Occupational hazards of emerging technologies: Insights from key-enabling technologies

IF 8 1区环境科学与生态学 Q1 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

Science of the Total Environment Pub Date : 2025-07-25 DOI:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.180101

Soqrat Omari Shekaftik , Mohammad Javad SheikhMozafari , Jamal Biganeh , Fatameh Fasih Ramandi , Seyed Jamaledin Shahtaheri

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Abstract

The rapid evolution of technologies is driving innovations across sectors, introducing increased uncertainty and risks, particularly regarding occupational health and safety. The Key Enabling Technologies (KETs) identified by the European Commission are crucial for industrial competitiveness but require thorough risk assessments to address their hidden hazards.

This scoping review study aims to examine and identify occupational health risks linked to KETs. Relevant studies were sourced from Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science databases using targeted keywords, with a search cutoff of December 2024. Initially, duplicates were removed, followed by a review of titles and abstracts. The full texts of the remaining articles were then analyzed.

Ultimately, 36 studies addressing the safety and health aspects of KETs were reviewed. Micro- and nanoelectronics present chemical, physical, psychological, and ergonomic risks, leading to issues such as skin irritation, respiratory disorders, reproductive effects, visual impairments, cancer, and job-related stress. In photonics and advanced materials, common risks include chemical toxicity, oxidative DNA damage, and sleep disorders. Biotechnology primarily poses biological and chemical hazards. Notably, the health risks associated with nanomaterials are better understood due to extensive research.

While KETs drive innovation and economic growth, they also introduce challenges for occupational health and safety. Workers face risks from chemical toxicity, physical hazards, and psychological stress, necessitating sustainable and ethical workplace practices. Protecting workers and ensuring responsible technological development require a multidisciplinary approach, incorporating engineering controls, policies, education, and adaptive safety guidelines.

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新兴技术的职业危害：来自关键赋能技术的见解

技术的快速发展正在推动各部门的创新，增加了不确定性和风险，特别是在职业健康和安全方面。欧盟委员会确定的关键使能技术（KETs）对工业竞争力至关重要，但需要进行彻底的风险评估以解决其潜在危险。这项范围审查研究旨在检查和确定与KETs有关的职业健康风险。相关研究来自Scopus、PubMed和Web of Science数据库，使用目标关键词，搜索截止日期为2024年12月。最初，删除重复的内容，然后对标题和摘要进行审查。然后对其余文章的全文进行分析。最后，对36项涉及KETs安全和健康方面的研究进行了审查。微纳米电子学带来化学、物理、心理和人体工程学方面的风险，导致皮肤刺激、呼吸系统疾病、生殖影响、视力障碍、癌症和工作相关压力等问题。在光子学和先进材料领域，常见的风险包括化学毒性、DNA氧化损伤和睡眠障碍。生物技术主要造成生物和化学危害。值得注意的是，由于广泛的研究，与纳米材料有关的健康风险得到了更好的了解。在推动创新和经济增长的同时，它们也给职业健康和安全带来了挑战。工人面临化学毒性、物理危害和心理压力的风险，需要可持续和道德的工作场所实践。保护工人和确保负责任的技术发展需要多学科方法，包括工程控制、政策、教育和适应性安全指南。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Science of the Total Environment 环境科学-环境科学

CiteScore

17.60

自引率

10.20%

发文量

8726

审稿时长

2.4 months

期刊介绍： The Science of the Total Environment is an international journal dedicated to scientific research on the environment and its interaction with humanity. It covers a wide range of disciplines and seeks to publish innovative, hypothesis-driven, and impactful research that explores the entire environment, including the atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and anthroposphere. The journal's updated Aims & Scope emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary environmental research with broad impact. Priority is given to studies that advance fundamental understanding and explore the interconnectedness of multiple environmental spheres. Field studies are preferred, while laboratory experiments must demonstrate significant methodological advancements or mechanistic insights with direct relevance to the environment.