White Paper on Engineering Controls for Bioaerosols in Non-Industrial/ Non-Healthcare Settings

The list of disease pathogens that can be transmitted in the air is extensive. This list includes the common cold, SARS, measles, Hansen\u27s disease (leprosy), polio, influenza, Legionella (Legionnaires’ disease and Pontiac fever), and tuberculosis (TB). TB, SARSCoV-1, avian influenza, varicella, and now SARS-CoV-2 all have received public notice due not only to their known or assumed ability to be transmitted in the air rapidly from one individual to another, but also for their virulence. Other bioaerosols that can be transmitted through the air include bacteria, fungal spores and fragments, dust mites, and pollen. This document was developed to address control of bioaerosols transmission, primarily through ventilation and other engineering controls. This monograph will focus on engineering controls in non-industrial/non-healthcare facilities such as office buildings, schools, public assembly, theaters, and governmental buildings. It does not, however, address ventilation in residences, either single or multi-family

Occupational Hepatic Disorders in Korea

Occupational hepatic disorders are classified into toxic hepatitis, viral hepatitis, and chemical-induced malignancy in Korea. Toxic hepatitis cases were reported in workers who were exposed to dimethylformamide, dimethylacetamide, or trichloroethylene. Pre-placement medical examination and regular follow-up are necessary to prevent the development of toxic hepatitis. Viral hepatitis was chiefly reported among health care workers such as doctors, nurses and clinical pathology technicians who could easily be exposed to blood. Preventive measures for these groups therefore include vaccination and serum monitoring programs. Hepatic angiosarcoma caused by vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) exposure is a very well known occupational disease and it has not been officially reported in Korea yet. Some cases of hepatocellular carcinoma were legally approved for compensation as an occupational disease largely by overwork and stress, but not supported by enough scientific evidence. Effort to find the evidence of its causal relationship is needed

Skin cancer in outdoor workers exposed to solar radiation: a largely underreported occupational disease in Italy

Background Solar UV radiation (sUVR) is one of the main carcinogen exposures in occupational settings, and UV-induced skin cancers are the most frequent tumours in fair-skinned individuals worldwide. Objectives According to this premise, we should expect a high number of occupational skin cancers reported to the national workers' compensation authorities each year, also considering that the incidence of skin cancers has been constantly increased in recent years Methods We examined the data on reported non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSC) and actinic keratoses (AK) to the Italian National Workers Compensation Authority (INAIL) from 2012 to 2017, and we compared the number of reported skin cancers for outdoor workers with the expected numbers, obtained from currently available NMSC incidence rates for the Italian population applied to the occupational sUVR-exposed workers estimated with the CAREX methodology in Italy in 2005. Results The cases of NMSC reported each year to INAIL in Italy are 34 per year on average, while for AK the mean number of reported cases is of only 15/year. We estimated a number of expected NMSC cases in Italy for solar UV-exposed workers ranging between 432 and 983, representing a proportion between reported vs. expected skin cancers of only 3.5-6.2%. Conclusions Our study clearly shows that occupational skin cancers in Italy are largely underreported, and, accordingly, urgent initiatives should be taken to raise appropriate awareness to the problem of occupational sUVR-induced skin cancers, so that adequate preventive measures can be implemented rapidly

