, at around 26% of the nominal value of log-penetration. Between-laboratory contributions to this reproducibility were significant, nearly doubling the lab-reported uncertainties in most instances and emphasizing the need for ongoing interlaboratory studies to be performed for particle filtration. More work is required to identify the causes of these between-laboratory differences, requiring dedicated testing. Alongside uncertainty quantification, testing materials across a range of variables (such as the number of layers, amount of charge on the material, and basis weight) affirm that constant quality is a good approximation when layering or changing the basis weight on an otherwise identical material.
{"title":"Interlaboratory comparison of particle filtration efficiency testing equipment.","authors":"Timothy A Sipkens, Rym Mehri, Ruth Perez Calderon, Richard G Green, Andrew Oldershaw, Gregory J Smallwood","doi":"10.1080/15459624.2024.2447321","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15459624.2024.2447321","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Particle filtration efficiency (PFE) is a critical property of face masks, with the most common test methods using sodium chloride as a challenge aerosol. In the absence of bottom-up uncertainty budgets for PFE, interlaboratory comparisons provide an alternative route to robustly quantify the precision and bias of the method. This work presents the results of several interlaboratory comparisons of particle filtration efficiency performed across a network of laboratories. Using log-penetration as a surrogate for PFE, it is shown that expanded reproducibility intervals were consistent across most samples, at around 26% of the nominal value of log-penetration. Between-laboratory contributions to this reproducibility were significant, nearly doubling the lab-reported uncertainties in most instances and emphasizing the need for ongoing interlaboratory studies to be performed for particle filtration. More work is required to identify the causes of these between-laboratory differences, requiring dedicated testing. Alongside uncertainty quantification, testing materials across a range of variables (such as the number of layers, amount of charge on the material, and basis weight) affirm that constant quality is a good approximation when layering or changing the basis weight on an otherwise identical material.</p>","PeriodicalId":16599,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene","volume":" ","pages":"1-15"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-01-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142983833","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-15DOI: 10.1080/15459624.2025.2449937
Edward J Calabrese, James Giordano, Dima Yazji Shamoun
The present paper provides an assessment of how the scientific and national policy achievements/goals of Hermann J. Muller were impacted by his ethics and provides several documented episodes in which Muller acted unethically to promote his personal gain-at the expense of others-within the scientific community. Muller manipulated the scientific community in self-serving ways to suppress perspectives that challenged his own views on radiation-induced gene mutation, and hereditary and cancer risk assessment in ways that influenced his significant awards (e.g., Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology), continued grant funding, and manifest effect on public health policy. Muller acted irresponsibly toward students and directed them to violate University of Texas policies that incurred severe student disciplinary actions (e.g., University suspension). Muller avoided responsibility by resigning from the University of Texas, avoiding a trial that could have led to his dismissal, and impacted his career achievements during the period of his nomination for the Nobel Prize. Muller was also a member of a US National Academy of Sciences Committee that committed scientific misconduct by misrepresenting the research record in ways that enhanced his continued funding support and fortified his influence on US health policy. The case of Muller is presented as a morality and object lesson worthy of consideration for current and future ethical conduct of scientific research.
