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▸ Occupational exposure limits (OELs) are tools to help employers protect the health of those who may be exposed to chemicals in their workplace. Under the United Kingdom Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations they define adequate control by inhalation. ▸ OELs are set by the Health and Safety Commission (HSC) on advice from its Advisory Committee on Toxic Substances (ACTS) and after public consultation. Thus they are consensus limits which have the support of both sides of industry. ▸ COSHH uses two types of occupational exposure limit—the occupational exposure standard (OES) and the maximum exposure limit (MEL). ▸ OESs are set for substances for which it is possible to identify a concentration at which there is no significant risk to health. Employers are required to meet the limit, there is no requirement to go below it, and it can be exceeded provided steps are taken to meet it as soon as reasonably practicable. ▸ MELs are set for substances which have serious health implications and for which an OES cannot be set. Most of the substances with MELs are either carcinogens or causes of occupational asthma. Employers must not exceed an MEL and must reduce exposure as far below it as is reasonably practicable. ▸ MELs are set at concentrations achievable by good occupational hygiene practice such that risks to workers are judged to be reduced to a tolerable level. The HSC consider that this approach is preferable to the use of mathematical models to generate risk estimates, which inevitably gives a spurious appearance of accuracy. ▸ The MEL/OES system is poorly understand by many employers who use chemicals, is not comprehensive as some substances meet neither the OES nor MEL criteria, and does not mesh well with indicative occupational exposure limit values which will increasingly be set under the European Union Chemical Agents Directive. ▸ COSHH essentials: easy steps to control chemicals provides the practical help that firms need to control chemicals. It takes users straight from hazard ...

Other written product issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "GAO provided information on the mandatory and value-added functional requirements for system administration and major elements of the travel process, including travel authorization, travel advances, travel voucher, local travel, non-federal sponsored travel, temporary/permanent change of station, interface requirements, and reports."

Other written product issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "GAO presented an exposure draft of the its revised government auditing standards to audit officials and others interested in government auditing standards, which summarized proposed changes to financial auditing standards."

The rapid increase in the number and quantities of chemicals released into the environment has been accompanied by a lack of adequate pre-released testing for advance health outcomes. Chemicals which serve as feed stock to millions of industries all around the world to produce and process food, cosmetics, equipment, and energy to propel industries, automobiles, home heating and electricity have serious adverse health consequences. They are hazardous. These substances can explode, ignite, react and corrode. Adapting the definition of the international program on chemical safety, a "hazard" is a source of danger. This thesis proposes some proactive prevention techniques useful to reduce the risk or potential for harm by chemicals at work place and environment. The methods described in the following paragraphs are traditional, advanced methods and innovative techniques found effective against chemical exposure. Known points of entry into the body through ingestion, inhalation and dermal pathways are discussed, including the mechanism of action of cells under the influence of hazardous chemicals. It begins with cellular interaction of ligands or chemicals in the body after ingestion, inhalation or dermal exposure. The binding of the ligands and the receptor cells produces reactions that inhibit or activate cells, resulting in abnormal physiological response. To prevent this from occurring, some proactive measures are proposed. Foremost on the list is personal hygiene and good housekeeping, followed by avoidance technique, containment, legislation and guidelines. They form the core of traditional technique. Complementary to that is the advanced methods and innovative techniques which explore new ways of industrial production and hazardous waste disposal that are safe and environmentally friendly. The use and advantages of microwave energy as a safe and most effective method for industrial heating, material processing and organic synthesis over the conventional methods are discussed. The thesis also discusses ...

Includes bibliography. ; The investigation aims at examining the effects of exposure to civil. violence on 304 'black' and 'white' children's evaluations of violence whilst controlling for gender and socio-economic status differences. The study tests the hypothesis that children exposed to civil violence tend to accept the use of violence towards all authority figures. The rationale behind comparing black and white children lies in the phenomenon that civil "unrest" has been. concentrated in black areas in Greater Cape Town and media,restrictions have further insulated whites from this violent reality. The instrument employed to measure these children's evaluations of violence describes 8 incidents, each involving the use of violence either by an authority figure against a child or vice-versa. The authority figures include a policeman, soldier, parent and teacher. A ninth incident involves the use of violence by a husband to a wife. The children were requested to rate each scenario according to its degree of 'wrongness'. Data were analysed by statistical procedures. No differences between gender or socio-economic status were yielded. Comparisons across race were inconclusive although black children were significantly more accepting of a child's violence to a soldier, a finding attributed to the role of the SADF in the "unrest". In general most children in the sample condemned the use of violence, but condoned the use of physical force by teachers and mothers. An overwhelmingly high frequency of corporal punishment in the classrooms was evident, with children generally accepting this. While no definite findings regarding the influence of civil "unrest" on children's evaluations of violence emerged, the politicisation of children was evident in some findings. Violence and evaluations thereof emerged as context-bound, involving the ideological and political views of the respondent. Findings raised doubt around the validity of traditional tools, such as the instrument employed in this study, as measures of ideologically bound concepts such as violence.

