Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene最新文献

{"title":"Preliminary study on the ejection of microplastics from different types of face masks.","authors":"V Glen Esmeralda, Jamila Patterson, S Shelciya","doi":"10.1080/15459624.2024.2443198","DOIUrl":"10.1080/15459624.2024.2443198","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Face masks are strongly believed to be the best precaution to reduce the transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which resulted in an unprecedented surge in the production and use of personal respiratory protective equipment. Unfortunately, this surge led to improper disposal of used masks. This study aimed to assess the occurrence of microplastics (MPs) in used and unused surgical and cloth masks and N95 respirators. Respective samples were kept in a rotary shaker with distilled water in an Erlenmeyer flask for 5 hr to assess the release of MPs. Surgical masks showed a greater occurrence of microplastics release; an average of 18.27 items/mask were released from used and discarded surgical masks and 10.87 items/mask were released from unused new masks Fibers and fragments smaller than 0.5 mm in size were found to have a predominant presence in all the observed facemasks and respirators. The ATR-FTIR analysis of all the masks and respirators revealed the presence of four different polymers, namely polyethylene (PE) 46%, polypropylene (PP) 27%, polyamide (PA) 15% and polystyrene (PS) 12%. The microplastics released by face masks and N95 respirators can be carried by the environment or directly inhaled during use. As a result, using masks and N95 respirators repeatedly could expose individuals to microplastics. The proper use of face masks and N95 respirators and proper disposal practices should be maintained to prevent human and environmental exposures to MPs. MPs have been shown to affect individuals at the cellular to systems level, and additional research on the effects of MPs on human health is needed.</p>","PeriodicalId":16599,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene","volume":" ","pages":"288-299"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143052943","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":"10.1080/15459624.2025.2484157","DOIUrl":"10.1080/15459624.2025.2484157","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":16599,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene","volume":" ","pages":"D13-D14"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143779708","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 dose-response relationship between noise-induced hearing loss and cumulative noise exposure adjusted by the effect of hearing protection devices among workers in Southern China.","authors":"Guoyong Xu, Jia Tang, Jianyu Guo, Zhixing Fan, Linyan Shu, Hairu Yang, Bin Xiao","doi":"10.1080/15459624.2024.2444438","DOIUrl":"10.1080/15459624.2024.2444438","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The noise exposure levels of workers wearing hearing protective devices (HPDs) depend on ambient noise and the protective effect of hearing protectors. This cross-sectional study aimed to adjust for cumulative noise exposure (CNE) based on the effective protection of hearing protection devices and explore the dose-response relationship between noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) and adjusted cumulative noise exposure. A questionnaire was used to acquire the basic characteristics and occupational information of noise-exposed workers. Individual noise dosimetry, individual fitting tests, and pure-tone audiometric tests were performed to assess workers' noise exposure levels, HPDs' sound attenuation, and hearing status. A total of 714 workers participated in this study. Four hundred seventy-three participants wore foam earplugs and 241 wore pre-molded earplugs. The median Personal Attenuation Rating (PAR) was 13.0 dB. The median PAR' (the PAR after combining the earplugs usage time) was 8.0 dB. Thirty-one percent of the workers wore earplugs properly during noise exposure and they tended to possess a greater PAR. The median L_Aeq,8h was 94.1 dB (A) and the median unadjusted cumulative noise exposure was 102.3 dB (A)· year. The PAR'-adjusted CNE (CNE_P) was 91.3 dB (A)·year. A total of 161 workers (22.5%) with hearing loss were identified. There was an obvious trend between the prevalence of NIHL and CNE_P (χ_trend² = 31.9, <i>p</i> < 0.01). The Wald values of the CNE and CNE_P logistic regression models were 4.0 and 14.1, respectively. Furthermore, the curve slope of the CNE_P was steeper than that of the unadjusted CNE. The CNE_P can represent the noise exposure level among workers wearing hearing protectors more accurately and has an apparent dose-response relationship with the prevalence of NIHL. For workers utilizing hearing protection devices, wearing them properly and consistently in the workplace is recommended. Assessing noise exposure based on the protective effects of hearing protectors is also essential. Additional studies are needed to quantify the impact of behaviors associated with the improper use of hearing protection.</p>","PeriodicalId":16599,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene","volume":" ","pages":"311-321"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143059368","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":"Dermal wipe sampling method development and validation for semivolatile and nonvolatile flame-retardant compounds TBBPA and TPP for use in occupational exposure assessments.","authors":"L Gloekler, O Jappen, J Reynolds, S Thornton, J Sanders, A Maier, H Lynch","doi":"10.1080/15459624.2025.2473464","DOIUrl":"10.1080/15459624.2025.2473464","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Accurately estimating exposure is critical to assessing the potential health risks of chemicals. Characterizing dermal exposures to semivolatile or nonvolatile compounds in occupational studies can be challenging because of a lack of standardized procedures for dermal wipe sample collection and methods for sample analysis for most industrial chemicals, especially organic compounds. Methodologies are sometimes available in the scientific literature; however, the approaches vary, typically have not been validated, and may not be suitable for application in commercial laboratory settings. This article describes the laboratory development and validation of a method to identify and quantify the semivolatile organic compounds, tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA, CAS: 79-94-7) and triphenyl phosphate (TPP, CAS: 115-86-6) in dermal wipe samples and to validate recovery of these chemicals from porcine skin. The analytical method involved extraction of the test compounds on two different wipe media (cotton and polyester-rayon blend) in 100% isopropanol using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The results indicate that polyester-rayon wipes were preferable to cotton wipes. Additionally, the dermal wipe sampling method was tested and validated using porcine skin as a surrogate for human skin. This study provides a framework to perform validation of analytical and dermal sample collection methods for other semivolatile and nonvolatile chemicals and provides a baseline method for the development of commercial laboratory methods to evaluate exposure to other chemicals.</p>","PeriodicalId":16599,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene","volume":" ","pages":"1-12"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143663837","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":"Perspective on occupational health and safety of sterilization unit employees and unit safety.","authors":"Emel Güden","doi":"10.1080/15459624.2025.2475103","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15459624.2025.2475103","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Central Sterilization Unit (CSU) workers are exposed to various biological, chemical, physical, and psychological hazards. This study aimed to assess the occupational health and safety (OHS) awareness of workers in the CSU. This cross-sectional study included 83 employees working in CSUs affiliated with 32 public, private, and university hospitals in Kayseri. Participants' demographic characteristics, working conditions, and information related to occupational health and safety were collected through a questionnaire. A total of 71 individuals participated in the study. According to the research findings, the majority of the workers had received training on the operation of sterilization units and OHS. CSU workers reported facing issues such as injuries from sharp objects (57.7%), exposure to toxic/corrosive substances (46.5%), and contact with bloodborne pathogens (26.8%). Although the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) was widespread, the utilization rates of certain equipment were lower. The study highlights that CSU workers are exposed to various health risks and emphasizes the importance of education and the use of PPE. However, considering the limitations of the study, it is suggested that more comprehensive research and greater attention to OHS among healthcare personnel are needed.