Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene最新文献

{"title":"An alternative to the HSE/NPL Mark II Phase Contrast Test Slide for airborne asbestos fiber analysis laboratories.","authors":"Geoff Pickford, Joanna Szymanska","doi":"10.1080/15459624.2025.2464587","DOIUrl":"10.1080/15459624.2025.2464587","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>More than 55 years ago, an analytical method employing phase contrast optical microscopy was developed for the quantitative estimation of airborne asbestos fiber concentration, and it was found that the detection limit of these microscopes was dependent upon microscope design, microscope set-up, and observer performance. In the early 1980s, the HSE/NPL Mark II Phase Contrast Test Slide was developed which facilitated standardizing detection limits of microscopes and observers in laboratories around the world. This paper describes the development and testing of an alternative test slide, known as the Pickford Phase Contrast Test Slide, which employs state-of-the-art nano-fabrication technology. Each Pickford Test Slide is certified by the Environmental Analysis Laboratory of the Southern Cross University stating that it is equivalent in performance to that of the HSE/NPL Mark II test slide, which aligns with the United Kingdom Health and Safety Executive HSG248 Asbestos: The Analysts' Guide (2021) requirement. Users report that the Pickford Test Slide is much easier to use than the HSE/NPL Slide. Since the early 1980s, the certification of phase contrast microscope test slides has been based on subjective visibility testing, which is less than ideal because of variations between certifiers, reference standards, and microscopes. Hence, a unique objective visibility test was developed with the aim of replacing subjective testing, and also of conducting routine testing of the test slide phase objects following nano-fabrication. Routine testing has been useful because each Pickford Test Slide is tested and documented so that intricate nano-fabrication chip processes can be controlled over years of production. However, thousands of comparisons of both forms of testing have shown that it is very unlikely that objective visibility testing will ever replace subjective testing because valid and relevant objective testing depends upon standardizing several dozen microscope camera set-up parameters that vary from one camera to another. Further, because the ultimate use of a test slide has always been based on human visibility, validation may not be achievable.</p>","PeriodicalId":16599,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene","volume":" ","pages":"425-436"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143523725","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Tackling antineoplastic drugs' contamination in healthcare settings: New insights on surface cleaning approaches.","authors":"Maria Francisca Portilha-Cunha, Pedro Norton, Arminda Alves, Ana R L Ribeiro, Adrián M T Silva, Mónica S F Santos","doi":"10.1080/15459624.2025.2449945","DOIUrl":"10.1080/15459624.2025.2449945","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Effective decontamination of hospital surfaces is crucial to protect workers from antineoplastic drugs (ADs) since dermal absorption is the main exposure route to these hazardous medicinal products. Sampling after daily cleaning in oncologic settings from a tertiary hospital was initially performed and exhibited low contamination levels; however, cyclophosphamide was still found (up to 957 pg/cm²) above the guidance value (100 pg/cm²) in four locations, evidencing the need to properly assess and update the cleaning protocols. Then, cleaning efficiencies of six solutions and different protocols were evaluated (including, for the first time, four commercial cleaning solutions/disinfectants not designed specifically for AD removal) after deliberate contamination of three model surfaces with 13 pharmaceuticals: bicalutamide, capecitabine, cyclophosphamide, cyproterone, doxorubicin, etoposide, flutamide, ifosfamide, imatinib, megestrol, mycophenolate mofetil, paclitaxel, and prednisone. Wipe sampling and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry were employed to determine surface contamination after cleaning. Results revealed that: (i) none of the solutions or procedures totally removed all target pharmaceuticals from surfaces; (ii) the removal efficiency increased with cleaning steps (average removals above 90% were attained for Vyclean and Clinell Universal Spray using two cleaning steps); and (iii) the cleaning efficiency was likely favored by the application of the solution/disinfectant directly on the surfaces. Therefore, considering the dissimilar chemical structures and properties of the numerous ADs in use, the cleaning agent and protocol should be adjusted to the reality of each healthcare unit. Still, the scientific community is encouraged to develop a cleaning solution/protocol to simultaneously eliminate/remove as many ADs as possible.