本文评估了Hermann J. Muller的科学和国家政策成就/目标是如何受到他的伦理道德的影响的,并提供了几个记录的Muller在科学界以牺牲他人为代价进行不道德行为以促进个人利益的事件。穆勒以自私自利的方式操纵科学界,压制那些挑战他自己在辐射诱发基因突变、遗传和癌症风险评估方面观点的观点,从而影响了他的重要奖项(如诺贝尔医学奖或生理学奖)、持续的资助以及对公共卫生政策的明显影响。Muller对学生的行为不负责任,并指示他们违反了德克萨斯大学的政策,导致了严重的学生纪律处分(例如大学停学)。穆勒为了逃避责任,从德克萨斯大学辞职,避免了可能导致他被解雇的审判,并在诺贝尔奖提名期间影响了他的事业成就。穆勒也是美国国家科学院委员会的成员,该委员会通过歪曲研究记录来加强他的持续资助支持并加强他对美国卫生政策的影响力,从而犯下了科学不端行为。穆勒的案例是一个值得考虑的道德和实物教训,为当前和未来的科学研究的伦理行为。
{"title":"Professional improbity: How Hermann J. Muller's ethics affected his science.","authors":"Edward J Calabrese, James Giordano, Dima Yazji Shamoun","doi":"10.1080/15459624.2025.2449937","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15459624.2025.2449937","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The present paper provides an assessment of how the scientific and national policy achievements/goals of Hermann J. Muller were impacted by his ethics and provides several documented episodes in which Muller acted unethically to promote his personal gain-at the expense of others-within the scientific community. Muller manipulated the scientific community in self-serving ways to suppress perspectives that challenged his own views on radiation-induced gene mutation, and hereditary and cancer risk assessment in ways that influenced his significant awards (e.g., Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology), continued grant funding, and manifest effect on public health policy. Muller acted irresponsibly toward students and directed them to violate University of Texas policies that incurred severe student disciplinary actions (e.g., University suspension). Muller avoided responsibility by resigning from the University of Texas, avoiding a trial that could have led to his dismissal, and impacted his career achievements during the period of his nomination for the Nobel Prize. Muller was also a member of a US National Academy of Sciences Committee that committed scientific misconduct by misrepresenting the research record in ways that enhanced his continued funding support and fortified his influence on US health policy. The case of Muller is presented as a morality and object lesson worthy of consideration for current and future ethical conduct of scientific research.</p>","PeriodicalId":16599,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene","volume":" ","pages":"1-13"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-01-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142983876","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-13DOI: 10.1080/15459624.2024.2447320
David E Meyer, Raymond L Smith, Elizabeth Lanphear, Sudhakar Takkellapati, John D Chea, Gerardo J Ruiz-Mercado, Michael A Gonzalez, William M Barrett
Chemical release data are essential for performing chemical risk assessments to understand the potential exposures arising from industrial processes. Often, these data are unknown or unavailable and must be estimated. A case study of volatile organic compound releases during extrusion-based additive manufacturing is used here to explore the viability of various regression methods for predicting chemical releases to inform chemical assessments. The methods assessed in this work include linear Least Squares, Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) and Ridge regression, classification and regression tree, random forest model, and neural network analysis. Secondary data describing polymeric extrusion in multiple applications are curated and assembled in a dataset to support regression modeling using default parameters for the various approaches. The potential to add noise to the dataset and improve regression is evaluated using synthetic data generation. Evaluation of model performance for a common test set found all methods were able to achieve predictions within 10%-error for up to 98% of the test sample population. The degree to which this level of performance was maintained when varying the number and type of features for regression was dependent on the model type. Linear methods and neural network analysis predicted the most test samples within 10%-error for smaller numbers of features while tree-based approaches could accommodate a larger number of features. The number and type of features can be important if the desire is to make chemical-specific release predictions. The inclusion of release data from related processes generally improved test set predictions across all models while the use of synthetic data as implemented here resulted in smaller increases in test sample predictions within 10%-error. Future work should focus on improving access to primary data and optimizing models to achieve maximum predictive performance of environmental releases to support chemical risk assessment.
