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- Lewne, M., et al.
(author)
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Exposure to Particles, Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, and Nitrogen Dioxide in Swedish Restaurant Kitchen Workers
- 2017
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In: Annals of Work Exposures and Health. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 2398-7308 .- 2398-7316. ; 61:2, s. 152-163
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Aims: The aim of this study was to measure the exposure to total dust, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) of kitchen workers in four different types of restaurants in Sweden (Large scale, European, Fast food, and Asian). Methods: One hundred full work-shift (8 h) personal exposure samples were taken from 36 workers in 21 commercial kitchens. Most workers were sampled three times. Mass concentration of total dust was determined using standard gravimetric methods; the filters were analyzed for their content of particulate PAHs. Gas-phase PAHs were sampled using adsorbent tubes (XAD-II) placed after the filter and analyzed with high-resolution gas chromatography/low-resolution mass spectrometry. NO2 was measured using passive dosimeters. Stationary measurements in the kitchen were made in parallel with the personal sampling. Results: Group geometric mean concentrations for personal exposure to total dust ranged from 77 mu g m(-3) (Fast food) to 320 mu g m(-3) (European kitchens). Individual exposure samples of total dust ranged from similar to 40 to 3900 mu g m(-3). In the Large-scale and European kitchens, the time spent frying was identified as a determinant increasing personal exposure to total dust. The within-worker variance dominated the exposure variability of total dust in Large-scale and European kitchens, whereas between-worker variance dominated in Fast food and Asian kitchens. Exposure to total PAHs was statistically significantly higher for workers in the Asian kitchens. Also, exposure to NO2 was higher in the Asian kitchens, which all used gas stoves for cooking. The stationary measurements of total dust showed lower levels than personal exposures for most kitchens, whereas for PAHs, stationary levels were closer to personal exposure levels for all kitchen types. Conclusions: The results of this study increase the knowledge about exposure to air pollutants for kitchen workers of restaurant types that are common in Sweden and the rest of Europe. Personal sampling is essential for an accurate exposure assessment, and the large day-to-day variability in exposure levels points to the importance of repeated sampling.
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- Plato, N., et al.
(author)
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Exposure to Particles and Nitrogen Dioxide Among Workers in the Stockholm Underground Train System
- 2019
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In: SH@W Safety and Health at Work. - : Elsevier BV. - 2093-7911 .- 2093-7997. ; 10:3, s. 377-383
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objectives: Exposure to fine particles in urban air has been associated with a number of negative health effects. High levels of fine particles have been detected at underground stations in big cities. We investigated the exposure conditions in four occupational groups in the Stockholm underground train system to identify high-exposed groups and study variations in exposure.Methods: PM1 and PM2.5 were measured during three full work shifts on 44 underground workers. Fluctuations in exposure were monitored by a real-time particle monitoring instrument, pDR, DataRAM. Qualitative analysis of particle content was performed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Nitrogen dioxide was measured using passive monitors.Results: For all underground workers, the geometric mean (GM) of PM1 was 18 mu g/m(3) and of PM2.5 was 37 mu g/m(3). The particle exposure was highest for cleaners/platform workers, and the GM of PM1 was 31.6 mu g/m(3) [geometric standard deviation (GSD), 1.6] and of PM2.5 was 76.5 mu g/m(3) (GSD, 1.3); the particle exposure was lowest for ticket sellers, and the GM of PM1 was 4.9 mu g/m(3) (GSD, 2.1) and of PM2.5 was 9.3 mu g/m(3) (GSD, 1.5). The PM1 and PM2.5 levels were five times higher in the underground system than at the street level, and the particles in the underground had high iron content. The train driver's nitrogen dioxide exposure level was 64.1 mu g/m(3) (GSD, 1.5).Conclusions: Cleaners and other platform workers were statistically significantly more exposed to particles than train drivers or ticket sellers. Particle concentrations (PM2.5) in the Stockholm underground system were within the same range as in the New York underground system but were much lower than in several older underground systems around the world.
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- Strandberg, Bo, 1960, et al.
(author)
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An improved method for determining dermal exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
- 2018
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In: Chemosphere. - : Elsevier BV. - 0045-6535 .- 1879-1298. ; 198, s. 274-280
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Many workers are occupationally exposed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which may cause various health problems, and some PAHs are known or suspected carcinogens. PAH exposure is primarily monitored by air sampling, but contamination may also occur through dermal exposure. PAHs adsorbed to the skin can be sampled by tape-stripping, but subsequent extraction of sampling tapes in organic solvent also releases diverse co-eluting substances that are difficult to remove before analysis of the PAHs by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The objective of this study was to optimise a procedure for analytical clean-up after extraction of 32 PAHs from tape-strips, by dialysis in organic solvent using semipermeable membranes. With triplicate subsamples, the developed method yields acceptable precision and repeatability for both the 32 PAHs, across the concentration range 10-160 ng per sample, and for a certified reference material (urban dust). The optimized clean-up procedure and GC/MS methodology was used to assess PAHs on skin from the lower part of the ventral side of the wrist and just below the collar bone of three firefighters and seven controls (office workers). Several gaseous and particle-bound PAHs were detected in all samples, including controls. Thus, the optimized procedure using semipermeable membranes for clean-up of tape-strip extracts can be used to assess the dermal exposure of both occupational and general populations to multiple PAHs. The results also show that both gaseous and particle-bound PAHs, including alkylated species, may be present on skin.
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8. |
- Strandberg, Bo, 1960, et al.
(author)
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Evaluation of polyurethane foam passive air sampler (PUF) as a tool for occupational PAH measurements
- 2018
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In: Chemosphere. - : Elsevier BV. - 0045-6535 .- 1879-1298. ; 190, s. 35-42
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Routine monitoring of workplace exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is performed mainly via active sampling. However, active samplers have several drawbacks and, in some cases, may even be unusable. Polyurethane foam (PUF) as personal passive air samplers constitute good alternatives for PAH monitoring in occupational air (8 h). However, PUFs must be further tested to reliably yield detectable levels of PAHs in short exposure times (1–3 h) and under extreme occupational conditions. Therefore, we compared the personal exposure monitoring performance of a passive PUF sampler with that of an active air sampler and determined the corresponding uptake rates (Rs). These rates were then used to estimate the occupational exposure of firefighters and police forensic specialists to 32 PAHs. The work environments studied were heavily contaminated by PAHs with (for example) benzo(a)pyrene ranging from 0.2 to 56 ng m−3, as measured via active sampling. We show that, even after short exposure times, PUF can reliably accumulate both gaseous and particle-bound PAHs. The Rs-values are almost independent of variables such as the concentration and the wind speed. Therefore, by using the Rs-values (2.0–20 m3 day−1), the air concentrations can be estimated within a factor of two for gaseous PAHs and a factor of 10 for particulate PAHs. With very short sampling times (1 h), our method can serve as a (i) simple and user-friendly semi-quantitative screening tool for estimating and tracking point sources of PAH in micro-environments and (ii) complement to the traditional active pumping methods. © 2017 The Authors
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