Analysis of Erythemal UVB Dose Received Inside a Car in Valencia, Spain

"This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Ysasi, Gonzalo Gurrea, Vicente Blanca Giménez, Juan Carlos Moreno, and María Antonia Serrano. 2018. Analysis of Erythemal UVB Dose Received Inside a Car in Valencia, Spain. Photochemistry and Photobiology 94 (2). Wiley: 390 97. doi:10.1111/php.12865, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1111/php.12865. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving."[EN] Continuous exposures to ultraviolet radiation can lead to harmful effects on human skin. Professional drivers may spend more than 8 h per day inside a vehicle. This study describes an analysis of the UVER (erythemal ultraviolet radiation) received by a driver and passenger inside a vehicle. A three-door Peugeot 206 was used for the study. VioSpor Blue Line dosimeters (with a response profile close to that of human skin) were used to measure the erythematic dose of UV radiation (able to produce erythema on human skin). Four dosimeters were placed in the driver¿s position and another four in the passenger¿s position. Daily irradiance was analyzed for a day in April using PMA radiometers. The measurements were obtained on relatively clear days from February to December 2009 between 9:30 A.M. and 3 P.M. Additionally, a prediction was made of the time required to produce an erythema on the driver¿s skin. UVER exposure, in some of the driver¿s positions, exceeds the Exposure Limits given by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). Skin protection measures should be taken into account by professional drivers to prevent the harmful effects of UVER radiation.This work was carried out with financing from the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, Project CGL2010-15931/CLI, from the Generalitat Valenciana within the PROMETEO/2010/064 Project, and the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, in the CGL200761813 Project.Gurrea-Ysasi, G.; Blanca Giménez, V.; Moreno, J.; Serrano, M. (2018). Analysis of Erythemal UVB Dose Received Inside a Car in Valencia, Spain. Photochemistry and Photobiology. 94(2):390-397. https://doi.org/10.1111/php.12865S390397942Ysasi, G. G., & Ribera, L. J. C. (2013). Analysis of Two Kinds of Tree as Physical Barriers Against Erythemal UVB Radiation Received. Photochemistry and Photobiology, 89(3), 724-729. doi:10.1111/php.12020Giménez, V. B., Ysasi, G. G., Moreno, J. C., & Serrano, M. A. (2015). Maximum Incident Erythemally Effective UV Exposure Received by Construction Workers, in Valencia, Spain. Photochemistry and Photobiology, 91(6), 1505-1509. doi:10.1111/php.12530Parisi, A. V., Sabburg, J., & Kimlin, M. G. (2004). Scattered and Filtered Solar UV Measurements. Advances in Global Change Research. doi:10.1007/978-94-015-1246-6Lavker, R. M., Gerberick, G. F., Veres, D., Irwin, C. J., & Kaidbey, K. H. (1995). Cumulative effects from repeated exposures to suberythemal doses of UVB and UVA in human skin. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 32(1), 53-62. doi:10.1016/0190-9622(95)90184-1Lavker, R., & Kaidbey, K. (1997). The Spectral Dependence for UVA-Induced Cumulative Damage in Human Skin. Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 108(1), 17-21. doi:10.1111/1523-1747.ep12285613Lowe, N. J., Meyers, D. P., Wieder, J. M., Luftman, D., Borget, T., Lehman, M. D., … Scott, I. R. (1995). Low Doses of Repetitive Ultraviolet A Induce Morphologic Changes in Human Skin. Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 105(6), 739-743. doi:10.1111/1523-1747.ep12325517Serre, I., Cano, J. P., Picot, M.-C., Meynadier, J., & Meunier, L. (1997). Immunosuppression induced by acute solar-simulated ultraviolet exposure in humans: Prevention by a sunscreen with a sun protection factor of 15 and high UVA protection. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 37(2), 187-194. doi:10.1016/s0190-9622(97)80123-5Reglamento (CE) 561/2006 DEL PARLAMENTO EUROPEO Y DEL CONSEJO de 15 de marzo de 2006GUIDELINES ON LIMITS OF EXPOSURE TO ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION OF WAVELENGTHS BETWEEN 180 nm AND 400 nm (INCOHERENT OPTICAL RADIATION). (2004). Health Physics, 87(2), 171-186. doi:10.1097/00004032-200408000-00006Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage 1999 Erythema Reference Action Spectrum and Standard Erythema dose. CIE S-007-1998Gies, P., & Wright, J. (2003). Measured Solar Ultraviolet Radiation Exposures of Outdoor Workers in Queensland in the Building and Construction Industry¶. Photochemistry and Photobiology, 78(4), 342. doi:10.1562/0031-8655(2003)0782.0.co;2Moehrle, M., & Garbe, C. (2000). Personal UV Dosimetry by Bacillus subtilis Spore Films. Dermatology, 200(1), 1-5. doi:10.1159/000018306CEAM, Centro de Estudios Ambientales del MediterráneoDuarte, I., Rotter, A., Malvestiti, A., & Silva, M. (2009). The role of glass as a barrier against the transmission of ultraviolet radiation: an experimental study. Photodermatology, Photoimmunology & Photomedicine, 25(4), 181-184. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0781.2009.00434.

µLC-ICP-MS determinations of unexposed UK urinary arsenic speciation reference values

This study provides background levels for five arsenic species in urine, based on urinary data obtained from 95 nonoccupationally exposed volunteers based in the UK. Using a novel, sensitive, robust and reliable speciation methodology, five species of arsenic (arsenobetaine [AB], arsenite [As3+], arsenate [As5+], monomethylarsonic acid [MMA5+] and dimethylarsinic acid [DMA5+]) were determined in urine samples collected from 95 adults. The analytical instrumentation used to analyze the urine samples was a hyphenated micro liquid chromatography (μLC) system coupled to an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Separation was achieved using an anion exchange micro-sized column. The results presented give the 95th percentile of concentrations, both uncorrected for creatinine (µg/L) and creatinine corrected (µmol/mol) in urine for the 95 volunteers. Statistical analysis was performed on the dataset using a Bayesian model to determine and quantify effects of gender, smoking and diet. The statistical results show that the consumption of fish, shellfish and red wine has a significant elevating effect on AB, DMA and MMA urinary concentrations; however, no significant effect was observed for smoking. The regression model results indicate that creatinine correction was effective for arsenic species As3+, MMA, DMA and AB. The background levels established here can be used as reference values to help aid interpretation of arsenic speciation results and better assess exposure

The association of the original OSHA chemical hazard communication standard with reductions in acute work injuries/illnesses in private industry and the industrial releases of chemical carcinogens

Background OSHA predicted the original chemical Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) would cumulatively reduce the lost workday acute injury/illness rate for exposure events by 20% over 20 years and reduce exposure to chemical carcinogens. Methods JoinPoint trend software identified changes in the rate of change of BLS rates for days away from work for acute injuries/illnesses during 1992–2009 for manufacturing and nonmanufacturing industries for both chemical, noxious or allergenic injury exposure events and All other exposure events. The annual percent change in the rates was used to adjust observed numbers of cases to estimate their association with the standard. A case‐control study of EPA's Toxic Release Inventory 1988–2009 data compared carcinogen and non‐carcinogens' releases. Results The study estimates that the HCS was associated with a reduction in the number of acute injuries/illnesses due to chemical injury exposure events over the background rate in the range 107,569–459,395 (Hudson method/modified BIC model) depending on whether the HCS is treated as a marginal or sole factor in the decrease. Carcinogen releases have declined at a substantially faster rate than control non‐carcinogens. Discussion The previous HCS standard was associated with significant reductions in chemical event acute injuries/illnesses and chemical carcinogen exposures. Am. J. Ind. Med. 57:138–152, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/102719/1/ajim22269.pd

Controlling occupational cancers in Australia

Lin Fritschi, Renae C Fernandez, Deborah A Vallance, Terry J Slevin, Alison Reid, Timothy R Driscoll, Deborah C Glas