{"title":"Regression tools for chemical release modeling: An additive manufacturing case study.","authors":"David E Meyer, Raymond L Smith, Elizabeth Lanphear, Sudhakar Takkellapati, John D Chea, Gerardo J Ruiz-Mercado, Michael A Gonzalez, William M Barrett","doi":"10.1080/15459624.2024.2447320","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15459624.2024.2447320","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Chemical release data are essential for performing chemical risk assessments to understand the potential exposures arising from industrial processes. Often, these data are unknown or unavailable and must be estimated. A case study of volatile organic compound releases during extrusion-based additive manufacturing is used here to explore the viability of various regression methods for predicting chemical releases to inform chemical assessments. The methods assessed in this work include linear Least Squares, Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) and Ridge regression, classification and regression tree, random forest model, and neural network analysis. Secondary data describing polymeric extrusion in multiple applications are curated and assembled in a dataset to support regression modeling using default parameters for the various approaches. The potential to add noise to the dataset and improve regression is evaluated using synthetic data generation. Evaluation of model performance for a common test set found all methods were able to achieve predictions within 10%-error for up to 98% of the test sample population. The degree to which this level of performance was maintained when varying the number and type of features for regression was dependent on the model type. Linear methods and neural network analysis predicted the most test samples within 10%-error for smaller numbers of features while tree-based approaches could accommodate a larger number of features. The number and type of features can be important if the desire is to make chemical-specific release predictions. The inclusion of release data from related processes generally improved test set predictions across all models while the use of synthetic data as implemented here resulted in smaller increases in test sample predictions within 10%-error. Future work should focus on improving access to primary data and optimizing models to achieve maximum predictive performance of environmental releases to support chemical risk assessment.</p>","PeriodicalId":16599,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene","volume":" ","pages":"1-11"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-01-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142978985","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-08DOI: 10.1080/15459624.2024.2444415
Bridget Angol, Sinan Sousan, Jo Anne G Balanay
The wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) index is the preferred environmental heat metric for occupational heat-related illness prevention but may not always be readily accessible in the workplace. Thus, there is a need for well-designed WBGT-based tools that are reliable, accessible, and inexpensive. A novel WBGT app prototype was developed to calculate the current and forecasted outdoor WBGT. The purpose of this study was to assess the reliability of the WBGT app prototype in providing accurate heat stress risk information for outdoor workplace settings in eastern North Carolina by comparing the WBGT indices and risk levels from the app (WBGTapp) with those derived from a heat stress monitor (WBGTins). Outdoor WBGT measurements were data logged at a university campus site using a heat stress monitor from March to August 2023 for 81 days and were assigned to risk levels by workload based on the ACGIH Threshold Limit Values. Hourly WBGTapp values and their corresponding risk levels were obtained using the app prototype. Data analysis was conducted using a t-test, Pearson correlation test, and cross-tabulation. Results showed that the hourly mean WBGTapp was significantly higher (p < 0.01) than the WBGTins, but there was no significant difference between the overall average of the daily mean (p = 0.15) and daily maximum (p = 0.69) WBGTapp and WBGTins. There was a strong, positive correlation between the hourly mean (r = 0.94, p < 0.01), daily mean (r = 0.97, p < 0.01), and daily maximum (r = 0.94, p < 0.01) WBGTapp and WBGTins. The app correctly identified 73-88% of minimal-risk conditions, depending on workload type, and was most reliable in correctly identifying extreme-risk conditions at 97%, 95%, and 93% for light, moderate, and heavy workloads, respectively. This demonstrates the app's capability of being protective of the workers, particularly in more severe heat stress risk conditions. Recommendations to improve the app's accuracy involved using accurate solar irradiance data and applying linear calibration. The WBGT app prototype shows good potential as an alternative risk assessment tool for heat stress risk among outdoor workers.
