Suchergebnisse

The goal of this investigation was to assess if and when a crew of paving workers is uniformly exposed to bitumen fume, organic vapor, and benzo(a)pyrene. Data on paving workers with up to six repeated exposure measurements were extracted from a database of exposure measurements developed within a study of the European asphalt industry (N = 591). The uniformity of exposures to bitumen fume, organic vapor, and benzo(a)pyrene was evaluated while grouping individuals by job title, primary tasks, crew membership, and use of coal tar (discontinued in Western Europe). The estimated ranges within which 95% of individual mean exposures were expected to fall (BWR0.95) were used to assess exposure uniformity. Variance components were estimated by constructing mixed‐effects models, with grouping variables as fixed effects and worker identity as random effect. The influence of duration of the sampling survey on estimates of exposure variability for a crew was also examined. There was a substantial variability in exposures between paving crews, as well as persons holding the same job or doing the same task, but each crew was uniformly exposed to bitumen fume and benzo(a)pyrene (BWR0.95 2 and 1, respectively). Workers within the same crew engaged in paving with coal tar – containing binders were not, however, uniformly exposed to benzo(a)pyrene. Also, organic vapor exposures were not uniform among the members of a paving crew (BWR0.95 = 15). Sampling campaigns of up to 7 months had little impact on the estimates of within‐ and between‐worker variability. These findings should assist investigators studying paving operations in optimizing their sampling, exposure assessment, and risk evaluation protocols. The results support the notion that only empirically determined predictors of exposure can yield optimal grouping, unlike a priori grouping strategies based on general descriptors such as jobs title or tasks performed.

Abstract
More than two decades ago it was shown that temporal variability in exposure concentrations outweighed personal variability in exposure concentrations among workers performing similar jobs at the same location. Temporal variability appeared distinctly influenced by environmental and production factors. The IMA Europe Dust Monitoring Programme database contains more than 40.000 personal measurements of respirable dust and quartz and allows estimation of temporal and personal variability over 17-years. We compared variability of respirable dust and quartz concentrations and studied differences across jobs. In addition we correlated trends in exposure variability with temporal trends in median exposure concentrations. As expected temporal variability was considerably higher than variability in average personal exposures. Median fold-range in exposure concentrations from day-to-day amounted to a factor 10 for respirable dust and were almost twice as high for respirable quartz. Remarkably, median fold-ranges of differences between workers performing similar jobs at the same location were small (factor 1.3 and 1.8 respectively for respirable dust and quartz) and hardly changed over time. In contrast temporal variability did change considerably and followed temporal trends in median concentrations. We hypothesize that exposure to respirable quartz is harder to control than exposure to respirable dust. This could be due to quartz being present in smaller dust fractions which ae more difficult to contain. In addition, changes in task content and efficiency of control measures will result in less or more temporal variability, consequently leading to down- or upward trends in exposure levels. Increasing (temporal) variability in exposure concentrations should immediately trigger exposure control.

