Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene最新文献

This article presents a state-of-the-science analysis of the evolution of knowledge over time regarding the potential health hazards associated with exposure to airborne asbestos among the insulating trade, which included the state of knowledge of the International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Asbestos Workers Union (IAHFIAW), now known as the International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers (IAHFIAW), and its connection to the National Insulation Contractors Association (NICA) and the National Insulation Manufacturers Association (NIMA); work practices, exposure controls, and personal protective equipment (PPE) that were recommended; and the major regulations and guidelines related to asbestos over the past 100 years in the United States (U.S.). The general timeline of knowledge regarding potential health hazards associated with insulator exposures to asbestos in the U.S. Navy is incorporated in this review, including specific examples of exposure monitoring, medical surveillance campaigns, and recommendations for work practice controls over time. This paper is divided into five time periods (late 1800s-1945; 1946-1962; 1963-1970; 1971-1981; and 1982-present) that were selected based on what were generally believed to be seminal events with respect to the recognition or knowledge of the hazards of asbestos in relation to the insulating trade, the development and standardization of workplace and respiratory controls, and the promulgation of occupational exposure limits (OELs) for asbestos. For each time period, the following topics are addressed: insulation product composition and usage; major developments in the recognition or knowledge of health hazards of asbestos, including key epidemiology studies; health studies of insulators; guidelines and regulations related to OELs for asbestos and sampling and analytical method development for characterizing exposures; and industrial hygiene sampling and recommendations for controlling exposure to asbestos during insulating operations. The goal of this analysis is to illustrate when specific scientific knowledge about asbestos health hazards was established and communicated among the scientific and industrial hygiene communities and within the IAHFIAW. Although this information is available in various separate documents and locations, the purpose of this work is to synthesize it together in a single document so that the reader can understand the full historical context of the evolution of asbestos health hazard knowledge within the insulator trade. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this review represents the most comprehensive historical examination of the literature on exposure, health effects, and industrial hygiene controls related to asbestos used in insulating operations over time.

The relationship between personal hygiene and the risk of communicable diseases is well established, with socioeconomic status recognized as a significant factor in this context. Given that infectious diseases, environmental pollutants, and metals share pathways of entry into the human body, this study sought to investigate the correlation between hygiene practices and urinary metal levels in preschool-aged children. A cross-sectional analysis involving 1,477 preschoolers was conducted where urinary concentrations of 23 metals were determined using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Information about hygiene practices and socioeconomic status was collected from the children's guardians. The results of regression analyses revealed a significant association between improved hygiene practices and lower urinary levels of chromium, iron, and antimony (all p < 0.05), as well as with high household per capita monthly income. Compared to children from low-income families, children from high-income families had better hygiene behaviors (all p < 0.05). In low-income families, children with good hygiene behaviors had lower urinary chromium, iron, and antimony levels (all p < 0.05). Mediation analysis further suggested that bathing and hygiene practices could explain about 7.56% to 28.24% of the effects of urinary chromium, iron, and antimony levels related to household per capita monthly income (all p < 0.05). These findings emphasized that good hygiene behaviors might be a feasible way to reduce heavy metal exposure among children.

The reliable assessment of characteristics of shift-work exposure remains a critical methodological issue in epidemiological studies. A working group of the International Agency for Research on Cancer developed recommendations for the assessment of shift-work. These were translated into a detailed interview for the 10-year follow-up of the Heinz Nixdorf Recall (HNR) cohort. This study investigated the agreement of shift-work characteristics between three different assessments that were administered in interviews at two time points. At the study baseline (2000-2003), 4,814 participants were enrolled, and brief shift-work information was collected for 2,121 working participants (1,244 men and 877 women aged 45-75 years). Of 2,613 cohort members in the prospective 10-year follow-up between 2011 and 2013, 2,444 (also non-working) individuals participated in detailed shift-work interviews that consisted of (a) key summary questions and (b) period-based shift-work histories. participants' shift-work exposures up to the study baseline were compared in 1,217 subjects who were interviewed during both the baseline and the follow-up. Within the follow-up, participant responses to key summary questions were compared with calculated parameters from period-based histories. Agreement was measured by simple agreement (%), Gwet's agreement coefficient 1 (Gwet's AC1), and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Beta-regression models were applied to investigate potential associations between age and sex with the reliability of shift-work characteristics. A high level of agreement was found between ever having worked shift-work (ever shift-work) and duration that each participant worked shift-work (duration of shift-work) reported during baseline and at follow-up (ever shift-work until study baseline in men: Gwet's AC1 = 0.77 (CI 0.72-0.82)). When comparing key summary questions and detailed shift-work histories, the duration of shift-work showed a high level of reliability that marginally decreased with age (in women ICC = 0.96 (CI 0.95-0.97), linear effect of age groups on µ: p = 0.08). Participants had problems remembering more detailed shift-work information. Ever shift-work and duration of shift-work can be assessed with key summary questions but reliability slightly decreases with age.

