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International Journal of Environmental... Feb 2022Sex-related biological differences might lead to different effects in women and men when they are exposed to risk factors. A scoping review was carried out to understand... (Review)
Review
Sex-related biological differences might lead to different effects in women and men when they are exposed to risk factors. A scoping review was carried out to understand if sex could be a discriminant in health outcomes due to benzene. Studies on both animals and humans were collected. In vivo surveys, focusing on genotoxicity, hematotoxicity and effects on metabolism suggested a higher involvement of male animals (mice or rats) in adverse health effects. Conversely, the studies on humans, focused on the alteration of blood parameters, myeloid leukemia incidence and biomarker rates, highlighted that, overall, women had significantly higher risk for blood system effects and a metabolization of benzene 23-26% higher than men, considering a similar exposure situation. This opposite trend highlights that the extrapolation of in vivo findings to human risk assessment should be taken with caution. However, it is clear that sex is a physiological parameter to consider in benzene exposure and its health effects. The topic of sex difference linked to benzene in human exposure needs further research, with more numerous samples, to obtain a higher strength of data and more indicative findings. Sex factor, and gender, could have significant impacts on occupational exposures and their health effects, even if there are still uncertainties and gaps that need to be filled.
Topics: Benzene; Female; Humans; Incidence; Male; Occupational Exposure; Risk Assessment; Sex Characteristics; Sex Factors
PubMed: 35206525
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19042339 -
International Journal of Environmental... May 2023Nanomaterials offer new technical and commercial opportunities. However, they may also pose risks to consumers and the environment and raise concerns about occupational... (Review)
Review
Nanomaterials offer new technical and commercial opportunities. However, they may also pose risks to consumers and the environment and raise concerns about occupational health and safety. An overview of the standardization in the area of nanomaterials is presented. Focus is given to the standard ISO/TS 12901-2:2014, which describes the use of a control banding approach for controlling the risks associated with occupational exposures to nano-objects and their aggregates and agglomerates greater than 100 nm. The article also presents a case study on a textile finishing company that implements two chemical finishes containing nanomaterials. A risk analysis was conducted to assess the hazards associated with workers handling nanomaterials. Control banding was applied, and measures such as appropriate ventilation and use of protective equipment are proposed to mitigate risks. In some cases, additional measures, such as a closed booth and smoke extractor, are required. The safety data sheets are a primary source of information on how to handle and care for products containing nanomaterials, but the information provided is still limited in terms of the specific hazards and risks posed by nanomaterials.
Topics: Humans; Nanostructures; Occupational Exposure; Occupational Health; Risk Assessment; Workplace
PubMed: 37297615
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20116011 -
Toxicology Letters Apr 2020The increasing concern of possible adverse effects on human health derived from occupational engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) exposure is an issue addressed by entities... (Review)
Review
The increasing concern of possible adverse effects on human health derived from occupational engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) exposure is an issue addressed by entities related to provide guidelines and/or protocols for ENMs regulation. Here we analysed 17 entities from America, Europe and Asia, and some of these entities provide limits of exposure extrapolated from the non-nanosized counterparts of ENMs. The international landscape shows that recommendations are mostly made for metal oxide based ENMs and tonnage is one of the main criteria for ENMs registration, however, sub-nanometric ENMs are emerging and perhaps a novel category of ENMs will appear soon. We identify that besides the lack of epidemiological evidence of ENMs toxicity in humans and difficulties in analysing the toxicological data derived from experimental models, the lack of information on airborne concentrations of ENMs in occupational settings is an important limitation to improve the experimental designs. The development of regulations related to ENMs exposure would lead to provide safer work places for ENMs production without delaying the nanotechnology progress but will also help to protect the environment by taking opportune and correct measures for nanowaste, considering that this could be a great environmental problem in the coming future.
Topics: Animals; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Guidelines as Topic; Humans; Nanostructures; No-Observed-Adverse-Effect Level; Occupational Exposure; Occupational Health; Policy Making; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors; Threshold Limit Values
PubMed: 31981686
DOI: 10.1016/j.toxlet.2020.01.016 -
Chest Dec 2020Beryllium exposure remains an ongoing occupational health concern for workers worldwide. Since the initial Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) ruling on... (Review)
Review
Beryllium exposure remains an ongoing occupational health concern for workers worldwide. Since the initial Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) ruling on a permissible exposure limit (PEL) for beryllium in 1971, our understanding of the risks of beryllium sensitization and chronic beryllium disease (CBD) has evolved substantially. A new OSHA ruling released in early 2017 and implemented in late 2018 reduced the PEL for beryllium, increased requirements for medical screening and monitoring, and may ultimately enhance worker protection. This review highlights advances in our understanding of the pathway from beryllium exposure to sensitization and progression to CBD that guided the development of this OSHA ruling. Screening workers exposed to beryllium and management of CBD will also be discussed. Finally, we will discuss the role of beryllium as a cause of morbidity and mortality among exposed workers in this potentially preventable occupational lung disease.
