The chemical and carcinogenic risk in the steel industry

The sector of the steel industry, in the complex of his productive components, coking, steelworks, foundries, constitute a meaningful part of the national economy. The principal health risk factors are correlated to physical agents like noise and thermal stress and in particular to the presence of chemical agents like inhalable and respirable dusts, crystalline silica, synthetic mineral fibers, metals, vapors of more or less complex organic substances (benzene, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated dibenzo dioxins, polychlorinated dibenzofurans, polychlorinated biphenils, etc.), gases (hydrogen sulfide, carbon monosside, nitrogen oxides. The paper introduces a synthesis of the productive plants, of the dangerous chemical agents, carcinogens and mutagenic to them correlated and potentially present in the sector

Characterization of Inhalable, Thoracic, and Respirable Fractions and Ultrafine Particle Exposure During Grinding, Brazing, and Welding Activities in a Mechanical Engineering Factory

Objective: To investigate the emission sources of fine and ultrafine particles (UFPs) during brazing, welding, and grinding in a mechanical engineering factory and to characterize UFP exposure by measuring size distributions, number, and surface area concentrations. Methods: Samplings lasted 4 hours and were conducted during 5 days using the Grimm 1.109 portable aerosol spectrometer, the Grimm portable NanoCheck\u2122 1.320, the electrical low pressure impactor, and the nanoparticle aerosol monitor AeroTrak\u2122 9000. Results: Higher concentrations of fine particles were observed in welding and grinding activities. The highest values of UFP number and alveolar surface area concentrations were detected in the welding booth. Conclusions: Potential emission sources of fine particles and UFPs can be identified by the multifaceted approach outlined in this study. This sampling strategy provides important data on key UFP metrics

Monitoring Surface Contamination by Antineoplastic Drugs in Italian Hospitals: Performance-Based Hygienic Guidance Values (HGVs) Project

Antineoplastic drugs (ADs) will continue to represent a potential risk for personnel involved in the handling of these compounds and great concerns have been raised by the presence of ADs in many surveyed workplaces. Eight hospitals were investigated by means of wipe sampling for surface residue determination. Each wipe sample was tested for five ADs considered suitable exposure markers. Cyclophosphamide (CP), gemcitabine (GEM), 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), platinum-containing drugs (Pt), and epi-doxorubicin (EPI) contamination levels were measured in 85 per cent of the studied pharmacies and 93 per cent of outpatient care units (OpCUs). This study showed that 83 out of 349 samples were positive in Pharmacies, this proportion being statistically significant (χ2 = 42.9, p < 0.001). The positive samples provided evidence of at least one substance with levels greater than the limit of detection (LOD). The two most frequently detected substances were Pt (42%) and CP (30%). These accounted for 72 per cent of the whole dataset, followed by 5-FU and GEM. Based on the 90th percentile of wipe sampling data distribution, we suggest hygienic guidance values (HGVs) of 3.6, 1.0, 0.9, and 0.5 ng cm-2 for CP, 5-FU, GEM and Pt, respectively, as the best target levels of the surface contamination load in Italian pharmacies. The approach of proposing guidance values at the 90th percentile of results obtained from workplaces with good hygiene practice was found to be a simple and practical way of controlling occupational exposure. HGVs were challenged in this study as technical threshold limits to benchmark AD residual surface contamination at workplaces

Occupational asthma due to styrene: two case reports

Two cases of occupational asthma due to styrene are described. The subjects complained of cough, breathlessness, and symptoms of asthma when coming into contact with styrene; in patient 1 the respiratory reaction was followed by a late cutaneous rash. The symptoms disappeared when the subjects were away from work on weekends or holidays. In both cases, inhalation challenge with styrene produced an immediate bronchospastic reaction which was followed by a late cutaneous rash in patient 1. Prior administration of disodium cromoglycate (40 mg from a spinhaler) prevented the respiratory reactions completely, but failed to prevent the late skin response in case 1. Styrene removal was followed by complete disappearance of the symptoms. We conclude that styrene can be a primary cause of occupational asthma

Determination of Glucocorticoids in UPLC-MS in Environmental Samples from an Occupational Setting

Occupational exposures to glucocorticoids are still a neglected issue in some work environments, including pharmaceutical plants. We developed an analytical method to quantify simultaneously 21 glucocorticoids using UPLC coupled with mass spectrometry to provide a basis to carry out environmental monitoring. Samples were taken from air, hand-washing tests, pad-tests and wipe-tests. This paper reports the contents of the analytical methodology, along with the results of this extensive environmental and personal monitoring of glucocorticoids. The method in UPLC-MS turned out to be suitable and effective for the aim of the study. Wipe-test and pad-test desorption was carried out using 50 mL syringes, a simple technique that saves time without adversely affecting analyte recovery. Results showed a widespread environmental pollution due to glucocorticoids. This is of particular concern. Evaluation of the dose absorbed by each worker and identification of a biomarker for occupational exposure will contribute to assessment and prevention of occupational exposure

Validation of a radial diffusive sampler for measuring occupational exposure to 1,3-butadiene

1,3-Butadiene (BD) is a major industrial chemical used in the manufacture of rubbers and latexes; it is also a ubiquitous environmental pollutant whose major source is traffic. Occupational exposure to (BD) can occur both during its production and during its use as a raw material. The objective of the study was the laboratory and field validation of a new diffusive sampler for BD. The nominal sampling rate of the Radiello\uae diffusive sampler filled with Carbopack X is 30.5 cm3/min, at 0.177 mg/m3, 20 \ub0C and 50% relative humidity (RH), for an 8-h exposure time. A model can be used for calculating the sampling rate as a function of temperature, time and RH. The concentration does not affect the sampling rate above 30 \u3bcg/m3. The measurement uncertainty (k = 2), calculated both by laboratory data and by field comparison according to International Standard Organization (ISO) 13752, satisfies the EN 482:2006 requirement for measurements between 0.1 and 0.5 times the threshold limit value-time weighted average (TLV-TWA) (uncertainty < 50%). For field validation study, 38 workers exposed to BD and 20 administrative employees, as the control group, underwent environmental and biological monitoring. Personal exposure to BD was measured by diffusive samplers (Radiello\uae) in comparison with active samplers. The BD exposure levels detected for the exposed subjects were low (mean 0.059, range <0.010-1.340 mg/m3) but higher than the controls levels, all below 0.010 mg/m3. The comparison between diffusive and active (pumped) air sampling showed a good correlation, with no systematic deviation from the ideal values of the intercept and slope of the optimized regression line. The concentrations of two biomarkers were also determined on urine samples, collected at the end of the work-shift: unchanged BD, by GC-MS, and the metabolite dihydroxybutylmercapturic acid (DHBMA), by HPLC-MS/MS. The urinary excretion of the biomarkers was on average higher in the exposed group (urinary BD: mean 8.8, range <1-48.1 ng/l; DHBMA: mean 0.232, range 0.016-0.572 mg/l) than in controls (urinary BD: mean 6.4, range 2.6-14.5 ng/l; DHBMA: mean 0.205, range 0.037-0.602 mg/l), but a statistically significant difference was achieved only for unchanged BD and not for DHBMA. In conclusion, the environmental monitoring measured by diffusive samplers (Radiello\uae) appears to be a reliable method for the assessment of exposure to low levels of airborne BD and a convenient alternative to the conventional active sampling. \ua9 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved