Annals of Occupational Hygiene最新文献

{"title":"Defining and Measuring Safety Climate: A Review of the Construction Industry Literature.","authors":"Natalie V Schwatka, Steven Hecker, Linda M Goldenhar","doi":"10.1093/annhyg/mew020","DOIUrl":"10.1093/annhyg/mew020","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Safety climate measurements can be used to proactively assess an organization's effectiveness in identifying and remediating work-related hazards, thereby reducing or preventing work-related ill health and injury. This review article focuses on construction-specific articles that developed and/or measured safety climate, assessed safety climate's relationship with other safety and health performance indicators, and/or used safety climate measures to evaluate interventions targeting one or more indicators of safety climate. Fifty-six articles met our inclusion criteria, 80% of which were published after 2008. Our findings demonstrate that researchers commonly defined safety climate as perception based, but the object of those perceptions varies widely. Within the wide range of indicators used to measure safety climate, safety policies, procedures, and practices were the most common, followed by general management commitment to safety. The most frequently used indicators should and do reflect that the prevention of work-related ill health and injury depends on both organizational and employee actions. Safety climate scores were commonly compared between groups (e.g. management and workers, different trades), and often correlated with subjective measures of safety behavior rather than measures of ill health or objective safety and health outcomes. Despite the observed limitations of current research, safety climate has been promised as a useful feature of research and practice activities to prevent work-related ill health and injury. Safety climate survey data can reveal gaps between management and employee perceptions, or between espoused and enacted policies, and trigger communication and action to narrow those gaps. The validation of safety climate with safety and health performance data offers the potential for using safety climate measures as a leading indicator of performance. We discuss these findings in relation to the related concept of safety culture and offer suggestions for future research and practice including (i) deriving a common definition of safety climate, (ii) developing and testing construction-specific indicators of safety climate, and (iii) focusing on construction-specific issues such as the transient workforce, subcontracting, work organization, and induction/acculturation processes. </p>","PeriodicalId":8458,"journal":{"name":"Annals of Occupational Hygiene","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7778735/pdf/nihms-1651942.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"34317187","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Estimating Lifetime Asbestos Exposure in Patients With Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis.","authors":"Christopher M Barber,&nbsp;Ruth E Wiggans,&nbsp;David Fishwick","doi":"10.1093/annhyg/mew017","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/annhyg/mew017","url":null,"abstract":"We read with interest the article by van Oyen et al. (2015) relating to the production of a job-exposure matrix (AsbJEM) that allows lifetime occupational asbestos exposure to be estimated. We recently published an article highlighting a potential link between rising idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) mortality in the UK and historic national asbestos imports (Barber et al., 2016). We identified a strong correlation between mesothelioma and IPF annual mortality between 1968 and 2012 in both males and females. Although this may be entirely coincidental, our article suggested a proportion of IPF deaths may in fact be due to unrecognized asbestosis. The two conditions can be clinically and radiologically indistinguishable and so rely heavily on the exposure history provided by the patient in order to differentiate them (Barber and Fishwick, 2012), raising the possibility of missed or inaccurate diagnosis. The difficulty of accurately estimating an individual patient’s asbestos exposure was recognized some years ago in the Netherlands, leading to the development of a risk matrix based on job titles. This information was then used to produce stepwise decision trees for mesothelioma and asbestosis, now used to assess whether agreed thresholds of exposure are likely to have been reached by individual patients (Burdorf and Swuste, 1999). Our study concluded that a similar asbestos JEM should be developed for the UK, to facilitate more valid case–control studies of asbestos as a risk factor in IPF. \u0000 \u0000Our article referenced evidence from a case–control study of mesothelioma—published in 2009—that clearly demonstrated how common occupational asbestos exposure was historically among the working UK population (Rake et al., 2009). This study found that among 1420 age-matched controls (median age 58–68 years and randomly selected from Health Authority registers), 65% of men and 23% of women had worked in occupations that were classified as medium or high risk for asbestos exposure. Many of the male controls (1112 men) had worked in medium- or high-risk jobs for a