</p>","PeriodicalId":16599,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene","volume":" ","pages":"386-399"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143006316","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Regression tools for chemical release modeling: An additive manufacturing case study.","authors":"David E Meyer, Raymond L Smith, Elizabeth Lanphear, Sudhakar Takkellapati, John D Chea, Gerardo J Ruiz-Mercado, Michael A Gonzalez, William M Barrett","doi":"10.1080/15459624.2024.2447320","DOIUrl":"10.1080/15459624.2024.2447320","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Chemical release data are essential for performing chemical risk assessments to understand the potential exposures arising from industrial processes. Often, these data are unknown or unavailable and must be estimated. A case study of volatile organic compound releases during extrusion-based additive manufacturing is used here to explore the viability of various regression methods for predicting chemical releases to inform chemical assessments. The methods assessed in this work include linear Least Squares, Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) and Ridge regression, classification and regression tree, random forest model, and neural network analysis. Secondary data describing polymeric extrusion in multiple applications are curated and assembled in a dataset to support regression modeling using default parameters for the various approaches. The potential to add noise to the dataset and improve regression is evaluated using synthetic data generation. Evaluation of model performance for a common test set found all methods were able to achieve predictions within 10%-error for up to 98% of the test sample population. The degree to which this level of performance was maintained when varying the number and type of features for regression was dependent on the model type. Linear methods and neural network analysis predicted the most test samples within 10%-error for smaller numbers of features while tree-based approaches could accommodate a larger number of features. The number and type of features can be important if the desire is to make chemical-specific release predictions. The inclusion of release data from related processes generally improved test set predictions across all models while the use of synthetic data as implemented here resulted in smaller increases in test sample predictions within 10%-error. Future work should focus on improving access to primary data and optimizing models to achieve maximum predictive performance of environmental releases to support chemical risk assessment.</p>","PeriodicalId":16599,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene","volume":" ","pages":"375-385"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12094160/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142978985","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Before shots are fired: The occupational health and safety professional's role in addressing active shooter and violent threats in the workplace.","authors":"John Comiskey","doi":"10.1080/15459624.2025.2459713","DOIUrl":"10.1080/15459624.2025.2459713","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This article examines active shooters and mass shootings and their implications for occupational health and safety professionals as they relate to industrial hygiene and public health. The article explores the overlapping workplace threat landscape and the roles of homeland security and industrial hygiene enterprises in preventing, mitigating, responding to, and helping people recover from workplace violence, including active shooters, as a natural extension of the purview of those enterprises in addressing all hazards. The article concludes by setting forth a means for improving workplace violence prevention and response through industrial hygiene concepts and through the contributions of industrial hygiene professionals.</p>","PeriodicalId":16599,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene","volume":" ","pages":"350-361"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143399394","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The pathogenic burden potential of airborne particles in emanating from the respiratory area of COVID-19 patients (a case study).","authors":"Somayeh Soleimani-Alyar, Rasoul Yarahmadi, Maryam Borhani-Jebeli, Golnaz Yarahmadi, Farah Bokharaei-Salim, Alireza Alipour, Maryam Soleimani-Alyar, Hamid-Reza Monavari, Mohammad-Mehdi Darvishi, Sara Dalvand","doi":"10.1080/15459624.2024.2447317","DOIUrl":"10.1080/15459624.2024.2447317","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The pathogenic potential of airborne particles carrying the SARS-CoV-2 viral genome was examined by considering the size distribution of airborne particles at given distances from the respiratory zone of an infected patient after coughing or sneezing with a focus on time, temperature, and relative humidity. The results show an association between the size distribution of airborne particles, particularly PM₁ and PM_2.5, and the presence of viral genome in different stations affected by the distance from the respiratory zone and the passage of time. The correlation with time was strong with all the dependent factors except PM₁. Also, the effect of time intervals on the median concentration of airborne PM in the range of PM₇ and PM₁₀ was significant. Accordingly, in the first 20 min after coughing, the COVID-19 patient was more likely to be exposed to PM-carrying RNA genomes of SARS-CoV-2. The other finding was that the two distances of 0.25 m to the patient's left of the respiratory zone and 1.0 m above the breathing zone showed positive results for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in all studied time intervals. The patterns of results suggested that there was a high potential for distribution of the virus in an infected patient based on position and airflow and that the severity of infection and viral load may influence the presence of viral load in droplets when coughing. Based on the results, one can conclude that ventilation plays a key role in mitigating the risk of airborne virus transmission in indoor environments, and it has been shown that reductions in particulate concentrations occur when portable air purifiers are placed near the breathing zone. The use of personal protective equipment for the patient and healthcare personnel to minimize the distribution of virus particles in the air is recommended.