</p>","PeriodicalId":16599,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene","volume":" ","pages":"1-10"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143657219","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":"Lessons learned in establishing and sustaining elastomeric half mask respirator-based respiratory protection programs: An impact evaluation.","authors":"Emily J Haas, Mihili Edirisooriya","doi":"10.1080/15459624.2024.2431227","DOIUrl":"10.1080/15459624.2024.2431227","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Developing and overseeing Respiratory Protection Programs (RPPs) is crucial for ensuring effective respirator use among employees. To date, a gap exists in research that focuses on elastomeric half mask respirators (EHMRs) as the primary respirator in health delivery settings which would necessitate additional considerations in RPPs beyond the more common N95 filtering facepiece respirators. This paper presents lessons learned during a one-year impact evaluation with healthcare and first responder settings that received EHMRs from the Strategic National Stockpile in 2021 and 2022. The study explored the advantages and disadvantages associated with EHMRs and the challenges related to establishing, implementing, maintaining, and sustaining EHMR-based RPPs. Data was received from 42 organizations that participated in EHMR demonstration projects to address (1) the most important, perceived, elements and practices of an EHMR-based RPP to support a long-term program; and (2) differences in perceptions of the most important elements and practices based on organizational and company size (i.e., small, medium, and large). Sustaining an EHMR program was considered the most important area to focus future efforts (<i>M</i> = 2.94; SD = 1.12 on a 4-point scale), followed by daily maintenance of the program (<i>M</i> = 2.72; SD = 0.974), development and implementation of the program (<i>M</i> = 2.42; SD = 1.05), and access to EHMRs (<i>M</i> = 1.91; SD = 1.11), respectively. Findings also revealed statistically significant differences in perceptions based on organization size, particularly in access to EHMR models/designs. Results underscored the significance of user accountability, organizational support, and culture in EHMR-based RPPs to support emergency preparedness efforts.</p>","PeriodicalId":16599,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene","volume":" ","pages":"178-188"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11938045/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142829111","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":"Leveraging emerging technologies in industrial hygiene to improve occupational safety.","authors":"Putri Anis Syahira Mohamad Jamil, Nur Athirah Diyana Mohammad Yusof, Intan Suraya Noor Arzahan","doi":"10.1080/15459624.2024.2439805","DOIUrl":"10.1080/15459624.2024.2439805","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":16599,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene","volume":" ","pages":"D9-D10"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142950340","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":"Hazardous exposures and engineering controls in the landscaping services industry.","authors":"Barbara M Alexander, Pamela S Graydon, Mirle Pena, H Amy Feng, Bryan R Beamer","doi":"10.1080/15459624.2024.2439810","DOIUrl":"10.1080/15459624.2024.2439810","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Landscapers are exposed to noise, carbon monoxide (CO), respirable dust, and respirable crystalline silica (RCS) generated from the tools they use. Although engineering controls are available to reduce these exposures, no previous study has evaluated chronic exposures to landscapers in different work settings and compared exposures from landscaping tools with and without engineering controls. This field study of workers in the landscaping services industry documented the occupational exposures of 80 participants at 11 varied worksites to noise, CO, respirable dust, and RCS using personal breathing zone sampling. Results were analyzed using SAS/STAT 14.1. Analysis of variance was used for normally distributed data; otherwise, nonparametric methods were used. Most workers were overexposed to noise, with 94 of the 119 8-hr time-weighted average (TWA) noise exposures at or above the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recommended exposure limit (REL) of 85 dBA. There were no statistically significant differences among different locations or occupations. No 8-hr TWA exposures to CO above the NIOSH REL were measured. Overexposures to RCS were measured at all locations where hardscaping (installing or maintaining non-living aspects of the landscape) was taking place. This is the first known field study of this type to include hardscapers. The use of engineering controls such as dust capture or wet methods would reduce RCS exposures, but respiratory protection may still be needed. Task-based analysis of noise and CO exposure revealed that the loudest landscaping tools used in this study were hardscaping table saws, gas chainsaws, gas leaf blowers, chipper/shredders, gas string trimmers, and fuel mowers. Workers were exposed to significantly more noise and CO when using fuel-powered versions compared to battery-powered versions of leaf blowers, string trimmers, and chainsaws.