湿球温度(WBGT)指数是职业热相关疾病预防的首选环境热指标,但在工作场所可能并不总是容易获得。因此,需要设计良好的、可靠的、可访问的、廉价的基于wbgt的工具。开发了一种新的WBGT应用程序原型,用于计算当前和预测室外WBGT。本研究的目的是通过比较WBGT应用程序原型(WBGTapp)与热应激监测仪(WBGTins)的WBGT指数和风险水平,评估WBGT应用程序原型在为北卡罗来纳州东部户外工作场所设置提供准确热应激风险信息方面的可靠性。室外WBGT测量数据是在2023年3月至8月期间使用热应力监测仪在大学校园现场记录的,持续81天,并根据ACGIH阈值根据工作量分配风险水平。利用应用原型得到每小时WBGTapp值及其对应的风险等级。数据分析采用t检验、Pearson相关检验和交叉表法。结果表明,每小时平均WBGTapp显著高于平均WBGTapp (p = 0.69),但日平均总平均值(p = 0.15)与日最大值(p = 0.69) WBGTapp和WBGTins差异不显著。每小时平均值(r = 0.94, p r = 0.97, p r = 0.94)与WBGTins呈正相关。根据工作负载类型,该应用程序正确识别了73-88%的最低风险条件,并且在正确识别极端风险条件方面最可靠,分别为97%,95%和93%轻,中等和重工作负载。这证明了该应用程序保护工人的能力,特别是在更严重的热应激风险条件下。提高应用程序准确性的建议包括使用准确的太阳辐照度数据和应用线性校准。WBGT应用程序原型显示出良好的潜力,可以作为户外工作者热应激风险的替代风险评估工具。
{"title":"Comparison between WBGT app prototype and WBGT monitor to assess heat stress risk in an eastern North Carolina outdoor setting.","authors":"Bridget Angol, Sinan Sousan, Jo Anne G Balanay","doi":"10.1080/15459624.2024.2444415","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15459624.2024.2444415","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) index is the preferred environmental heat metric for occupational heat-related illness prevention but may not always be readily accessible in the workplace. Thus, there is a need for well-designed WBGT-based tools that are reliable, accessible, and inexpensive. A novel WBGT app prototype was developed to calculate the current and forecasted outdoor WBGT. The purpose of this study was to assess the reliability of the WBGT app prototype in providing accurate heat stress risk information for outdoor workplace settings in eastern North Carolina by comparing the WBGT indices and risk levels from the app (WBGT<sub>app</sub>) with those derived from a heat stress monitor (WBGT<sub>ins</sub>). Outdoor WBGT measurements were data logged at a university campus site using a heat stress monitor from March to August 2023 for 81 days and were assigned to risk levels by workload based on the ACGIH Threshold Limit Values. Hourly WBGT<sub>app</sub> values and their corresponding risk levels were obtained using the app prototype. Data analysis was conducted using a t-test, Pearson correlation test, and cross-tabulation. Results showed that the hourly mean WBGT<sub>app</sub> was significantly higher (<i>p</i> < 0.01) than the WBGT<sub>ins</sub>, but there was no significant difference between the overall average of the daily mean (<i>p</i> = 0.15) and daily maximum (<i>p</i> = 0.69) WBGT<sub>app</sub> and WBGT<sub>ins</sub>. There was a strong, positive correlation between the hourly mean (<i>r</i> = 0.94, <i>p</i> < 0.01), daily mean (<i>r</i> = 0.97, <i>p</i> < 0.01), and daily maximum (<i>r</i> = 0.94, <i>p</i> < 0.01) WBGT<sub>app</sub> and WBGT<sub>ins</sub>. The app correctly identified 73-88% of minimal-risk conditions, depending on workload type, and was most reliable in correctly identifying extreme-risk conditions at 97%, 95%, and 93% for light, moderate, and heavy workloads, respectively. This demonstrates the app's capability of being protective of the workers, particularly in more severe heat stress risk conditions. Recommendations to improve the app's accuracy involved using accurate solar irradiance data and applying linear calibration. The WBGT app prototype shows good potential as an alternative risk assessment tool for heat stress risk among outdoor workers.</p>","PeriodicalId":16599,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene","volume":" ","pages":"1-14"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-01-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142950339","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Cooking fuels are sources of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), which are persistent in the environment and have detrimental effects on human health. Fifteen PCBs congeners from the smoke of eight (8) commonly used cooking fuels in Nigeria were investigated in this study. Glass fiber filters were used to collect air emissions during the combustion of cooking fuels in a controlled chamber. PCB congeners in the smoke of studied cooking fuels were analyzed using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) and their associated health risks were evaluated. The health risks of PCBs (both carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic) from inhalation exposure were evaluated for both children and adults. The daily inhalation rate ranged from 4.44 × 105 to 6.16 × 105 fgTEQkg-1 for adults and 9.94 × 105 to 1.38 × 106 fgTEQkg-1 for children. Hazard quotient (HQ) values obtained for both adults and children were higher than the acceptable limit of 1. The Incremental Lifetime Cancer Risk (ILCR) varied between 2.40 × 10-3 and 3.33 × 10-3 for adults and and for children. This study recommends promoting clean cooking technologies through policy interventions, public awareness campaigns, and investment in research and development, to reduce risks associated with harmful cooking emissions.