Topics: Berylliosis; Beryllium; Disease Management; Humans; Maximum Allowable Concentration; Occupational Diseases; Occupational Exposure; Occupational Health
PubMed: 32768458
DOI: 10.1016/j.chest.2020.07.074 -
Scandinavian Journal of Work,... Jan 2022
Topics: Air Pollutants, Occupational; Gases; Humans; Occupational Exposure; Welding
PubMed: 34821369
DOI: 10.5271/sjweh.4002 -
International Archives of Occupational... Oct 2022Occupational exposure to inorganic dust and fumes in the year preceding disease has been associated with increased pneumococcal pneumonia risk, but the impact of prior...
PURPOSE
Occupational exposure to inorganic dust and fumes in the year preceding disease has been associated with increased pneumococcal pneumonia risk, but the impact of prior cumulative exposure has not been characterized.
METHODS
We studied 3184 cases of invasive pneumococcal disease with pneumonia. The case index date was the day the infection was diagnosed. We selected six controls for each case from the Swedish population registry; each control was assigned the index date of their corresponding case. We linked job histories to a job-exposure matrix to calculate a cumulative exposure index, intensity-years, by multiplying the duration (maximum 5 years) of each exposure with the level of exposure (0 for unexposed, 1 for low and 4 for high). We used conditional logistic analyses to estimate the odds ratio (OR) of invasive pneumococcal disease with pneumonia adjusted for comorbidities, educational level, income and other occupational exposures.
RESULTS
Taking other occupational exposures into account, greater than 5 intensity-years of exposure to silica dust or to fumes was each associated with increased odds for invasive pneumococcal disease with pneumonia (OR 2.53, 95% CI 1.49-4.32) and (OR 2.24, 95% CI 1.41-3.55), respectively. Five intensity-years or less of exposure to silica dust or fumes manifested lower odds (OR 1.45, 95% CI 1.20-1.76) and (OR 1.05, 95% CI 0.94-1.16), respectively.
CONCLUSION
This study adds evidence that the risk of pneumococcal pneumonia increases with increasing cumulative exposure to dust and fumes, indicating the importance of cumulative exposure.
Topics: Case-Control Studies; Dust; Gases; Humans; Occupational Diseases; Occupational Exposure; Pneumococcal Infections; Pneumonia, Pneumococcal; Risk Factors; Silicon Dioxide
PubMed: 35262802
DOI: 10.1007/s00420-022-01848-6 -
Frontiers in Public Health 2022Like nanotechnology, translational science is a relatively new and transdisciplinary field. Translational science in occupational safety and health (OSH) focuses on the... (Review)
Review
Like nanotechnology, translational science is a relatively new and transdisciplinary field. Translational science in occupational safety and health (OSH) focuses on the process of taking scientific knowledge for the protection of workers from the lab to the field (i.e., the worksite/workplace) and back again. Translational science has been conceptualized as having multiple phases of research along a continuum, beyond scientific discovery (T), to efficacy (T), to effectiveness (T), to dissemination and implementation (D&I) (T), to outcomes and effectiveness research in populations (T). The translational research process applied to occupational exposure to nanomaterials might involve similar phases. This builds on basic and efficacy research (T and T) in the areas of toxicology, epidemiology, industrial hygiene, medicine and engineering. In T, research and evidence syntheses and guidance and recommendations to protect workers may be developed and assessed for effectiveness. In T, emphasis is needed on D&I research to explore the multilevel barriers and facilitators to nanotechnology risk control information/research adoption, use, and sustainment in workplaces. D&I research for nanomaterial exposures should focus on assessing sources of information and evidence to be disseminated /implemented in complex and dynamic workplaces, how policy-makers and employers use this information in diverse contexts to protect workers, how stakeholders inform these critical processes, and what barriers impede and facilitate multilevel decision-making for the protection of nanotechnology workers. The T phase focuses on how effective efforts to prevent occupational exposure to nanomaterials along the research continuum contribute to large-scale impact in terms of worker safety, health and wellbeing (T). Stakeholder input and engagement is critical to all stages of the translational research process. This paper will provide: (1) an illustration of the translational research continuum for occupational exposure to nanomaterials; and (2) a discussion of opportunities for applying D&I science to increase the effectiveness, uptake, integration, sustainability, and impact of interventions to protect the health and wellbeing of workers in the nanotechnology field.
Topics: Humans; Nanostructures; Occupational Exposure; Occupational Health; Translational Science, Biomedical; Workplace
PubMed: 35757639
DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.816578 -
Metabolomics : Official Journal of the... Sep 2022Work-related exposures to harmful agents or factors are associated with an increase in incidence of occupational diseases. These exposures often represent a complex... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
Work-related exposures to harmful agents or factors are associated with an increase in incidence of occupational diseases. These exposures often represent a complex mixture of different stressors, challenging the ability to delineate the mechanisms and risk factors underlying exposure-disease relationships. The use of omics measurement approaches that enable characterization of biological marker patterns provide internal indicators of molecular alterations, which could be used to identify bioeffects following exposure to a toxicant. Metabolomics is the comprehensive analysis of small molecule present in biological samples, and allows identification of potential modes of action and altered pathways by systematic measurement of metabolites.
