| 1. |
- Andersson, Lena, et al.
(författare)
-
Quartz and dust exposure in Swedish iron foundries
- 2009
-
Ingår i: Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene. - Philadelphia, PA : Taylor & Francis. - 1545-9624 .- 1545-9632. ; 6:1, s. 9-18
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Exposure to respirable quartz continues to be a major concern in the Swedish iron foundry industry. Recommendations for reducing the European occupational exposure limit (EU-OEL) to 0.05 mg/m3 and the corresponding ACGIH® threshold limit value (ACGIH-TLV) to 0.025 mg/m3 prompted this exposure survey. Occupational exposure to respirable dust and respirable quartz were determined in 11 Swedish iron foundries, representing different sizes of industrial operation and different manufacturing techniques. In total, 436 respirable dust and 435 respirable quartz exposure measurements associated with all job titles were carried out and are presented as time-weighted averages. Our sampling strategy enabled us to evaluate the use of respirators in certain jobs, thus determining actual exposure. In addition, measurements using real-time dust monitors were made for high exposure jobs. For respirable quartz, 23% of all the measurements exceeded the EU-OEL, and 56% exceeded the ACGIH-TLV. The overall geometric mean (GM) for the quartz levels was 0.028 mg/m3, ranging from 0.003 to 2.1 mg/m3. Fettler and furnace and ladle repair operatives were exposed to the highest levels of both respirable dust (GM = 0.69 and 1.2 mg/m3; range 0.076-31 and 0.25-9.3 mg/m3 and respirable quartz (GM = 0.041 and 0.052 mg/m3; range 0.004-2.1 and 0.0098-0.83 mg/m3. Fettlers often used respirators and their actual quartz exposure was lower (range 0.003-0.21 mg/m3, but in some cases it still exceeded the Swedish OEL (0.1 mg/m3. For furnace and ladle repair operatives, the actual quartz exposure did not exceed the OEL (range 0.003-0.08 mg/m3, but most respirators provided insufficient protection, i.e., factors less than 200. In summary, measurements in Swedish iron foundries revealed high exposures to respirable quartz, in particular for fettlers and furnace and ladle repair workers. The suggested EU-OEL and the ACGIH-TLV were exceeded in, respectively, 23% and 56% of all measurements regardless of the type of foundry. Further work on elimination techniques to reduce quartz concentrations, along with control of personal protection equipment, is essential.
|
|
| 2. |
- Bloom, Erica, et al.
(författare)
-
Molds and mycotoxins in indoor environments — a survey in water-damaged buildings
- 2009
-
Ingår i: Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1545-9624 .- 1545-9632. ; 6:11, s. 671-678
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Mycotoxins are toxic, secondary metabolites frequently produced by molds in water-damaged indoor environments. We studied the prevalence of selected, potent mycotoxins and levels of fungal biomass in samples collected from water-damaged indoor environments in Sweden during a 1- year period. One hundred samples of building materials, 18 samples of settled dust, and 37 samples of cultured dust were analyzed for: (a) mycoflora by microscopy and culture; (b) fungal chemical marker ergosterol and hydrolysis products of macrocyclic trichothecenes and trichodermin (verrucarol and trichodermol) by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry; and (c) sterigmatocystin, gliotoxin, aflatoxin B1, and satratoxin G and H by high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Sixty-six percent of the analyzed building materials samples, 11% of the settled dust samples, and 51% of the cultured dust samples were positive for at least one of the studied mycotoxins. In addition, except in the case of gliotoxin, mycotoxin-positive building material samples contained 2,6 times more ergosterol than mycotoxin-negative samples. We show that (a) molds growing on a range of different materials indoors in water-damaged buildings generally produce mycotoxins, and (b) mycotoxincontaining particles in mold-contaminated environments may settle on surfaces above floor level. The mass spectrometry methods used in this study are valuable tools in further research to survey mycotoxin exposure and investigate potential links with health effects. © 2009 JOEH, LLC.
|
|
| 3. |
|
|
| 4. |
- Elihn, Karine, et al.
(författare)
-
Exposure to Ultrafine Particles in Asphalt Work
- 2008
-
Ingår i: Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1545-9624 .- 1545-9632. ; 5, s. 771-779
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)
|
|
| 5. |
|
|
| 6. |
- Hagberg, Stig, et al.
