the impact of different occupational exposure limits

Funding Information: This project received funding from the COST Action CA18218 European Burden of Disease Network, supporting the first author with a Short-Term Scientific Mission to the National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, with the aim of improving knowledge and applying the appropriate methodology on burden of disease on this project.The authors would like to thank the researchers from the Research Group for Risk Benefit from the National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark for raising questions to improve the robustness of the research project, as well as the COST Action CA18218 European Burden of Disease Network for funding and supporting the project, and to the researchers Carla Martins from NOVA National School of Public Health and Ricardo Assunção from Egas Moniz Cooperativa de Ensino Superior for contributing to the initial brainstorming on the disease pathology. Publisher Copyright: © 2023 The AuthorsBackground: Exposure to hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] occurs widely in occupational settings across the EU and is associated with lung cancer. In 2025, the occupational exposure limit is set to change to 5 μg/m3. Current exposure limits are higher, with 10 μg/m3 as a general limit and 25 μg/m3 for the welding industry. We aimed to assess the current burden of lung cancer caused by occupational exposure to Cr(VI) and to evaluate the impact of the recently established EU regulation by analysing different occupational exposure limits. Methods: Data were extracted from the literature, the Global Burden of Disease 2019) study, and Eurostat. We estimated the cases of cancer attributable to workplace exposure to Cr(VI) by combining exposure-effect relationships with exposure data, and calculated related DALYs and health costs in scenarios with different occupational exposure limits. Results: With current EU regulations, 253 cases (95%UI 250.96–255.71) of lung cancer were estimated to be caused by Cr(VI) in 2019, resulting in 4684 DALYs (95%UI 4683.57–4704.08). In case the welding industry adopted 10 μg/m3, a decrease of 43 cases and 797 DALYs from current values is expected. The predicted application of a 5 μg/m3 limit would cause a decrease of 148 cases and 2746 DALYs. Current costs are estimated to amount to 12.47 million euros/year (95%UI 10.19–453.82), corresponding to 39.97 million euros (95%UI 22.75–70.10) when considering costs per DALY. The limits implemented in 2025 would lead to a decrease of 23.35 million euros when considering DALYs, with benefits of introducing a limit value occurring after many decades. Adopting a 1 μg/m3 limit would lower costs to 1.04 million euros (95%UI 0.85–37.67) and to 3.33 million euros for DALYs (95%UI 1.89–5.84). Discussion: Assessing different scenarios with different Cr(VI) occupational exposure limits allowed to understand the impact of EU regulatory actions. These findings make a strong case for adapting even stricter exposure limits to protect workers’ health and avoid associated costs.publishersversionpublishe

Setting evidence-based occupational exposure limits for manganese

In 2004, a review by the Institute of Environment and Health (IEH) made recommendations on occupational exposure limits (OELs) for manganese and its inorganic compounds for inhalable and respirable fractions respectively. These OELs were based on a detailed comprehensive evaluation of all the scientific data available at that time. Since then, more published studies have become available and a number of occupational standard-setting committees (EU SCOEL, US ACGIH-TLV, and German MAK) have proposed OEL’s for manganese and its inorganic compounds that are somewhat lower that those proposed in the 2004 review. Based on current understanding, the key toxicological and human health issues that are likely to influence a health-based recommendation relate to: neurotoxicology; reproductive and developmental toxicology; and mutagenicity/carcinogenicity. Of these, it is generally considered that neurotoxicity presents the most sensitive endpoint. As such, many of the studies that have been reported since the IEH review have sought to use those neurofunctional tests that appear to be particularly sensitive at identifying the subtle neurological changes thought to associate with manganese toxicity. These recent studies have, however, continued to be limited to a significant extent by reliance on cross-sectional designs and also by use of unreliable exposure estimation methods. Consequently the strength of the potential association between manganese exposure and these subtle subclinical cognitive or neuromotor changes is still poorly characterised and the relevance of these minor differences in terms of either their clinical or quality of life consequences remains unknown. Based upon the overall evidence, it is concluded that the 8-h time weighted averages (TWA) for respirable (0.05 mg/m3 as Mn) and inhalable (0.2 mg/m3 as Mn) fractions as recommended by the SCOEL in 2011 are the most methodologically-sound, as they are based on the best available studies, most suited to the development of health-based OELs for both respirable and inhalable fractions. The dose-response characterisation informed by the examined studies used can be considered to establish a true human NOAEL for all the neurofunctional endpoints examined within the selected studies

Occupational exposure limits for manufactured nanomaterials, a systematic review

The toxicological properties of manufactured nanomaterials (MNMs) can be different from their bulk-material and uncertainty remains about the adverse health effects they may have on humans. Proposals for OELs have been put forward which can be useful for risk management and workers' protection. We performed a systematic review of proposals for OELs for MNMs to better understand the extent of such proposals, as well as their derivation methods. We searched PubMed and Embase with an extensive search string and also assessed the references in the included studies. Two authors extracted the data independently. We identified 20 studies that proposed in total 56 OEL values. Of these, two proposed a generic level for all MNMs, 14 proposed a generic OEL for a category of MNMs and 40 proposed an OEL for a specific nanomaterial. For specific fibers, four studies proposed a similar value but for carbon nanotubes (CNTs) the values differed with a factor ranging from 30 to 50 and for metals with a factor from 100 to 300. The studies did not provide explanations for this variation. We found that exposure to MNMs measured at selected workplaces may exceed even the highest proposed OEL. This indicates that the application and use of OELs may be useful for exposure reduction. OELs can provide a valuable reference point for exposure reduction measures in workplaces. There is a need for more and better supported OELs based on a more systematic approach to OEL derivation