OBJECTIVES
The aim of this study is to review the application of metabolomics studies for use in occupational health, with a focus on applying metabolomics for exposure monitoring and its relationship to occupational diseases.
METHODS
PubMed, Web of Science, Embase and Scopus electronic databases were systematically searched for relevant studies published up to 2021.
RESULTS
Most of reviewed studies included worker populations exposed to heavy metals such as As, Cd, Pb, Cr, Ni, Mn and organic compounds such as tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, trichloroethylene, polyfluoroalkyl, acrylamide, polyvinyl chloride. Occupational exposures were associated with changes in metabolites and pathways, and provided novel insight into the relationship between exposure and disease outcomes. The reviewed studies demonstrate that metabolomics provides a powerful ability to identify metabolic phenotypes and bioeffect of occupational exposures.
CONCLUSION
Continued application to worker populations has the potential to enable characterization of thousands of chemical signals in biological samples, which could lead to discovery of new biomarkers of exposure for chemicals, identify possible toxicological mechanisms, and improved understanding of biological effects increasing disease risk associated with occupational exposure.
Topics: Biomarkers; Environmental Pollutants; Humans; Metabolomics; Occupational Diseases; Occupational Exposure
PubMed: 36083566
DOI: 10.1007/s11306-022-01930-7 -
Current Environmental Health Reports Dec 2023Control banding (CB) is a risk assessment strategy that has been applied globally to a variety of occupational hazards. This article describes how this method can be... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE OF REVIEW
Control banding (CB) is a risk assessment strategy that has been applied globally to a variety of occupational hazards. This article describes how this method can be applied, recent developments in the CB literature, an example of how it is utilized for a large, diverse worksite, and where the future of CB is headed.
RECENT FINDINGS
Over the past several years, the applications of CB have widened significantly and have accordingly helped bolster the public and occupational safety, health, and hygiene (OSHH) professionals' understanding of occupational exposure to various hazards. The fields of workplace chemicals, nanomaterials, and airborne pathogens (i.e., COVID-19), specifically have seen remarkable increases in the development of CB tools. Extensive CB tool validation efforts have also lent increasing credibility to this alternative approach. CB is a simplified strategy of assessing occupational exposures and providing commensurate controls and solutions to reduce workplace risks. CB can be used as a primary or tiered risk assessment and risk management approach which can be utilized by both OSHH professionals and nonexperts alike to identify solutions for reducing work-related exposures. The need for health and safety expertise will continue to grow as technological advancements, environmental changes, and economic forces increase workplace hazard complexity, and CB will continue to be a useful tool for those performing risk assessments.
Topics: Humans; Risk Assessment; Occupational Exposure; Occupational Health; Nanostructures; Workplace
PubMed: 37884803
DOI: 10.1007/s40572-023-00416-5 -
Journal of Applied Toxicology : JAT Jan 2022The use of pharmaceutical drugs has provided a cure for many diseases. However, unintended exposure to drugs in the manufacturing workplace can cause significant health... (Review)
Review
The use of pharmaceutical drugs has provided a cure for many diseases. However, unintended exposure to drugs in the manufacturing workplace can cause significant health hazards to workers. It is important to protect the workforce from these deleterious effects by limiting exposure to an acceptable level, the occupational exposure limit (OEL). OEL is defined as airborne concentrations (expressed as a time-weighted average for a conventional 8-h workday and a 40-h work week) of a substance to which nearly all workers may be repeatedly exposed (for a working lifetime) without adverse effects. Determination of OELs has become very challenging over time, requiring an overall assessment of the preclinical and clinical data of the drug being manufactured. Previously, to derive OEL values, toxicologists used animal no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) data, which have been replaced with the overall assessment of animal and human data, placing a higher emphasis on human health-based data. A major advantage of working with human pharmaceuticals is that sufficient clinical data are available for them in most cases. The present manuscript reviews the latest knowledge regarding the derivation of occupational exposure limits as health-based exposure limits (HBELs) for pharmaceuticals. We have provided examples of OEL calculations for various drugs including levofloxacin (CAS No. 100986-85-4), dienogest (CAS no. 65928-58-7), and acetylsalicylic acid (ASA, CAS no. 50-78-2) using human data. This report will benefit professionals in the OEL domain in understanding this highly important, growing, and challenging field.
Topics: Animals; Drug Industry; Humans; Occupational Exposure; Occupational Health; Risk Assessment; Workplace
PubMed: 34254327
DOI: 10.1002/jat.4218