significant duration of their employment—with 51, 42, and 28% having worked for at least 5, 10, and 20 years, respectively. Despite this, Rake et al. (2009) noted that many workers in medium-/high-risk exposure jobs were unable to provide a clear history of asbestos exposure. Possible explanations for this included the time elapsed since the exposure occurred, indirect exposure as a bystander, and handling materials that at the time were not identified as containing asbestos. \u0000 \u0000As well as the valuable data on lifetime mesothelioma risk in different UK occupations, the study by Rake et al. (2009) confirmed that a substantial number of men in the current UK general population (of the same age-group at risk of IPF) have had significant and prolonged asbestos exposure in previous jobs and that in some cases this may only be apparent by considering their job titles. As well as having clear research benef","PeriodicalId":8458,"journal":{"name":"Annals of Occupational Hygiene","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1093/annhyg/mew017","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"34310619","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Wishful Thinking? Inside the Black Box of Exposure Assessment.","authors":"Annemarie Money, Christine Robinson, Raymond Agius, Frank de Vocht","doi":"10.1093/annhyg/mev098","DOIUrl":"10.1093/annhyg/mev098","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Decision-making processes used by experts when undertaking occupational exposure assessment are relatively unknown, but it is often assumed that there is a common underlying method that experts employ. However, differences in training and experience of assessors make it unlikely that one general method for expert assessment would exist. Therefore, there are concerns about formalizing, validating, and comparing expert estimates within and between studies that are difficult, if not impossible, to characterize. Heuristics on the other hand (the processes involved in decision making) have been extensively studied. Heuristics are deployed by everyone as short-cuts to make the often complex process of decision-making simpler, quicker, and less burdensome. Experts' assessments are often subject to various simplifying heuristics as a way to reach a decision in the absence of sufficient data. Therefore, investigating the underlying heuristics or decision-making processes involved may help to shed light on the 'black box' of exposure assessment.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A mixed method study was conducted utilizing both a web-based exposure assessment exercise incorporating quantitative and semiqualitative elements of data collection, and qualitative semi-structured interviews with exposure assessors. Qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Twenty-five experts completed the web-based exposure assessment exercise and 8 of these 25 were randomly selected to participate in the follow-up interview. Familiar key themes relating to the exposure assessment exercise emerged; 'intensity'; 'probability'; 'agent'; 'process'; and 'duration' of exposure. However, an important aspect of the detailed follow-up interviews revealed a lack of structure and order with which participants described their decision making. Participants mostly described some form of an iterative process, heavily relying on the anchoring and adjustment heuristic, which differed between experts.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>In spite of having undertaken comparable training (in occupational hygiene or exposure assessment), experts use different methods to assess exposure. Decision making appears to be an iterative process with heavy reliance on the key heuristic of anchoring and adjustment. Using multiple experts to assess exposure while providing some form of anchoring scenario to build from, and additional training in understanding the impact of simple heuristics on the process of decision making, is likely to produce a more methodical approach to assessment; thereby improving consistency and transparency in expert exposure assessment.</p>","PeriodicalId":8458,"journal":{"name":"Annals of Occupational Hygiene","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4815939/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"75480594","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Emissions from a Diesel Engine using Fe-based Fuel Additives and a Sintered Metal Filtration System.","authors":"Aleksandar D Bugarski,&nbsp;Jon A Hummer,&nbsp;Jozef S Stachulak,&nbsp;Arthur Miller,&nbsp;Larry D Patts,&nbsp;Emanuele G Cauda","doi":"10.1093/annhyg/mev071","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/annhyg/mev071","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>A series of laboratory tests were conducted to assess the effects of Fe-containing fuel additives on aerosols emitted by a diesel engine retrofitted with a sintered metal filter (SMF) system. Emission measurements performed upstream and downstream of the SMF system were compared, for cases when the engine was fueled with neat ultralow sulfur diesel (ULSD) and with ULSD treated with two formulations of additives containing Fe-based catalysts. The effects were assessed for four steady-state engine operating conditions and one transient cycle. The results showed that the SMF