{"title":"Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from common cooking fuels in Nigeria.","authors":"Jamiu Adetayo Adeniran, Basheerah Folake Jimoh, Ayodele Sarat Atanda, Tunmise Latifat Adewoye, Muhammad-Najeeb O Yusuf, Khadijat Abdulkareem Abdulraheem, Emmanuel Toluwalope Odediran","doi":"10.1080/15459624.2024.2443196","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15459624.2024.2443196","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cooking fuels are sources of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), which are persistent in the environment and have detrimental effects on human health. Fifteen PCBs congeners from the smoke of eight (8) commonly used cooking fuels in Nigeria were investigated in this study. Glass fiber filters were used to collect air emissions during the combustion of cooking fuels in a controlled chamber. PCB congeners in the smoke of studied cooking fuels were analyzed using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) and their associated health risks were evaluated. The health risks of PCBs (both carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic) from inhalation exposure were evaluated for both children and adults. The daily inhalation rate ranged from 4.44 × 10<sup>5</sup> to 6.16 × 10<sup>5</sup> fgTEQkg<sup>-1</sup> for adults and 9.94 × 10<sup>5</sup> to 1.38 × 10<sup>6</sup> fgTEQkg<sup>-1</sup> for children. Hazard quotient (HQ) values obtained for both adults and children were higher than the acceptable limit of 1. The Incremental Lifetime Cancer Risk (ILCR) varied between 2.40 × 10<sup>-3</sup> and 3.33 × 10<sup>-3</sup> for adults and <math><mn>6.211</mn><mo>×</mo><msup><mrow><mn>10</mn></mrow><mrow><mo>-</mo><mn>4</mn></mrow></msup></math> and <math><mn>8.62</mn><mo>×</mo><msup><mrow><mn>10</mn></mrow><mrow><mo>-</mo><mn>4</mn></mrow></msup></math> for children. This study recommends promoting clean cooking technologies through policy interventions, public awareness campaigns, and investment in research and development, to reduce risks associated with harmful cooking emissions.</p>","PeriodicalId":16599,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene","volume":" ","pages":"1-9"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-01-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142950351","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-01Epub Date: 2024-11-25DOI: 10.1080/15459624.2024.2420994
William E Fayerweather, Nuttanit Pramounmat, Miriam M Higginbotham, David C Trumbore
Several recent studies have examined the role of intermediate/semi-volatile organic compound emissions from paving and roofing asphalts in the formation of secondary organic aerosols (SOAs), which constitute a portion of fine atmospheric particulate matter. These studies have yielded divergent results. Building upon this research, this study aims to develop more representative emission factors for estimating the contribution of roofing materials to SOA formation. This was accomplished by investigating the impact on SOA formation of variables such as rooftop temperatures, solar insolation values, study durations, and the physical and chemical properties of the roofing materials tested. To quantify the influence of these variables, data from existing literature were drawn, and limited experimental lab work was conducted. Monte Carlo-based quantitative uncertainty and sensitivity analyses were completed to estimate more representative emission factors, generate accompanying uncertainty ranges, and rank critical parameters driving emissions that should be considered in any follow-up research. The emission factors developed in this study resulted in a central tendency estimate of 1.7 × 10-4 Gg/yr SOA for the 720 hottest hours in Southern California, with a 90% confidence interval of 6.0 × 10-5 to 3.4 × 10-4 Gg/yr. For the 4,320 annual daylight hours, the central tendency estimate is 2.1 × 10-5 Gg/yr, with a 90% confidence interval of 4.7 × 10-6 to 5.1 × 10-5 Gg/yr. To provide perspective, the results of this study indicate that the SOA contribution to in-service emissions from asphalt roofing surfaces is four to five orders of magnitude lower than that reported for mobile diesel and gasoline sources.
