Annals Of Work Exposures and Health最新文献

Objectives: Erionite, a naturally occurring fibrous zeolite classified as a human carcinogen, is believed to be more potent than asbestos in causing mesothelioma. However, unlike asbestos, erionite has rarely been used for commercial purposes and, as a result, knowledge about exposure pathways is limited. This paper provides a narrative review of the current knowledge regarding the associations between erionite exposure, health effects and exposure circumstances.

Methods: Medline/PubMed and Scopus were systematically searched up to the end of 2024 using keywords related to erionite exposure and health outcomes.

Results: We identified 26 peer-reviewed journal articles reporting on the health effects of erionite exposure, specifically mesothelioma and lung cancer, with mesothelioma being the most extensively studied outcome. Of these, 12 studies focussed on erionite-exposed populations in Turkey, 8 examined health effects among Turkish migrants in northern Europe, and 6 investigated erionite-related health risks in North America (3 in the United States and 3 in Mexico). These studies showed a very high incidence of mesothelioma, often in relatively young individuals, from the Cappadocia region of Turkey, with well-documented environmental exposures to erionite, contributing to a high proportion of all deaths (21% to 51%) in affected villages. Evidence of lung cancer associated with erionite exposure was also found. There is also evidence of erionite exposure-associated mesothelioma in Guanajuato, central Mexico. In the United States, erionite exposure-associated health effects (not mesothelioma) have been reported among people occupationally exposed to erionite. Studies on environmental exposures have shown outdoor concentrations ranging from 0.001 f/ml to 0.3 f/ml, while indoor concentrations have ranged from 0.005 to 1.38 f/ml. Occupational exposure to erionite has been less studied, with only one study in forestry workers showing elevated exposures to erionite ranging from non-detectable to 0.36 f/cc. Erionite deposits have also been identified in other countries such as Italy and New Zealand, but exposures and associated health effects have not yet been studied in these regions.

Conclusion: There is clear evidence that environmental exposure to erionite in the Cappadocia region of Turkey, and Guanajuato in central Mexico are causally associated with the high mesothelioma rates observed in these areas. Evidence for other parts of the world where there is naturally occurring erionite is limited. This review has highlighted significant knowledge gaps, and advocates for further research on occupational exposure to erionite fibres and associated health effects.

Objectives: Workers in salmon processing plants are at risk of respiratory diseases. The aim of this study was to describe the Norwegian salmon processing industry in respect to production-related factors that may influence the generation of bioaerosols in the work atmosphere, and to assess salmon processing workers' personal exposure to protein and endotoxin.

Methods: The study comprised 222 workers from 9 plants. Fullshift personal exposure measurements of total protein (inhalable aerosol fraction, n = 380) and endotoxin (total aerosol sampler, n = 178) were collected on 4 consecutive workdays. Technical and process-related information was collected through plant visits and meetings with technical and production staff. Linear mixed-effect model was used, treating individuals as random effect and work area and work task within areas as fixed effects.

Results: Plants differed in size, setup, processing procedures, and use of labor along the processing lines. Salmon processing overall geometric mean (GM) exposure to inhalable protein across the plants was highest in filleting area with 4.83 µg/m3 (geometric standard deviation [GSD] 3.16), followed by 3.91 µg/m3 (GSD 2.42) in slaughtering area, and 1.68 µg/m3 (GSD 2.40) in other areas. Endotoxin levels were generally low with the highest levels in slaughtering (GM 0.24 EU/m3; GSD 3.48), followed by other area (GM 0.19 EU/m3; GSD 4.05) and filleting (GM 0.10 EU/m3; GSD 2.51). The overall correlation between inhalable protein and endotoxin (total aerosol sampler) was poor (r = 0.13, P = 0.12).

Conclusions: Salmon processing workers are exposed to airborne inhalable protein bioaerosols at levels similar to those measured over a decade ago, indicating that a systematic approach to reduce exposure levels is still needed. Given the known health risk, the industry and regulatory bodies need to intensify efforts to reduce exposure and protect workers' health. The variance in exposure levels to inhalable protein across plants, areas, and tasks might form the basis for better exposure-reducing strategies.

Equine dental disorders, such as sharp enamel points and focal overgrowths, are common in horses and are often treated with motorized dental grinding tools. These tools, while effective, produce dust and aerosols that may pose health risks to veterinarians and nearby individuals. This study aimed to assess the health risks associated with dental dust and aerosols generated during equine odontoplasty. Using a realistic setup, air concentrations of inhalable and respirable dust, crystalline silica, and airborne microorganisms and endotoxins were measured in 12 groups of horses undergoing odontoplasty with and without water-cooling. Results indicated that dust emission significantly increases during odontoplasty, but the concentrations of inhalable and respirable dust remained below occupational exposure limits. However, airborne microorganisms, including potential pathogenic fungal species and bacteria such as the methicillin-resistant bacterium Staphylococcus aureus, were detected as well as elevated endotoxin levels, suggesting an occupational health risk. Therefore, protective measures, such as wearing FFP3 masks, gloves, and glasses, are recommended during equine odontoplasty.