system reduced the average total number and surface area concentrations of aerosols by more than 100-fold. The total mass and elemental carbon results confirmed that the SMF system was indeed very effective in the removal of diesel aerosols. When added at the recommended concentrations (30 p.p.m. of iron), the tested additives had minor adverse impacts on the number, surface area, and mass concentrations of filter-out (FOut) aerosols. For one of the test cases, the additives may have contributed to measurable concentrations of engine-out (EOut) nucleation mode aerosols. The additives had only a minor impact on the concentration and size distribution of volatile and semi-volatile FOut aerosols. Metal analysis showed that the introduction of Fe with the additives substantially increased Fe concentration in the EOut, but the SMF system was effective in removal of Fe-containing aerosols. The FOut Fe concentrations for all three tested fuels were found to be much lower than the corresponding EOut Fe concentrations for the case of untreated ULSD fuel. The results support recommendations that these additives should not be used in diesel engines unless they are equipped with exhaust filtration systems. Since the tested SMF system was found to be very efficient in removing Fe introduced by the additives, the use of these additives should not result in a measurable increase in emissions of de novo generated Fe-containing aerosols. The findings from this study should promote a better understanding of the benefits and challenges of using sintered metal systems and fuel additives to control the exposure of underground miners and other workers to diesel aerosols and gases. </p>","PeriodicalId":8458,"journal":{"name":"Annals of Occupational Hygiene","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1093/annhyg/mev071","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"34119530","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"On the Characterization of the Generation Rate and Size-Dependent Crystalline Silica Content of the Dust from Cutting Fiber Cement Siding.","authors":"Chaolong Qi,&nbsp;Alan Echt,&nbsp;Michael G Gressel","doi":"10.1093/annhyg/mev066","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/annhyg/mev066","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>A laboratory testing system was developed to systematically characterize the dust generation rate and size-dependent crystalline silica content when cutting or shaping silica containing materials. The tests of cutting fiber cement siding in this system verify that it provides high test repeatability, making it suitable for the targeted characterizations. The mass-based size distributions obtained from a gravimetric-based instrument and a direct reading instrument both show bimodal lognormal distributions with a larger mode ~13 µm and another mode <5 µm for the dusts from cutting four different brands of fiber cement siding. The generation rates of respirable dust obtained from the two instruments are comparable, and the results from each instrument are similar for the four brands. The silica content in the airborne dusts, however, strongly depends on the amount of silica used in the respective product. It is also observed that the silica content in the airborne dust from cutting the four brands of fiber cement siding showed the same trend of an increase with the aerodynamic diameter of the dust, approaching the silica content levels found in their respective bulk samples. Combining the results for both the dust size distribution and size-dependent silica content, it is found that most of the respirable crystalline silica (RCS) resides in the dust ~2.5 µm in aerodynamic diameter. These results would help guide the development of specific engineering control measures targeted at lowering workers' exposure to RCS while cutting fiber cement siding. With the high repeatability using the laboratory testing system, the dust generation rate could then be characterized under different operating conditions, and with the deployment of various engineering control measures. This would greatly facilitate the systematic evaluation of the control effectiveness and the selection of the optimal control solutions for field trials. </p>","PeriodicalId":8458,"journal":{"name":"Annals of Occupational Hygiene","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1093/annhyg/mev066","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"34024144","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Hair Manganese as an Exposure Biomarker among Welders.","authors":"Boris Reiss,&nbsp;Christopher D Simpson,&nbsp;Marissa G Baker,&nbsp;Bert Stover,&nbsp;Lianne Sheppard,&nbsp;Noah S Seixas","doi":"10.1093/annhyg/mev064","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/annhyg/mev064","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Quantifying exposure and dose to manganese (Mn) containing airborne particles in welding fume presents many challenges. Common biological markers such as Mn in blood or Mn in urine have not proven to be practical biomarkers even in studies where positive associations were observed. However, hair Mn (MnH) as a biomarker has the advantage over blood and urine that it is less influenced by short-term variability of Mn exposure levels because of its slow growth rate. The objective of this study