最近有几项研究探讨了铺路沥青和屋顶沥青排放的中间/半挥发性有机化合物在二次有机气溶胶(SOAs)形成过程中的作用,二次有机气溶胶是大气细颗粒物的一部分。这些研究得出了不同的结果。在此研究的基础上,本研究旨在开发更具代表性的排放因子,用于估算屋顶材料对 SOA 形成的贡献。为此,本研究调查了屋顶温度、太阳日照值、研究持续时间以及所测试的屋顶材料的物理和化学特性等变量对 SOA 形成的影响。为了量化这些变量的影响,我们从现有文献中提取了数据,并进行了有限的实验室实验工作。完成了基于蒙特卡罗的定量不确定性和敏感性分析,以估算出更具代表性的排放因子,生成相应的不确定性范围,并对任何后续研究都应考虑的排放驱动关键参数进行排序。本研究开发的排放因子得出了南加州最热 720 小时 SOA 的中心倾向估计值为 1.7 × 10-4 Gg/yr,90% 置信区间为 6.0 × 10-5 至 3.4 × 10-4 Gg/yr。对于每年 4320 个日照时数,中心倾向估计值为 2.1 × 10-5 Gg/yr,90% 置信区间为 4.7 × 10-6 至 5.1 × 10-5 Gg/yr。本研究结果表明,沥青屋顶表面的 SOA 对在用排放的贡献比报告的移动柴油和汽油来源的 SOA 贡献低四到五个数量级。
{"title":"Development of emission factors for secondary organic aerosol precursors from in-service asphalt roofs using Monte Carlo-based quantitative uncertainty analysis.","authors":"William E Fayerweather, Nuttanit Pramounmat, Miriam M Higginbotham, David C Trumbore","doi":"10.1080/15459624.2024.2420994","DOIUrl":"10.1080/15459624.2024.2420994","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Several recent studies have examined the role of intermediate/semi-volatile organic compound emissions from paving and roofing asphalts in the formation of secondary organic aerosols (SOAs), which constitute a portion of fine atmospheric particulate matter. These studies have yielded divergent results. Building upon this research, this study aims to develop more representative emission factors for estimating the contribution of roofing materials to SOA formation. This was accomplished by investigating the impact on SOA formation of variables such as rooftop temperatures, solar insolation values, study durations, and the physical and chemical properties of the roofing materials tested. To quantify the influence of these variables, data from existing literature were drawn, and limited experimental lab work was conducted. Monte Carlo-based quantitative uncertainty and sensitivity analyses were completed to estimate more representative emission factors, generate accompanying uncertainty ranges, and rank critical parameters driving emissions that should be considered in any follow-up research. The emission factors developed in this study resulted in a central tendency estimate of 1.7 × 10<sup>-4</sup> Gg/yr SOA for the 720 hottest hours in Southern California, with a 90% confidence interval of 6.0 × 10<sup>-5</sup> to 3.4 × 10<sup>-4</sup> Gg/yr. For the 4,320 annual daylight hours, the central tendency estimate is 2.1 × 10<sup>-5</sup> Gg/yr, with a 90% confidence interval of 4.7 × 10<sup>-6</sup> to 5.1 × 10<sup>-5</sup> Gg/yr. To provide perspective, the results of this study indicate that the SOA contribution to in-service emissions from asphalt roofing surfaces is four to five orders of magnitude lower than that reported for mobile diesel and gasoline sources.</p>","PeriodicalId":16599,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene","volume":" ","pages":"37-51"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142716434","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-01Epub Date: 2025-01-02DOI: 10.1080/15459624.2024.2421017
Stephan Koslitz, Dirk Taeger, Birgit Heinrich, Daniel Köster, Tim Pelzl, Heiko Udo Käfferlein, Katrin Pitzke, Thomas Brüning, Thomas Behrens
Firefighters are exposed to a variety of hazardous substances during firefighting activities. Fire smoke contains polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) some of which have been shown to cause cancer in humans. To assess dermal exposure of firefighters during real-life firefighting, a whole-body dosimetry method was applied to determine the PAH that settles on the skin despite firefighters wearing personal protective equipment (PPE). In total, 17 firefighters wore cotton undergarments (shirts, trousers, gloves, socks, and balaclavas) under their PPE during firefighting missions. After firefighting, fabric pieces were analyzed for 16 US-EPA PAHs and benzo[e]pyrene. Detailed information about the fire missions was solicited from firefighters via a questionnaire. Seventy percent of firefighters provided their undergarments and PAHs were analyzed in 309 punched-out fabric pieces. PAHs were quantified in 27 out of the 309 fabric pieces (8.7%). Generally, PAH concentrations were higher after