(författare)
-
Exposure to volatile methacrylates in dental personnel.
- 2005
-
Ingår i: Journal of occupational and environmental hygiene. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1545-9624 .- 1545-9632. ; 2:6, s. 302-6
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Dental personnel are exposed to acrylates due to the acrylic resin-based composites and bonding agents used in fillings. It is well known that these compounds can cause contact allergy in dental personnel. However, in the 1990s, reports emerged on asthma also caused by methacrylates. The main volatile acrylates in dentistry are 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate and methyl methacrylate. The aim of this study was to quantify the exposure to these acrylates in Swedish dental personnel. We studied the exposure to 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate and methyl methacrylate in five randomly selected public dental clinics and at the Faculty of Odontology at G?teborg University. In total, 21 whole-day and 46 task-specific short-term (1-18 min) measurements were performed. The median 8-hour time-weighted averages were 2.5 microg/m3 (dentists) and 2.9 microg/m3 (dental nurses) for 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate, and 0.8 microg/m3 (dentists) and 0.3 microg/m3 (dental nurses) for methyl methacrylate. The maximum short-term exposure levels were 79 microg/m3 for 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate and 15 microg/m3 for methyl methacrylate, similar in dentists and dental nurses. The observed levels are much lower than in complete denture fabrication. We found only one previous study in dentistry and it showed similar results (though it reported short-term measurements only). Irritant effects would not be expected in healthy people at these levels. Nevertheless, occupational respiratory diseases due to methacrylates may occur in dental personnel, and improvements in the handling of these chemicals in dentistry are warranted. This includes better vials for the bonding agents and avoiding evaporation from discarded materials.
|
|
| 7. |
- Hagström, Katja, 1975-, et al.
(författare)
-
Exposure to wood dust, resin acids and volatile organic compounds during production of wood pellets
- 2008
-
Ingår i: Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene. - Philadelphia, PA : Taylor and Francis. - 1545-9624 .- 1545-9632. ; 5:5, s. 296-304
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The main aim of this study was to investigate exposure to airborne substances that are potentially harmful to health during the production of wood pellets, including wood dust, monoterpenes, and resin acids, and as an indicator of diesel exhaust nitrogen dioxide. In addition, area measurements were taken to assess background exposure levels of these substances, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and carbon monoxide. Measurements were taken at four wood pellet production plants from May 2004 to April 2005. Forty-four workers participated in the study, and a total of 68 personal measurements were taken to determine personal exposure to wood dust (inhalable and total dust), resin acids, monoterpenes, and nitrogen dioxide. In addition, 42 measurements of nitrogen dioxide and 71 measurements of total dust, resin acids, monoterpenes, VOCs, and carbon monoxide were taken to quantify their indoor area concentrations. Personal exposure levels to wood dust were high, and a third of the measured levels of inhalable dust exceeded the Swedish occupational exposure limit (OEL) of 2 mg/m3. Parallel measurements of inhalable and total dust indicated that the former were, on average, 3.2 times higher than the latter. The data indicate that workers at the plants are exposed to significant amounts of the resin acid 7-oxodehydroabietic acid in the air, an observation that has not been recorded previously at wood processing and handling plants. The study also found evidence of exposure to dehydroabietic acid, and exposure levels for resin acids approached 74% of the British OEL for colophony, set at 50 microg/m3. Personal exposure levels to monoterpenes and nitrogen dioxide were low. Area sampling measurements indicated that aldehydes and terpenes were the most abundant VOCs, suggesting that measuring personal exposure to aldehydes might be of interest. Carbon monoxide levels were under the detection limit in all area measurements. High wood dust exposure levels are likely to have implications for worker health; therefore, it is important to reduce exposure to wood dust in this industry.
|
|
| 8. |
- Pettersson-Strömbäck, Anita E, 1965-, et al.
(författare)
-
When and why do experts perform exposure measurements? : An exploratory study of safety engineers, work environment inspectors, and occupational hygienists.