</p>","PeriodicalId":16599,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene","volume":" ","pages":"362-374"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143006638","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An exploratory survey assessing the determinants of heat stress and heat strain in the Canadian mining industry from the worker's perspective.","authors":"Emily J Tetzlaff, Nathalie V Kirby, Leonidas G Ioannou, Robert D Meade, Fergus K O'Connor, Andreas Flouris, Glen P Kenny","doi":"10.1080/15459624.2025.2449947","DOIUrl":"10.1080/15459624.2025.2449947","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>With mines extending deeper and rising surface temperatures, workers are exposed to hotter environments. This study aimed to characterize heat stress and strain in the Canadian mining industry and evaluate the utility of the Heat Strain Score Index (HSSI), combined with additional self-reported adverse health outcomes. An exploratory web-based survey was conducted among workers (<i>n</i> = 119) in the Canadian mining industry. The survey included 74 questions on workers' risk perception, strategies for heat stress management, and the HSSI-a validated tool to classify workplace heat stress based on various workplace factors and indicators of heat strain. Most workers reported that heat stress is an occupational hazard associated with their duties and tasks (89%). Based on the HSSI, 22% of respondents were classified as high risk, 42% at moderate risk, and 36% at low risk for heat stress and heat strain. Those with higher HSSI scores self-reported more heat-related adverse signs and symptoms with a higher prevalence of self-reported heat-related illness (<i>p</i> < 0.01). Despite workers reporting various self-initiated practices (e.g., drinking water) and management-enforced heat mitigation practices (e.g., rest breaks), many workers reported still having experienced signs or symptoms of heat stress (86%) and heat-related illnesses (37%). The study found elevated heat stress and strain levels among a sample of workers in the Canadian mining industry despite workers employing various heat-mitigating strategies. Heat stress management programs considering mining-specific factors and challenges are needed to safeguard worker health and safety.</p>","PeriodicalId":16599,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene","volume":" ","pages":"400-424"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143059362","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"\"The Action Level^®\".","authors":"J Thomas Pierce","doi":"10.1080/15459624.2025.2493032","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15459624.2025.2493032","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":16599,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene","volume":"22 5","pages":"D15-D16"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144000168","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Professional improbity: How Hermann J. Muller's ethics affected his science.","authors":"Edward J Calabrese, James Giordano, Dima Yazji Shamoun","doi":"10.1080/15459624.2025.2449937","DOIUrl":"10.1080/15459624.2025.2449937","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The present paper provides an assessment of how the scientific and national policy achievements/goals of Hermann J. Muller were impacted by his ethics and provides several documented episodes in which Muller acted unethically to promote his personal gain-at the expense of others-within the scientific community. Muller manipulated the scientific community in self-serving ways to suppress perspectives that challenged his own views on radiation-induced gene mutation, and hereditary and cancer risk assessment in ways that influenced his significant awards (e.g., Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology), continued grant funding, and manifest effect on public health policy. Muller acted irresponsibly toward students and directed them to violate University of Texas policies that incurred severe student disciplinary actions (e.g., University suspension). Muller avoided responsibility by resigning from the University of Texas, avoiding a trial that could have led to his dismissal, and impacted his career achievements during the period of his nomination for the Nobel Prize. Muller was also a member of a US National Academy of Sciences Committee that committed scientific misconduct by misrepresenting the research record in ways that enhanced his continued funding support and fortified his influence on US health policy. The case of Muller is presented as a morality and object lesson worthy of consideration for current and future ethical conduct of scientific research.