Objective: To estimate the association between lifetime occupational exposure to select combustion by-products and postmenopausal breast cancer (BC) risk.

Materials and methods: Data from a population-based case-control study among postmenopausal women residing in Montréal, Quebec were used. Cases included 661 women aged between 47 and 75 yr, diagnosed with incident malignant BC between 2008 and 2011. Controls comprised 587 women randomly selected from the Quebec Electoral List, frequency-matched to cases by 5-year age groups. Information on risk factors and lifetime occupational histories was collected by interview. Two industrial hygienists used job histories to assign exposure to 293 agents, including 6 combustion by-products (cooking fumes, diesel engine emissions, leaded and unleaded engine emissions, natural gas combustion products, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons [PAHs]). Unconditional logistic regression was used to estimate adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for BC risk, both for all tumours and by tumour molecular subtypes, in relation to occupational exposure to the 6 selected combustion by-products.

Results: No association was observed between occupational exposure to the 6 selected combustion by-products and postmenopausal BC. However, when considering molecular subtypes, women ever occupationally exposed to PAHs had a suggestive higher risk of Luminal B tumours (ORmodel6 = 2.09, 95% CI: 0.87 to 4.60) compared with those never exposed. Additionally, women ever occupationally exposed to cooking fumes compared with those never exposed had a suggestive higher risk of HER2-enriched tumours (ORmodel6 = 2.63, 95% CI: 0.98 to 6.40).

Conclusion: Occupational exposure to the 6 selected combustion by-products was not associated with postmenopausal BC. Suggestive higher risks of certain molecular subtypes of BC were observed with exposure to PAHs and cooking fumes. Future larger studies should consider the role of occupational exposures in the aetiology of BC across different molecular subtypes.

Using a mixed-methods approach, we assessed understanding of risks from exposure to the non-threshold carcinogen hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) among workers (n = 113) and occupational health and safety managers (n = 13) at 14 worksites with potential exposure to Cr(VI). We found that 55% of the workers had a measurable concentration of inhalable Cr(VI), with 19% exceeding 1 µg/m3, a level that corresponds to an "upper risk level" for future EU binding occupational exposure limits over a working lifetime. Additionally, 52% of workers had red blood cell (RBC) Cr concentrations exceeding the 95th percentile of an unexposed control group. Among responding workers (n = 91), 35% reported to perceive to be at no or low risk due to Cr(VI) exposure, 47% to be at some or large risk while 18% stated to be unsure. No correlations were found between reported risk perceptions and measured inhalable Cr(VI), urinary Cr, or RBC-Cr, but a weak correlation to years employed was found. Observations indicated that the hierarchy of controls was not strictly followed. Furthermore, 42% of respiratory protective equipment users used it incorrectly, and only two out the 50 (4%) needing a fit-test reported having performed one. Interviews with the managers revealed a lack of knowledge about the health risks of Cr(VI), and that expectations about exposure levels did not always match measured exposures. Our findings identify knowledge gaps regarding the health hazards of Cr(VI) and highlight the difficulty of estimating workplace exposure and risk without measurements. Based on our findings we recommend efforts to improve knowledge about Cr(VI) health hazards, strengthen the adherence to the hierarchy of controls, and incentivize quantitative exposure assessments.

Exposure to dust and respirable crystalline silica (RCS) is a continuing concern in the construction industry when working with silica-containing materials, such as concrete, brick, or stone. Increased knowledge of the dust characteristics can be used to improve measures to reduce potential exposure. This study aimed to characterize dust collected from indoor demolition in terms of particle size distribution and mineral content, including quartz. Airborne dust was collected with Sioutas cascade impactors at five different construction sites involved in indoor demolition and renovation. Four of the locations had workers demolishing concrete, while at the fifth location brick structures were demolished. An aerodynamic particle sizer (APS) was used to continually monitor the particle number concentrations in the size range 0.54 µm to 17 µm. Material samples of demolished material were collected from each location to determine mineral content. The filters from the Sioutas cascade impactors were weighted to determine dust concentrations in five size fractions ranging from 10 µm down to less than 0.25 µm. Quartz concentrations were quantified with X-ray diffraction using the NIOSH 7500 method and Rietveld refinement was further used to determine other mineral content in the Sioutas impactor samples and material samples. Respirable dust and quartz concentrations were calculated from the Sioutas data. The mass- and number-based particle size distributions measured by the APS were similar for the four locations involved in concrete demolition, whereas the location working with brick had a different distribution. The concentration levels varied widely, and the highest levels were observed at an enclosed location with no natural ventilation where concrete demolition took place. Limited natural or mechanical ventilation led to an accumulation of smaller particles around 1 µm and a lower mass median aerodynamic diameter for RCS, down to 1.2 µm, compared to locations with ventilation. The quartz percentages of the dust collected by Sioutas impactors were found to increase with increasing particle size. The dust contained less quartz than the source material, and an up-concentration of softer minerals like calcite was observed. The knowledge of particle size distributions and concentration levels occurring in the field during indoor demolition is important to ensure effective measures to reduce worker exposure. The results highlight the importance of effective ventilation to reduce the accumulation of airborne particles.