AbstractWhile between- and within-worker variability have been studied quite extensively, hardly any research is available that examines long-term trends in the variability of occupational exposure. In this first study on trends in occupational exposure variability temporal changes in the variability of respirable dust and respirable quartz concentrations within the European industrial minerals sector were demonstrated. Since 2000 the European Industrial Minerals Association's Dust Monitoring Program (IMA-DMP) has systematically collected respirable dust and respirable quartz measurements. The resulting IMA-DMP occupational exposure database contains at present approximately 40 000 personal full-shift measurements, collected at 177 sites owned by 39 companies, located in 23 European countries. Repeated measurements of workers performing their duties within a specific site-job-campaign combination allowed estimation of within- and between-worker variability in exposure concentrations. Overall day-to-day variability predominated the between-worker variability for both respirable dust concentrations and quartz concentrations. The within-worker variability in concentrations by job was two to three times higher for respirable quartz than for respirable dust. The median between-worker variability in respirable dust concentrations was low and further reduced over time. For quartz concentrations the same phenomenon albeit somewhat less strong was observed. In contrast, for the within-worker variability in concentrations downward and upward temporal trends were apparent for both respirable dust and respirable quartz. The study shows that the (relative) size of temporal variability is large and unpredictable and therefore regular measurement campaigns are needed to ascertain compliance to occupational exposure limit values.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the performance of three measurement strategies to test compliance with occupational exposure limits of similarly exposed groups (SEGs): the old and new versions of EN689, and the BOHS-NVvA guidance on measuring compliance. METHODS: Respirable dust exposures concentrations (n = 1383) measured within the member companies of IMA-Europe were used to compare compliance decisions between the three measurement strategies. A total of 210 SEGs of which 158 with repeated measurements were analysed. An R studio OHcomplianceStrategies package was created for the purpose. RESULTS: The old EN689 strategy resulted in the highest number of compliant SEGs in the preliminary tests and statistical test (49-52% and 83%) with lower percentages of compliance with the new EN689 standard (32-44% and 71%). The percentage of non-compliant SEGs was relatively similar between the old and new EN689 for the preliminary tests (1-12% versus 6-11%). However, the new EN689 declared almost twofold more SEGs non-compliant when applying the statistical test (29% versus 17%). The BOHS-NVvA individual test showed results in between the 26% non-compliant SEGs. CONCLUSION: This study showed differences in compliance decisions between the old and new EN689, with the new EN689 being considerably more stringent and resulting in more non-compliant SEGs.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the performance of three measurement strategies to test compliance with occupational exposure limits of similarly exposed groups (SEGs): the old and new versions of EN689, and the BOHS-NVvA guidance on measuring compliance. METHODS: Respirable dust exposures concentrations (n = 1383) measured within the member companies of IMA-Europe were used to compare compliance decisions between the three measurement strategies. A total of 210 SEGs of which 158 with repeated measurements were analysed. An R studio OHcomplianceStrategies package was created for the purpose. RESULTS: The old EN689 strategy resulted in the highest number of compliant SEGs in the preliminary tests and statistical test (49-52% and 83%) with lower percentages of compliance with the new EN689 standard (32-44% and 71%). The percentage of non-compliant SEGs was relatively similar between the old and new EN689 for the preliminary tests (1-12% versus 6-11%). However, the new EN689 declared almost twofold more SEGs non-compliant when applying the statistical test (29% versus 17%). The BOHS-NVvA individual test showed results in between the 26% non-compliant SEGs. CONCLUSION: This study showed differences in compliance decisions between the old and new EN689, with the new EN689 being considerably more stringent and resulting in more non-compliant SEGs.

Abstract

Objective
To evaluate the performance of three measurement strategies to test compliance with occupational exposure limits of similarly exposed groups (SEGs): the old and new versions of EN689, and the BOHS-NVvA guidance on measuring compliance.


Methods
Respirable dust exposures concentrations (n = 1383) measured within the member companies of IMA-Europe were used to compare compliance decisions between the three measurement strategies. A total of 210 SEGs of which 158 with repeated measurements were analysed. An R studio OHcomplianceStrategies package was created for the purpose.


Results
The old EN689 strategy resulted in the highest number of compliant SEGs in the preliminary tests and statistical test (49–52% and 83%) with lower percentages of compliance with the new EN689 standard (32–44% and 71%). The percentage of non-compliant SEGs was relatively similar between the old and new EN689 for the preliminary tests (1–12% versus 6–11%). However, the new EN689 declared almost twofold more SEGs non-compliant when applying the statistical test (29% versus 17%). The BOHS-NVvA individual test showed results in between the 26% non-compliant SEGs.


Conclusion
This study showed differences in compliance decisions between the old and new EN689, with the new EN689 being considerably more stringent and resulting in more non-compliant SEGs.

Abstract
The evidence of meteorological conditions on occupational exposure measurements is limited, despite is expected to be important determinants of long-term exposures. We describe meteorological conditions for measurement and non-measurement days and evaluate associations between temperature and total precipitation and respirable dust and respirable crystalline silica (RCS) concentrations of the European Industrial Minerals Association-Dust Monitoring Programme. Geo-matched RCS and dust measurements were evaluated against meteorological data (archived satellite observations and weather station measurements). Temperature(0C) and total precipitation (mm) for RCS measurement and non-measurement days were described. A linear regression model was used to investigate the association between dust and RCS concentration and meteorological conditions. Overall, 2,840 dust measurements (GM=0.20mg/m3; GSD=3.43mg/m3) and 2,658 quartz measurements (GM=0.01mg/m3; GSD=5.23mg/m3) were collected across 96 an 94 industrial mineral sites over 262 and 259 days in 2011. Mean temperature and precipitation for dust and RCS measurements were similar for measurement and non-measurement days (dust: 10.490C and 10.830C, 2.23mm and 2.12mm; RCS: 11.050C and 10.820C, 2.08mm and 2.12mm). For respirable dust concentrations a 6.4% decrease per 1°C was estimated for temperatures<200C (p<0.001) and an 8.2% increase for temperatures≥200C (p=0.002). For RCS a 2% decrease in was estimated for every 1mm increase in total precipitation (p=0.02). No difference in meteorological conditions were seen between measurements days and non-measurement days. Associations of these conditions with exposure concentrations with showed differences between agents despite being collected and measured on the same filter. Long-term changes in meteorological conditions might be an important factor when estimating long term exposures.