Study on Potential of Occupational Exposure Limits Harmonization in ASEAN-5 Countries

Five countries within the Association of South East Asian Nation (ASEAN-5), which consists of Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Philippines, use a variety of chemicals in their industries and set Occupational Exposure Limit (OEL) as a regulation or reference instrument to control chemical. This study is aimed to assess the potential of OEL harmonization amongst ASEAN-5 since there is extensive labor exchange between South East Asian Region. Seven OELs (three lists from Indonesia) were compared between each other; and also, with TLV ACGIH 2016 and PEL OSHA as references. The geometric similarity measure (GSM) and non-metric multidimensional scaling plots were used for OEL similarities evaluation. There were a total of 713chemical substances in the list being compared; 40 common substances that were available in all OEL lists; and 73 unique substances that appear only in 1 list of OEL. In non-metric multidimensional scaling plots, it was found that 5 OEL have close similarities with both TLV ACGIH 2016 and PEL OSHA. Thailand-OEL and Regulationof Ministry of Health of Indonesia No. 70 of Year 2016 showed dissimilarity with TLV ACGIH 2016 and PEL OSHA 2016 due to having lesser number of substances. There was a potential of OEL harmonization within ASEAN-5 since some similarities in listed substances and concentration limit were found. Keywords: chemical substances, harmonization study, occupational exposure limit, regulatio

Editorial: dose-dependent ZnO particle-induced acute phase response in humans warrants re-evaluation of occupational exposure limits for metal oxides

Epidemiological studies link inhalation of particles to increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Inhaled particles may induce cardiovascular disease by several different mechanisms including translocation of particles to systemic circulation, activation of airway sensory nerves resulting in autonomic imbalance and particle-induced pulmonary inflammation and acute phase response.The acute phase response is the systemic response to acute and chronic inflammatory states caused by for example bacterial infection, virus infection, trauma and infarction. It is characterized by differential expression of ca. 50 different acute phase proteins including C-reactive protein and Serum amyloid A, which are the most differentially up-regulated acute phase response proteins. Blood levels of these two acute phase proteins are closely associated with risk of cardiovascular disease in epidemiological studies and SAA has been causally related to the formation of plaques in the aorta in animal studies.In a recent paper in Particle and Fibre Toxicology, Christian Monsé et al. provide evidence that inhalation of ZnO nanoparticles induces dose-dependent acute phase response in humans at dose levels well below the current mass-based occupational exposure limits in a number of countries including Germany, The Netherlands, UK, Sweden, Denmark and the US.Given the evidence suggesting a causal relationship between increased levels of serum amyloid A and atherosclerosis, the current results call for a re-evaluation of occupational exposure limits for a number of particle exposures including ZnO taking induction of acute phase response into account. Furthermore, it underscores cardiovascular disease as an occupational disease

Accommodating the Allergic Employee in the Workplace

[Excerpt] Once an employer learns an applicant or employee is allergic, and in need of an accommodation, the employer may be required by the Americans with Disabilities Act to provide the needed accommodation. The allergic worker may be able to respond to low levels of exposure, levels which may be lower than the relevant occupational exposure limits set by OSHA or recommended by agencies such as NIOSH or organizations such as the ACGIH. Accommodating the allergic employee would therefore generally involve reducing exposure further by providing specific protection for the sensitive individual, such as additional protective equipment which the average (nonallergic) worker probably wouldn\u27t need. Protective equipment could involve the use of respirators for respiratory protection or protective clothing (such as gloves) or barrier creams for skin protection. The use of respirators would involve employer compliance with OSHA\u27s Respiratory Protection Standard (29 CFR 1910.134) including the use of a physical to determine whether a worker could wear a respirator. Battery-powered respirators may enable those with pulmonary or cardiovascular problems to still use a respirator. Respirators made of silicone may enable someone to wear a respirator who has a rubber allergy (such as an allergy to mercaptobenzothiazole)

Proposed Occupational Exposure Limits for Non-Carcinogenic Hanford Waste Tank Vapor Chemicals

A large number of volatile chemicals have been identified in the headspaces of tanks used to store mixed chemical and radioactive waste at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Hanford Site, and there is concern that vapor releases from the tanks may be hazardous to workers. Contractually established occupational exposure limits (OELs) established by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) do not exist for all chemicals of interest. To address the need for worker exposure guidelines for those chemicals that lack OSHA or ACGIH OELs, a procedure for assigning Acceptable Occupational Exposure Limits (AOELs) for Hanford Site tank farm workers has been developed and applied to a selected group of 57 headspace chemicals