- 2006
-
Ingår i: Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1545-9624 .- 1545-9632. ; 3:12, s. 713-717
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The aim of this study was to describe experts' decision processes leading to measurements of occupational chemical exposure. Safety engineers, clinical occupational hygienists, and work environment inspectors (four from each group) were interviewed according to a semistructured scheme. We analyzed: (i) perceived triggers for measurements, (ii) the experts' decision criteria for performing measurements when there was a trigger, and (iii) sampling strategy. Regarding triggers, all safety engineers reported a “request” from, for example, an employer; all work environment inspectors reported “legal demands;” and all clinical occupational hygienists reported “symptoms among workers.” As a decision criterion, all the interviewees reported that they measured only if they expected sufficiently high levels. The results of the present study highlight factors that trigger measurements and are of importance in determining whether measurements will be performed. These factors appear to be related to the expert's professional role and may bias the assessment of exposure. Thus, when using data from routine measurements done by experts, the possibility of a bias needs to be considered.
|
|
| 9. |
- Tinnerberg, Håkan, et al.
(författare)
-
Aniline in hydrolyzed urine and plasma--possible biomarkers for phenylisocyanate exposure.
- 2008
-
Ingår i: Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1545-9632 .- 1545-9624. ; 5:10, s. 629-632
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- There are few studies on phenylisocyanate (PhI) exposure, although there are studies indicating that PhI is a very potent chemical sensitizer. The aim of this study was to evaluate aniline in urine and plasma as possible biomarkers of exposure to PhI. Occupational airborne exposure to PhI was measured during one day for 11 workers exposed to thermal degradation products from polyurethane with filters impregnated with 2-methoxyphenyl piperazine. A urine sample was collected from each worker on measurement day, and plasma samples were collected within the following 2 weeks. Urine and plasma samples also were collected from four unexposed subjects. The biological samples were hydrolyzed and analyzed with gas chromatography mass spectrometry. The time-weighted averages (TWA) for the workers were between 0.1 and 1.6 microg/m3. Aniline levels in urine were in the same range for the exposed and unexposed workers, but there was a significant correlation between air and urinary levels (Pearson's correlation coefficient r = 0.518; p = 0.05). All exposed workers had higher levels in the plasma samples than the highest control, and there was a significant correlation between the plasma levels and measured air levels (r = 0.675; p = 0.008). The conclusion is that aniline in hydrolyzed urine and plasma are possible biomarkers of exposure to PhI, and that the plasma biomarker is more sensitive, at least at this rather low exposure.
|
|
| 10. |
- Westberg, Håkan BT, et al.
(författare)
-
On the use of different measures of exposure - experiences from a case-control study on testicular cancer and PVC exposure.
- 2005
-
Ingår i: Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1545-9624 .- 1545-9632. ; 2:7, s. 351-356
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Associations between exposure to PVC plastics and testicular cancer have been reported. To improve the exposure-response analysis in a matched case-control study on testicular cancer and occupational exposures, a self-administered exposure questionnaire and expert assessment was applied and different exposure measures were developed. The questionnaires regarding work histories and employment in PVC production, manufacturing, and handling of PVC products were completed by 1582 subjects (90%). By expert assessment, 360 subjects were considered exposed, and the exposure intensity to PVC plastics for different working periods was determined. Different exposure measures to PVC plastics were then developed, such as ever/never exposed, duration, maximum intensity, median intensity, and cumulative median intensity. The correlation between the different measures of exposure was high for exposure duration and the cumulative median exposure intensity (Spearman rank coefficient rs = 0.94), as was the correlation between the maximum intensity and the median intensity (rs = 0.94). The agreement between the answers in the questionnaire and the expert assessments was moderate, Kappa value 0.56. The odds ratio for “ever” exposed based on the exposure as reported in the questionnaire was 1.1 (95%, CI 0.82-1.56), and as determined by expert assessment 1.3 (CI 1.05-1.69). The odds ratios for all four different categories of exposure measures varied between 0.86 and 2.6 but decreased by increasing exposure. An overall excess of testicular cancer for the PVC exposed vs. the unexposed was not supported by the pattern seen in a standard exposure-response analysis based on several exposure measures. The findings stress the importance of using several exposure measures as dose surrogates when the underlying toxic mechanisms are unknown and when there are indications of an overall effect.
|
|