</p>","PeriodicalId":16599,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene","volume":" ","pages":"189-202"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11956801/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142921935","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":"Lung cancer mortality among aircraft manufacturing workers with long-term, low-level, hexavalent chromium exposure.","authors":"Loren Lipworth, Julie M Panko, Bruce C Allen, Michael T Mumma, Xiaohui Jiang, Melissa J Vincent, Jennifer L Bare, Todor Antonijevic, Stephanie N Vivanco, Donald E Marano, Mina Suh, Sarah Cohen, Liz Mittal, Deborah M Proctor","doi":"10.1080/15459624.2024.2439817","DOIUrl":"10.1080/15459624.2024.2439817","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Hexavalent chromium (CrVI) is known to cause lung cancer among workers exposed to high concentrations in certain historical industries. It is also a toxic air contaminant considered to pose a potentially significant cancer risk at comparatively low concentrations in urban air. However, very limited data currently exist to quantify risk at low-concentration occupational or environmental exposures. This study reconstructs individual-level exposures using a job-exposure matrix (JEM) and examines mortality among 3,723 CrVI-exposed aircraft manufacturing workers, including 440 women with long-term low-level CrVI exposures and long-term follow-up. The JEM used Bayesian methods with industrial hygiene data to calculate cumulative worker exposures from 1960 to 1998. A retrospective cohort mortality study was also conducted to calculate standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) by population demographics and to conduct an internally referenced dose-response analysis. CrVI-exposed painters, electroplaters, and aircraft assembly workers, with 1 to 37 years of exposure (median: 8 years) had mean and median cumulative exposures of 16 µg/m³-yrs and 2.9 µg/m³-yrs, respectively. Based on 1,758 observed deaths, mortality from cancer overall (SMR 1.24; 95% CI 1.13-1.36), smoking-related cancers (SMR 1.31; 95% CI 1.15-1.49), and lung cancer (SMR 1.39; 95% CI 1.17-1.63) were significantly elevated and more highly elevated among women (lung cancer SMR 2.61; 95% CI:1.66-3.92). Internal analyses revealed no dose-response relationship between cumulative exposure and lung cancer mortality. Data available for 12% of CrVI-exposed workers showed smoking prevalence higher than general population norms, especially for women. The absence of a dose-response relationship with cumulative exposure suggests that elevated cancer risks are primarily smoking-related in this cohort, and possibly as a consequence, any increased risk associated with CrVI exposure is not observable. Although an association between lung cancer risk and CrVI exposure was not found, this study provides significant new observations in the low exposure range, and among women, which may be useful for quantitative risk assessment.</p>","PeriodicalId":16599,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene","volume":" ","pages":"214-227"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142950341","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":"Understanding and perceiving heat stress risk control: Critical insights from agriculture workers.","authors":"Ryan T Cannady, Aaron Yoder, Jeffrey Miller, Kaitlyn Crosby, Kristina W Kintziger","doi":"10.1080/15459624.2024.2439812","DOIUrl":"10.1080/15459624.2024.2439812","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Software-driven wearable technologies are emerging as a control for heat-related illnesses. Such devices collect biometric data and estimate risk noninvasively. However, little is known about workplace implementation strategies and stakeholder acceptance of the devices. As part of a mixed-methods pilot study to evaluate the feasibility of wearable technologies, the authors invited six agricultural workers with no device experience to participate in a semi-structured focus group, after wearing two devices (e.g., MākuSafe, Des Moines, IA, United States; SlateSafety, V2, Atlanta, GA, United States) for a standard work week. The focus group was separated into two parts: the first assessed the overall understanding of heat stress, and the second captured workers' perceptions of the wearable technologies. For each topic, the authors extracted relevant themes that describe farm workers' general understanding of heat hazards and worker interaction with wearable technology used in heat-related risk. These themes provide relevant answers to the questions outlined in the semi-structured questionnaire that can guide future research into the use of these devices in occupational settings. Wearable technologies continue to be used to control heat-related illnesses. Therefore, it is critically important to gather key strategies for employer implementation and user-interface considerations.</p>","PeriodicalId":16599,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene","volume":"22 3","pages":"203-213"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143567373","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}