Abstract
Airport workers are exposed to aircraft and diesel engine exhaust from airport vehicles and machinery. Exposure is determined by job characteristics and job location. We conducted an extensive measurement survey among workers exposed to aircraft and diesel engine exhaust at an airport in The Netherlands. All prevailing jobs with activities on the airside of the airport were divided into 10 similar exposure groups. Approximately 300 personal samples with a sampling duration between 4-8 hours were collected during a 5-week period in August/September 2023. Measurements of inhalable dust (PAS-6 sampler), respirable dust (Higgins-Dewell cyclone) and ultrafine dust (real-time Naneos Partector 2) were carried out. During sampling workers carried GPS-loggers to identify their work locations. Inhalable dust samples will be analyzed for several metals as marker of aircraft engine exhaust. Respirable dust samples will be analyzed for elementary carbon as a marker of diesel engine exhaust. Real-time ultrafine dust will be analyzed in relation to location at the airport and peak exposures to ultrafines will be described per similar exposure group (number, frequency and peak height). In addition, exposure affecting factors for the different size fractions of exposure to engine exhaust will be identified via linear mixed models. Other exposure determining factors like e.g. weather conditions, number of flight movements, etc. will also be taken into account. The results will be used to arrive at efficient control measures to reduce workers' exposure and will form the basis for an informative epidemiological study on respiratory health among these workers.

Abstract
Estimates of occupational disease burden provide important information on which effective policy and regulations can be developed. However, there is no direct way that these data can be obtained, and most burden estimates are derived by merging different data from diverse sources to synthesize estimates of the number of people made ill or who have died from workplace exposures. In recent years, several research groups have published estimates of occupational health burden at national or global scales; these are not always consistent. The World Health Organisation and the International Labour Organisation have taken on the task of producing occupational disease burden estimates for several workplace agents, which we assume are to be seen as the definitive global, regional, and national data. In this commentary, we critique the WHO/ILO approach for their estimates of the non-melanoma skin cancer burden from solar ultraviolet radiation and some of their results for hazardous particulates. We provide recommendations for researchers undertaking occupational burden estimates that they should report along with their data.

Abstract
We analyzed 34,790 simultaneously collected respirable dust and quartz measurements from April 1, 2002-March 31, 2021 at 158 sites across Europe and stored within the Industrial Minerals Association-Dust Monitoring Programme (IMA-DMP) database. From the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts model we extracted 309,833 outdoor temperature, precipitation and windspeed data for the geocoded site addresses for the time period of this study, only weekdays were included. Meteorological conditions for measurement and non-measurement days were compared. Dust and quartz exposure levels were modeled with hierarchical linear mixed models with long-term time trend, temperature, precipitation and windspeed as fixed effects and mineral, site and job title as random effects.
Exposure measurements were collected over 10,863 days at 158 sites, representing 3.5% of days covered by IMA-DMP. Measurement and non-measurement days had slightly different meteorological conditions. Measurement days had slightly higher median temperature: 12.370C vs 11.060C, less median precipitation: 0.28mm v 0.31mm, and lower median outdoor wind speed: 2.13m/s vs 2.33m/s. Respirable dust concentrations decreased with increasing outdoor windspeed and precipitation (respectively 11% and 6% per 10 mm). For respirable quartz the effect was stronger (respectively 17% and 16% per 10 mm). The effect of temperature was marginal for respirable dust, but above 60C respirable quartz concentrations decreased rapidly with 50% per 100C.
Marginal differences in meteorological conditions were seen between measurements days and non-measurement days. Respirable quartz concentrations were more sensitive to meteorological conditions. Long-term changes in meteorological conditions (climate change) might affect indoor workplace respirable dust and especially respirable quartz concentrations.