was to determine whether hair can be used as a biomarker for welders exposed to manganese. Hair samples (1cm) were collected from 47 welding school students and individual air Mn (MnA) exposures were measured for each subject. MnA levels for all days were estimated with a linear mixed model using welding type as a predictor. A 30-day time-weighted average MnA (MnA30d) exposure level was calculated for each hair sample. The association between MnH and MnA30d levels was then assessed. A linear relationship was observed between log-transformed MnA30d and log-transformed MnH. Doubling MnA30d exposure levels yields a 20% (95% confidence interval: 11-29%) increase in MnH. The association was similar for hair washed following two different wash procedures designed to remove external contamination. Hair shows promise as a biomarker for inhaled Mn exposure given the presence of a significant linear association between MnH and MnA30d levels. </p>","PeriodicalId":8458,"journal":{"name":"Annals of Occupational Hygiene","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1093/annhyg/mev064","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"34039183","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparison of Air Impaction and Electrostatic Dust Collector Sampling Methods to Assess Airborne Fungal Contamination in Public Buildings.","authors":"Anne-Cécile Normand,&nbsp;Stéphane Ranque,&nbsp;Carole Cassagne,&nbsp;Jean Gaudart,&nbsp;Kankoé Sallah,&nbsp;Denis-André Charpin,&nbsp;Renaud Piarroux","doi":"10.1093/annhyg/mev075","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/annhyg/mev075","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Many ailments can be linked to exposure to indoor airborne fungus. However, obtaining a precise measurement of airborne fungal levels is complicated partly due to indoor air fluctuations and non-standardized techniques. Electrostatic dust collector (EDC) sampling devices have been used to measure a wide range of airborne analytes, including endotoxins, allergens, β-glucans, and microbial DNA in various indoor environments. In contrast, viable mold contamination has only been assessed in highly contaminated environments such as farms and archive buildings. This study aimed to assess the use of EDCs, compared with repeated air-impactor measurements, to assess airborne viable fungal flora in moderately contaminated indoor environments. Indoor airborne fungal flora was cultured from EDCs and daily air-impaction samples collected in an office building and a daycare center. The quantitative fungal measurements obtained using a single EDC significantly correlated with the cumulative measurement of nine daily air impactions. Both methods enabled the assessment of fungal exposure, although a few differences were observed between the detected fungal species and the relative quantity of each species. EDCs were also used over a 32-month period to monitor indoor airborne fungal flora in a hospital office building, which enabled us to assess the impact of outdoor events (e.g. ground excavations) on the fungal flora levels on the indoor environment. In conclusion, EDC-based measurements provided a relatively accurate profile of the viable airborne flora present during a sampling period. In particular, EDCs provided a more representative assessment of fungal levels compared with single air-impactor sampling. The EDC technique is also simpler than performing repetitive air-impaction measures over the course of several consecutive days. EDC is a versatile tool for collecting airborne samples and was efficient for measuring mold levels in indoor environments. </p>","PeriodicalId":8458,"journal":{"name":"Annals of Occupational Hygiene","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1093/annhyg/mev075","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"34108838","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Source-based Measurement Database for Occupational Exposure Assessment of Electromagnetic Fields in the INTEROCC Study: A Literature Review Approach.","authors":"Javier Vila,&nbsp;Joseph D Bowman,&nbsp;Lesley Richardson,&nbsp;Laurel Kincl,&nbsp;Dave L Conover,&nbsp;Dave McLean,&nbsp;Simon Mann,&nbsp;Paolo Vecchia,&nbsp;Martie van Tongeren,&nbsp;Elisabeth Cardis","doi":"10.1093/annhyg/mev076","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/annhyg/mev076","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>To date, occupational exposure assessment of electromagnetic fields (EMF) has relied on occupation-based measurements and exposure estimates. However, misclassification due to between-worker variability remains an unsolved challenge. A source-based approach, supported by detailed subject data on determinants of exposure, may allow for a more individualized exposure assessment. Detailed information on the use of occupational sources of exposure to EMF was collected as part of the INTERPHONE-INTEROCC study. To support a source-based exposure assessment effort within this study, this work aimed to construct a measurement database for the occupational sources of EMF exposure identified, assembling available measurements from the scientific literature.