Journal of chemical health & safety最新文献

This study provides details of two incidents involving the splashing of chemicals (methanol and ortho-chlorobenzaldehyde) from Luer slip syringes into students’ eyes and faces in chemistry laboratories. The methanol incident was directly caused by unsafe acts, specifically the inappropriate use of a Luer slip syringe without adjusting the position of the clamp, which remained elevated. Additionally, the incident was a result of an unsafe condition, as the safety glasses wore by the individual were not designed as over-the-glass safety glasses, creating a gap between the student’s face and lip of the safety glasses, thereby allowing methanol to reach the student’s eyes. Unsafe acts were identified as the direct causes of the ortho-chlorobenzaldehyde incident. These acts included using an inappropriate Luer slip syringe, exerting force on a long syringe needle, conducting syringe operations outside a fume hood, and neglecting to wear appropriate safety glasses and a lab coat. Furthermore, an unsafe condition involved the inappropriate positioning of a flask within a fume hood. Consequently, detaching a needle from the Luer slip syringe resulted in the scattering of chemicals reaching the student’s face and eyes. A method that enables the multifaceted exploration of the causes of human errors and facilitates the development of comprehensive solutions was used to identify 16 root causes of human errors and 11 preventive measures for the ortho-chlorobenzaldehyde incident. The lessons learned from the two incidents contribute substantially to preventing the recurrence of similar syringe incidents and reducing the risks associated with syringe operations in chemistry laboratories that handle hazardous/toxic chemicals.

Intrinsic continuous process safeguarding (ICPS) is a methodology to substantially improve the process safety of chemical reactions. It was proposed in 1985. The origin of the method is explained in Control of a Potential Undesired Reaction. Two serious events that occurred with chemical reactors between 2000 and 2020 were selected from the databases of the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (USA) and the European Major Accident Reporting System (eMARS). The occurrence of these events could have been prevented or their effects could have been mitigated if the principles of ICPS had been applied.

Gas cylinders are widely used in research laboratories, pilot plants, and manufacturing industries because of their affordability, safety, and ease of access as reliable high-pressure gas sources. This review offers a concise summary of gas cylinders, focusing on three significant topics: the categorization of gas cylinders, the color coding of gas cylinders, and the components and identification of gas cylinders. Additionally, it offers guidance on the safe storage, transportation, and use of gas cylinders as well as inspection protocols for gas cylinders in university laboratories in China. Finally, it underlines the hazards that incorrect handling of gas cylinders can cause. By spreading awareness of gas cylinders, we intend to give a more comprehensive audience access to basic knowledge about gas cylinders, lowering the incidence of accidents caused by incorrect handling.

The current technique to assess glove resistance to chemicals for worker protection relies on challenging a flat, 2.54 cm diameter glove piece at or near room temperature. This does not simulate a donned whole glove near the skin temperature subjected to work activity forces. Four different types of disposable nonpowdered unlined/unsupported nitrile gloves in triplicate were measured for thickness, porosity, and for the acrylonitrile content (A) of the challenge and collection sides. Limonene permeation at 35 °C through a whole glove on a clenching and nonclenching dextrous robot hand and with the standard ASTM F739 technique were facilitated by taking samples from the collection sides for GC-MS analysis. The standardized breakthrough time (SBT) when permeation reached 100 ng/cm²/min and the steady state permeation rate (SSPR) depended on A, thickness, and porosity. Only the thinnest glove (Lavender) showed statistically significant (p ≤ 0.05) increased average SSPR for the clenching hand relative to the nonclenching hand and for the ASTM technique. The ASTM test data for the three thickest gloves were not statistically different from those of the robot hand, but differed from the manufacturer’s. More research with different chemicals and higher clenching forces is needed. Clenching forces can enhance the permeation. Workers wearing ultrathin disposable nitrile gloves have a higher potential for chemical penetration/permeation. Company glove permeation data obtained near room temperature may have a longer SBT and lower SSPR than in practice. Double gloving may be advisible in emergencies and for unknown chemicals when no appropriate thicker Chemical Protective glove is available.