firefighting in residential buildings compared to exposure levels after fighting vehicle or outdoor fires. Phenanthrene and pyrene were the predominant compounds and were observed up to 657 and 244 ng/g, respectively. Benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) was detected in 10 fabric pieces (3.2%) up to 103 ng/g, but all levels were below 1,000 ng/g, the threshold limit of B[a]P according to European Consumer Goods Regulation (European Commission Regulation (EU) 2018/1513). It was demonstrated that firefighting PPE can be an effective shield against dermal exposure to carcinogenic substances. Thus, all measured PAH concentrations in the fabric pieces were below the threshold limit of 1,000 ng/g of each PAH, which is allowed in consumer goods in the European Union for clothing worn on the skin However, individual dermal exposures cannot be completely avoided during firefighting missions. The use of undergarments, gloves, socks, and balaclavas for whole-body dosimetry, which are worn under the PPE, can be useful in assessing whether hazardous substances penetrate the firefighters' PPE.
{"title":"Cotton undergarments as a tool for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons whole body dosimetry of firefighters.","authors":"Stephan Koslitz, Dirk Taeger, Birgit Heinrich, Daniel Köster, Tim Pelzl, Heiko Udo Käfferlein, Katrin Pitzke, Thomas Brüning, Thomas Behrens","doi":"10.1080/15459624.2024.2421017","DOIUrl":"10.1080/15459624.2024.2421017","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Firefighters are exposed to a variety of hazardous substances during firefighting activities. Fire smoke contains polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) some of which have been shown to cause cancer in humans. To assess dermal exposure of firefighters during real-life firefighting, a whole-body dosimetry method was applied to determine the PAH that settles on the skin despite firefighters wearing personal protective equipment (PPE). In total, 17 firefighters wore cotton undergarments (shirts, trousers, gloves, socks, and balaclavas) under their PPE during firefighting missions. After firefighting, fabric pieces were analyzed for 16 US-EPA PAHs and benzo[e]pyrene. Detailed information about the fire missions was solicited from firefighters via a questionnaire. Seventy percent of firefighters provided their undergarments and PAHs were analyzed in 309 punched-out fabric pieces. PAHs were quantified in 27 out of the 309 fabric pieces (8.7%). Generally, PAH concentrations were higher after firefighting in residential buildings compared to exposure levels after fighting vehicle or outdoor fires. Phenanthrene and pyrene were the predominant compounds and were observed up to 657 and 244 ng/g, respectively. Benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) was detected in 10 fabric pieces (3.2%) up to 103 ng/g, but all levels were below 1,000 ng/g, the threshold limit of B[a]P according to European Consumer Goods Regulation (European Commission Regulation (EU) 2018/1513). It was demonstrated that firefighting PPE can be an effective shield against dermal exposure to carcinogenic substances. Thus, all measured PAH concentrations in the fabric pieces were below the threshold limit of 1,000 ng/g of each PAH, which is allowed in consumer goods in the European Union for clothing worn on the skin However, individual dermal exposures cannot be completely avoided during firefighting missions. The use of undergarments, gloves, socks, and balaclavas for whole-body dosimetry, which are worn under the PPE, can be useful in assessing whether hazardous substances penetrate the firefighters' PPE.</p>","PeriodicalId":16599,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene","volume":" ","pages":"52-61"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142921931","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-01Epub Date: 2025-01-03DOI: 10.1080/15459624.2024.2421004
Mariana V Jacobs, Kate N Jochimsen, Jody L Clasey, Michael A Samaan