Accurately estimating exposure is critical to assessing the potential health risks of chemicals. Characterizing dermal exposures to semivolatile or nonvolatile compounds in occupational studies can be challenging because of a lack of standardized procedures for dermal wipe sample collection and methods for sample analysis for most industrial chemicals, especially organic compounds. Methodologies are sometimes available in the scientific literature; however, the approaches vary, typically have not been validated, and may not be suitable for application in commercial laboratory settings. This article describes the laboratory development and validation of a method to identify and quantify the semivolatile organic compounds, tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA, CAS: 79-94-7) and triphenyl phosphate (TPP, CAS: 115-86-6) in dermal wipe samples and to validate recovery of these chemicals from porcine skin. The analytical method involved extraction of the test compounds on two different wipe media (cotton and polyester-rayon blend) in 100% isopropanol using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The results indicate that polyester-rayon wipes were preferable to cotton wipes. Additionally, the dermal wipe sampling method was tested and validated using porcine skin as a surrogate for human skin. This study provides a framework to perform validation of analytical and dermal sample collection methods for other semivolatile and nonvolatile chemicals and provides a baseline method for the development of commercial laboratory methods to evaluate exposure to other chemicals.

Central Sterilization Unit (CSU) workers are exposed to various biological, chemical, physical, and psychological hazards. This study aimed to assess the occupational health and safety (OHS) awareness of workers in the CSU. This cross-sectional study included 83 employees working in CSUs affiliated with 32 public, private, and university hospitals in Kayseri. Participants' demographic characteristics, working conditions, and information related to occupational health and safety were collected through a questionnaire. A total of 71 individuals participated in the study. According to the research findings, the majority of the workers had received training on the operation of sterilization units and OHS. CSU workers reported facing issues such as injuries from sharp objects (57.7%), exposure to toxic/corrosive substances (46.5%), and contact with bloodborne pathogens (26.8%). Although the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) was widespread, the utilization rates of certain equipment were lower. The study highlights that CSU workers are exposed to various health risks and emphasizes the importance of education and the use of PPE. However, considering the limitations of the study, it is suggested that more comprehensive research and greater attention to OHS among healthcare personnel are needed.

RNA therapeutics represent a rapidly expanding and innovative group of pharmaceuticals. These new modalities necessitate the establishment of Occupational Exposure Limits (OELs) to ensure safe occupational handling. While there is an established methodology for setting OELs for small molecule therapeutics, this methodology is not readily applicable to large molecule RNA therapeutics that deserve additional considerations in their safety assessment, particularly for aspects related to their unique modes of action. This research, which involves an extensive review of the data available for RNA therapeutics to derive substance-specific OELs and to propose a strategy for low-characterized RNA therapeutics, fills this crucial gap. It is recommended to apply an activity correction factor (ACF) in the OEL formula for large molecules, as representative of the "α" in the OEL formula for small molecules, considering differences in route of administration, critical effects, mechanism of action, and the RNA delivery platform. Additionally, it is proposed to consider lower OEL values for mRNA vaccines as compared to other RNA therapeutics. Finally, it is suggested that the exposure assessment experience that has already been acquired when handling therapeutic proteins can also be used to define containment strategies for RNA therapeutics.

Nail polishes contain over a dozen chemical compounds, including chemicals that can cause adverse reproductive outcomes and pose a risk to the high proportion of nail salon workers who are women of childbearing age. Consumer demand has resulted in a shift toward more natural products, with manufacturers attempting to remove harmful ingredients (n-free products). Many products that claim to have eliminated toluene, formaldehyde, and dibutyl phthalate (DBP) are labeled as "3-free"; however, studies have found these products often contain higher concentrations of toluene and DBP compared to products with no such claims. Products used only at salons are not required to list ingredients, leading to uncertainties as to the exact chemical composition and potential exposures. A better understanding of chemical exposures associated with nail polish products is necessary to understand potential worker exposures and develop effective control options. This study evaluated chemical exposures generated while painting nails with 20 n-free polishes using real-time and time-integrated air sampling. Total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs, PID, ION Science Inc.) and 22 individual compounds (FTIR, Gasmet Technologies) were measured in the breathing zone of the manicurist while two coats of polish were applied to artificial nails on a manikin in an exposure chamber and for 2 hr afterwards. Formaldehyde and toluene were measured in all polishes using the real-time FTIR, despite all claiming to be 3-free. Normalized geometric mean (GM) formaldehyde exposures from the FTIR ranged from 0.021 to 0.273 ppm/g, GM toluene exposures ranged from 0.068 to 0.534 ppm/g, and GM benzene exposures ranged from 0.076 to 0.752 ppm/g. Notably, formaldehyde, toluene, and benzene exposures did not significantly differ between different products. Neither DBP nor triphenyl phosphate (TPhP) was detected in any of the polishes. This study highlights that despite industry claims, n-free polishes may still contain chemicals associated with negative health effects and that more studies are necessary to understand the true chemical exposures of nail salon workers.