Background: Occupational allergy to soluble chlorinated platinum (Pt) salts, also known as chloroplatinates, poses a serious health problem in precious metal refineries. We aimed to assess the exposure-response relationship between soluble Pt salts exposure and Pt salt sensitization (PSS) in a 16-yr retrospective cohort study (2000 to 2015).

Methods: We analyzed routinely collected data from 5 Pt refineries. In total, 1,614 newly hired workers who entered the industry since 2000 regularly underwent skin prick tests. Exposure to soluble Pt salts was modeled using 2,982 personal air samples. The relationship between time-varying exposure levels and PSS development was analyzed by Cox proportional hazards regression, adjusting for smoking, atopy, and facility.

Results: PSS was diagnosed in 117 workers (1.48 per 100 person-years of follow-up time) with median time to PSS of 1.9 yr, and with an estimated median exposure level of 53 ng/m3 (P5-P95: 8 to 302 ng/m3) at the time of PSS development. Statistically significant quantitative exposure-response relationships between PSS and cumulative and current exposure were found. Exposure-response curves showed a steep increase in PSS incidence at exposure levels up to 100 ng/m3, with no or only a slight further increase at higher levels.

Conclusions: We found a clear exposure-response relationship between soluble Pt salts exposure and PSS incidence among newly hired workers. Despite the limitations inherent to the retrospective study design, this cohort study contributes to the growing body of evidence that the widely adopted occupational exposure limit of 2,000 ng/m3 does not adequately prevent PSS and should be reevaluated.

Extreme heat poses a growing threat to occupational health and safety in the New York City (NYC) metropolitan region with projections indicating substantial increases in heat wave events and heat-related mortality in the coming decades. We, therefore, aimed to identify NYC occupations at greatest heat stress risk using publicly available data. Two databases were mapped and merged to compile available occupational information for job titles in the NYC metropolitan region. Two certified industrial hygienists identified variables within these databases to include in a heat stress risk model and weighted these accordingly. Inter-rater reliability and agreement statistics were calculated. The final model was applied to the merged database to identify the scope of the NYC-region worker population potentially impacted by heat stress. The final merged database included 717 Standard Occupational Classification codes with data for 407 categories from the Occupational Information Network (O*NET), as well as employment and wage data from the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Regarding the risk model, the raters' variable selection and weighting were generally consistent and entailed the inclusion of 11 variables. Upon applying the final risk model to the merged database, 178 880 total workers were found to constitute the top 25 at-risk job titles with total employment n > 500, with more than half of this identified workforce classified as landscaping and groundskeeping workers (n = 51 790) and construction laborers (n = 46 390). Our analysis successfully identified NYC occupations at greatest risk of heat stress, achieving our aim and providing a foundation for targeted mitigation strategies. The success of any extreme heat mitigation policies will depend on effective enforcement and outreach to impacted workers.

The occupational exposure limit value (OELV) currently in force for the concentration of asbestos fibres in air in most of the world is 0.1 f cm-3. This value has been considered in some methods as the limit of detection (LOD) for the membrane filter method with phase-contrast microscopy (PCM). There is a directive within the European Union (EU Directive 2023/2668) to lower the OELV in member States to 0.01 f cm-3 from 21 December 2025. In the EU, OELVs are established with specific requirements for the expanded uncertainty around the target value, and to meet those requirements the OELV should not be a simple LOD. A value of approximately one-half of the OELV, if determined accurately, can give reasonable assurance of compliance with the OELV. There are several options available which can allow modification of the membrane filter method with PCM to measure 0.005 f.cm-3 as a time-weighted average (TWA) over a period of hours. As there will be fewer fibres on a sample, greater precision in counting is required. To achieve greater precision, (i) the filter background must be below 2.5 f.mm-2, which is achievable where filters are manufactured in a clean environment, (ii) microscopists must receive training and evaluation, e.g. through participation in a proficiency test program, and (iii) the sample size for counting will need to be increased by increasing the volume of air sampled and counting additional graticule areas. These modifications to the methods, taken together, should allow accurate measurements at 0.005 f cm-3, thus demonstrating compliance with an OELV of 0.01 f.cm-3 for a 4-h or 8-h TWA sample. Although these changes bring some additional cost in sampling and analysis, the PCM method could be retained. Continuing with the PCM methods has the advantages of low cost, capability for on-site analysis, and traceability to risk assessments based on prior PCM data.