Cancer is one of the most prevalent causes of mortality worldwide. The arena of cancer diagnosis and therapy has undergone a tremendous revolution since the development of nanotechnology. Due to their nanosize and biocompatibility, nanoparticles are extensively employed for gene therapy and targeted drug delivery. Nanotechnology-based approaches have also shown promising advancements in the utilization of extracellular vesicles for cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy. Apart from this, the CRISPR/Cas9 (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats and CRISPR-associated protein 9)-based nanotherapy and the development of therapeutic nanovaccines have also demonstrated encouraging results in revolutionizing cancer treatment. Nanotechnology-based molecular imaging and contrast agents can detect cancer at very early stages, allowing for prompt treatment and better patient outcomes. Although nanoparticles offer multiple benefits for drug administration, they additionally possess certain pharmacokinetic limitations, such as body clearance, restricted tissue penetration, confrontation with biological barriers, biodistribution, and accumulation. However, improvements in nanoparticle design are intended to resolve safety issues and enhance the therapeutic effects of these particles in a variety of disease complications. While nanotechnology has demonstrated immense potential in the treatment and diagnosis of cancer, there are still several challenges to overcome, including guaranteeing the safety of nanomaterials, taking into account regulatory issues, and creating scalable and affordable solutions. Nevertheless, new developments in nanotechnology and current research hold promise for further revolutionizing cancer detection and treatment.

In recent years, potential health hazards associated with tritium radiation have received increased attention. The medical emergency response to tritium-related accidents requires highly specialized and technical expertise with broad coverage and significant impact. In China, nuclear- and radiation-related laws and regulations have a complete emergency system and rescue management plan for dealing with such emergencies. These provisions, combined with the specific characteristics of tritium radiation accidents, underscore the need for the implementation of a medical emergency response. This Account presents guiding opinions for the medical emergency response and management of tritium-related accidents by introducing a three-level rescue system and analyzing medical rescue and psychological assistance for people exposed to tritium in such accidents.

Considering the growing emphasis on safety issues in mainland China, it is essential to identify the hurdles in the development of safety disciplines and to promote alignment between safety disciplines and society. To understand the current state of safety science and engineering disciplines in mainland China, we conducted a study while considering the geographical distribution level, as well as the power gap between universities. In terms of the geographical distribution, the spatial distribution characteristics of institutions with safety engineering enrollment in China were mapped out. To illustrate the development characteristics and existing safety discipline problems, the current situation of economic development and safety production in each region was integrated. In terms of power gaps, the Cingta database was used to study the disparity between different indicators and the competitiveness of safety disciplines in representative universities. Based on these findings, the development of chemical safety education is further discussed. Finally, development directions were provided for the effective reform of safety disciplines in each university at this stage. The study demonstrated that the current development status of safety disciplines in universities was related to social needs and social background. The development of safety disciplines in certain provinces of China did not match the current state of the local economy and safety products. There was a significant gap between the strengths and weaknesses of disciplines between universities and colleges.

Chemical and noise hazards are known to have a synergistic effect, where a variety of different chemical substances may worsen hearing damage in humans. These chemical substances are identified as ototoxicants that are toxic to the auditory system. This study evaluated the issue and created a framework in which these ototoxicants can be recognized early in the workplace. The approach involved hazard identification of chemicals hazardous to health, observation of tasks related to chemicals, identification of ototoxicants and noise exposure, evaluation of risks, and determination of the adequacy of control measures in accordance with the DOSH Malaysia Chemical Health Risk Assessment (CHRA) Third Edition Manual 2017 and the Industry Code of Practice for Management of Occupational Noise Exposure and Hearing Conservation 2019. The target subjects of this study involved 148 palm oil mill workers at two different locations who are exposed to both chemicals and noise throughout their daily tasks. Four work units (i.e., boiler operators and welders at palm oil mill A and laboratory analysts and welders at palm oil mill B) were concluded to have a significant risk of exposure to ototoxicants due to the high noise exposure, inadequacy of engineering control, and unsuitable use of PPE.