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>First, a comprehensive literature search was performed for published and unpublished documents containing exposure measurements for the EMF sources identified, a priori as well as from answers of study subjects. Then, the measurements identified were assessed for quality and relevance to the study objectives. Finally, the measurements selected and complementary information were compiled into an Occupational Exposure Measurement Database (OEMD).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Currently, the OEMD contains 1624 sets of measurements (>3000 entries) for 285 sources of EMF exposure, organized by frequency band (0 Hz to 300 GHz) and dosimetry type. Ninety-five documents were selected from the literature (almost 35% of them are unpublished technical reports), containing measurements which were considered informative and valid for our purpose. Measurement data and complementary information collected from these documents came from 16 different countries and cover the time period between 1974 and 2013.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>We have constructed a database with measurements and complementary information for the most common sources of exposure to EMF in the workplace, based on the responses to the INTERPHONE-INTEROCC study questionnaire. This database covers the entire EMF frequency range and represents the most comprehensive resource of information on occupational EMF exposure. It is available at www.crealradiation.com/index.php/en/databases.</p>","PeriodicalId":8458,"journal":{"name":"Annals of Occupational Hygiene","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1093/annhyg/mev076","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"34178253","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"On the Effect of Thermophysical Properties of Clothing on the Heat Strain Predicted by PHS Model.","authors":"Francesca Romana d'Ambrosio Alfano,&nbsp;Boris Igor Palella,&nbsp;Giuseppe Riccio,&nbsp;Jacques Malchaire","doi":"10.1093/annhyg/mev070","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/annhyg/mev070","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Procedures and equations reported in ISO 9920 for the correction of basic thermophysical clothing properties taking into account pumping effect and air movement are very different from those used by the Predicted Heat Strain (PHS) model in ISO 7933. To study the effect of these differences on the assessment of hot environments using the PHS model, an analysis focusing on the modelling of the dynamic thermal insulation and the vapour resistance of the clothing reported in ISO 9920 and ISO 7933 standards will be discussed in this paper. The results are useful evidence to start a discussion on the best practice for dealing with clothing thermophysical properties and underline the need to harmonize the entire set of standards in the field of the Ergonomics of the Thermal Environment. ISO 7933 is presently under revision. </p>","PeriodicalId":8458,"journal":{"name":"Annals of Occupational Hygiene","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1093/annhyg/mev070","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"34047576","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Simple and Disposable Sampler for Inhalable Aerosol.","authors":"Christian L'Orange,&nbsp;Kimberly Anderson,&nbsp;Darrah Sleeth,&nbsp;T Renée Anthony,&nbsp;John Volckens","doi":"10.1093/annhyg/mev065","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/annhyg/mev065","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The state-of-the-art for personal sampling for inhalable aerosol hazards is constrained by issues of sampler cost and complexity; these issues have limited the adoption and use of some samplers by practicing hygienists. Thus, despite the known health effects of inhalable aerosol hazards, personal exposures are routinely assessed for only a small fraction of the at-risk workforce. To address the limitations of current technologies for inhalable aerosol sampling, a disposable inhalable aerosol sampler was developed and evaluated in the laboratory. The new sampler is designed to be less expensive and simpler to use than existing technologies. The sampler incorporates a lightweight internal capsule fused to the sampling filter. This capsule-filter assembly allows for the inclusion of particles deposited on the internal walls and inlet, thus minimizing the need to wash or wipe the interior sampling cassette when conducting gravimetric analyses. Sampling efficiency and wall losses were tested in a low-velocity wind tunnel with particles ranging from 9.5 to 89.5 μm. The results were compared to the proposed low-velocity inhalability criterion as well as published data on the IOM sampler. Filter weight stability and time-to-equilibrium were evaluated as these factors affect the practicality of a design. Preliminary testing of the new sampler showed good agreement with both the IOM and the proposed low-velocity inhalability curve. The capsule and filter assemblies reached equilibrium within 25h of manufacturing when conditioned at elevated temperatures. After reaching equilibrium, the capsule-filter assemblies were stable within 0.01mg. </p>","PeriodicalId":8458,"journal":{"name":"Annals of Occupational Hygiene","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1093/annhyg/mev065","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"34154994","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}