Farmers may be at a higher risk of developing hip osteoarthritis (OA) due to the high demands of their occupation. To the authors' knowledge, the gait patterns of farmers that may be associated with hip joint degeneration have yet to be analyzed. Therefore, this study compares gait mechanics between farmers and non-farmers (controls). It is hypothesized that farmers would exhibit altered lower extremity joint mechanics during walking when compared to matched controls. This exploratory study included five farmers and five sex-, age-, and body mass index (BMI)-matched controls. A 3D gait analysis was performed while study participants walked at a self-selected speed on an instrumented treadmill. Sagittal plane hip, knee, and ankle kinetics and kinematics were assessed. Effect sizes and between-group differences in demographics and gait mechanics were assessed. There were no group differences in walking speed, total stance time as well as hip and knee joint kinematics (p > 0.05). Farmers exhibited statistical trends (p = 0.07-0.08) of lower peak ankle plantarflexion angles, higher plantarflexor moments, higher knee flexion moment impulse, and higher peak vertical ground reaction force during the first and second halves of stance. Additionally, farmers ambulated with a significantly higher knee extensor moment (p = 0.04) and moment impulse (p = 0.05) during the first half of stance and a higher ankle plantarflexion moment impulse (p = 0.04). The results demonstrate a multi-joint gait alteration in farmers compared to non-farmers and may suggest a compensatory gait pattern to optimize hip joint mechanics and mitigate hip joint degeneration. These results provide a preliminary understanding of the impact that agricultural occupations have on joint mechanics that may be associated with the increased prevalence of hip OA in the farming population.
{"title":"Exploratory analysis of gait mechanics in farmers.","authors":"Mariana V Jacobs, Kate N Jochimsen, Jody L Clasey, Michael A Samaan","doi":"10.1080/15459624.2024.2421004","DOIUrl":"10.1080/15459624.2024.2421004","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Farmers may be at a higher risk of developing hip osteoarthritis (OA) due to the high demands of their occupation. To the authors' knowledge, the gait patterns of farmers that may be associated with hip joint degeneration have yet to be analyzed. Therefore, this study compares gait mechanics between farmers and non-farmers (controls). It is hypothesized that farmers would exhibit altered lower extremity joint mechanics during walking when compared to matched controls. This exploratory study included five farmers and five sex-, age-, and body mass index (BMI)-matched controls. A 3D gait analysis was performed while study participants walked at a self-selected speed on an instrumented treadmill. Sagittal plane hip, knee, and ankle kinetics and kinematics were assessed. Effect sizes and between-group differences in demographics and gait mechanics were assessed. There were no group differences in walking speed, total stance time as well as hip and knee joint kinematics (<i>p</i> > 0.05). Farmers exhibited statistical trends (<i>p</i> = 0.07-0.08) of lower peak ankle plantarflexion angles, higher plantarflexor moments, higher knee flexion moment impulse, and higher peak vertical ground reaction force during the first and second halves of stance. Additionally, farmers ambulated with a significantly higher knee extensor moment (<i>p</i> = 0.04) and moment impulse (<i>p</i> = 0.05) during the first half of stance and a higher ankle plantarflexion moment impulse (<i>p</i> = 0.04). The results demonstrate a multi-joint gait alteration in farmers compared to non-farmers and may suggest a compensatory gait pattern to optimize hip joint mechanics and mitigate hip joint degeneration. These results provide a preliminary understanding of the impact that agricultural occupations have on joint mechanics that may be associated with the increased prevalence of hip OA in the farming population.</p>","PeriodicalId":16599,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene","volume":" ","pages":"1-7"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11790371/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142927133","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}