</p>","PeriodicalId":16599,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene","volume":" ","pages":"337-349"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142983876","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Aerosol emission, transmission, and mitigation from performing singing and wind instruments.","authors":"Jun Wang, John Singletary, Tiina Reponen, Sergey Grinshpun, Michael Yermakov, James Bunte","doi":"10.1080/15459624.2025.2491486","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15459624.2025.2491486","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>During the COVID-19 pandemic, concerns about potential airborne virus transmission and exposure during musical performances were raised. Past studies suggest that aerosols are emitted from exhaling and talking with varying magnitudes. Meanwhile, little was known about aerosol emissions from singing and playing wind instruments. The objective of this study was to examine the spatial and temporal build-up of aerosol concentration in a typical studio room where singing, talking, and playing wind instruments are involved, to represent musical practicing and teaching scenarios at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM). Four condensation particle counters were strategically placed throughout a room at various distances from the performer. Besides singing, musical professionals played seven instruments (clarinet, flute, French horn, saxophone, trombone, trumpet, and tuba). Two types of tests were conducted for each instrument: 10 min of playing and 10 min of combined playing and talking to mimic the teaching session. The results show that singing increased aerosol concentration to 3.9 × 10³ cm^-3 at the performing point, more than double the background (1.2 × 10³ cm^-3). Most wind instruments had minimal but detectable emission of aerosols over time, suggesting instruments could provide wall deposition for aerosols compared to singing. Particle concentrations decreased further from the performing point; however, they were still detectable over the background level at 10 feet away. Use of a portable high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtration reduced aerosol concentrations developed during musical performances to below background level. These findings suggest that there are risks associated with aerosolized transmission of infectious agents such as SARS-CoV-2 from musical performance if the performer is infected. Distancing beyond the 6 ft distancing recommendation and proper room and local ventilation combined with disinfecting procedures are needed to minimize the risk of exposure to infectious aerosols.</p>","PeriodicalId":16599,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene","volume":" ","pages":"1-10"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144023660","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Retrospective assessment of shift-work in epidemiological studies - Lessons learned.","authors":"Sylvia Rabstein, Beate Pesch, Lewin Eisele, Anja Marr, Susanne Moebus, Raimund Erbel, Börge Schmidt, Nico Dragano, Thomas Brüning, Thomas Behrens, Karl-Heinz Jöckel","doi":"10.1080/15459624.2025.2485089","DOIUrl":"10.1080/15459624.2025.2485089","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The reliable assessment of characteristics of shift-work exposure remains a critical methodological issue in epidemiological studies. A working group of the International Agency for Research on Cancer developed recommendations for the assessment of shift-work. These were translated into a detailed interview for the 10-year follow-up of the Heinz Nixdorf Recall (HNR) cohort. This study investigated the agreement of shift-work characteristics between three different assessments that were administered in interviews at two time points. At the study baseline (2000-2003), 4,814 participants were enrolled, and brief shift-work information was collected for 2,121 working participants (1,244 men and 877 women aged 45-75 years). Of 2,613 cohort members in the prospective 10-year follow-up between 2011 and 2013, 2,444 (also non-working) individuals participated in detailed shift-work interviews that consisted of (a) key summary questions and (b) period-based shift-work histories. participants' shift-work exposures up to the study baseline were compared in 1,217 subjects who were interviewed during both the baseline and the follow-up. Within the follow-up, participant responses to key summary questions were compared with calculated parameters from period-based histories. Agreement was measured by simple agreement (%), Gwet's agreement coefficient 1 (Gwet's AC1), and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Beta-regression models were applied to investigate potential associations between age and sex with the reliability of shift-work characteristics. A high level of agreement was found between ever having worked shift-work (ever shift-work) and duration that each participant worked shift-work (duration of shift-work) reported during baseline and at follow-up (ever shift-work until study baseline in men: Gwet's AC1 = 0.77 (CI 0.72-0.82)). When comparing key summary questions and detailed shift-work histories, the duration of shift-work showed a high level of reliability that marginally decreased with age (in women ICC = 0.96 (CI 0.95-0.97), linear effect of age groups on <i>µ</i>: <i>p</i> = 0.08). Participants had problems remembering more detailed shift-work information. Ever shift-work and duration of shift-work can be assessed with key summary questions but reliability slightly decreases with age.</p>","PeriodicalId":16599,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene","volume":" ","pages":"1-12"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144022781","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}