The only people who think press freedom is a problem are the 'crooked politicians' trying to cover up their crooked dealings. Politicians who cannot stand press scrutiny should stay out of public life.

7 pages, 6 tables.-- PMID: 15531428 [PubMed].-- PMCID: PMC1247607.-- Printed version published Nov 2004. ; Organochlorine compounds have been linked to increased risk of several cancers. Despite reductions in their use and fugitive release, they remain one of the most important groups of persistent pollutants to which humans are exposed, primarily through dietary intake. We designed a case-control study to assess the risk of colorectal cancer with exposure to these chemicals, and their potential interactions with genetic alterations in the tumors. A subsample of cases (n = 132) and hospital controls (n = 76) was selected from a larger case-control study in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. We measured concentrations in serum of several organochlorines by gas chromatography. We assessed point mutations in K-ras and p53 genes in tissue samples by polymerase chain reaction/single-strand conformation polymorphism and assessed expression of p53 protein by immunohistochemical methods. An elevated risk of colorectal cancer was associated with higher serum concentrations of mono-ortho polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners 28 and 118. The odds ratio for these mono-ortho PCBs for middle and higher tertile were, respectively, 1.82 [95% confidence interval (CI) , 0.90-3.70] and 2.94 (95% CI, 1.39-6.20) . alpha-Hexachlorocyclohexane, hexachlorobenzene, and p,p´-DDE (4,4´-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethene) showed nonsignificant increases in risk. Risk associated with mono-ortho PCBs was slightly higher for tumors with mutations in the p53 gene but was not modified by mutations in K-ras. Mono-ortho PCBs were further associated with transversion-type mutations in both genes. These results generate the hypothesis that exposure to mono-ortho PCBs contributes to human colorectal cancer development. The trend and magnitude of the association, as well as the observation of a molecular fingerprint in tumors, raise the possibility that this finding may be causal. ; The study was supported by grants from the Fundació La Marató de TV3 (48/95), the Spanish Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias (FIS 96/0797, FIS 00/0027, FIS 01/1264, FIS 03/0114, ISCIII, Red de Centros RCESP C03/09, and Red de Centros de Cancer C03/10) and Comisión Interministerial de Ciencia y Tecnología (SAF 00/81), and a European Union Marie Curie Fellowship for M.H. (HPMFCT 2000-00888). ; Peer reviewed

Other written product issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "GAO published a functional requirements document for property management systems. This document is intended for financial analysts, systems accountants, systems developers, property managers, program managers and others who design, develop, implement, operate, and maintain or audit financial management systems."

Other written product issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "GAO provided information on the Joint Financial Management Improvement Program's (JFMIP) current grant financial systems requirements, including statutory and regulatory changes, technological changes, and JFMIP documentation changes. This document is intended to assist systems analysts, systems accountants, and others who design, develop, implement, operate, and maintain financial management systems."

Other written product issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "GAO provided information on the Joint Financial Management Improvement Program's current guaranteed loan systems requirements, including statutory and regulatory changes, technological changes, and documentation changes. This document is intended for guaranteed loan program financial analysts, system accountants, and others who design, develop, implement, operate, and maintain financial management systems."

Environmental exposures in children may occur through many routes, including diet, air, and the ingestion of various nonfood items such as medications and household materials. This article focuses on dietary exposure, but it does highlight the importance of considering other routes of exposure when assessing exposure in children. It presents many of the findings in the two recent reports, Pesticides in the Diets of Infants and Children and Science and Judgment in Risk Assessment of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS)/National Research Council (NRC). Diet is an important source of exposure for children to potential carcinogens. The trace quantities of chemicals present on or in foodstuffs are termed residues. In addition, there are substances that children may be exposed to in air and water that should be considered in a total exposure analysis. To minimize exposure of the general population to chemical residues in food, water, and air, the U.S. government has instituted regulatory controls. These are intended to limit exposures to residues while ensuring an abundant and nutritious food supply, and safe drinking water and air. The legislative framework for these controls was established by the Congress through various local and state laws and such federal laws as the Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), and the Clean Air Act (CAA). This article summarizes current approaches to assessing exposure and susceptibility in children.

Researchers from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) conducted an extent-of-exposure study of the 1,3-butadiene monomer, polymer, and end-user industries to determine the size of the exposed workforce, evaluate control technologies and personal protective equipment programs, and assess occupational exposure to 1,3-butadiene. A new analytical method was developed for 1,3-butadiene that increased the sensitivity and selectivity of the previous NIOSH method. The new method is sensitive to 0.2 microgram per 1,3-butadiene sample. Walk-through surveys were conducted in 11 monomer, 17 polymer, and 2 end-user plants. In-depth industrial hygiene surveys were conducted at 4 monomer, 5 polymer, and 2 end-user plants. Airborne exposure concentrations of 1,3-butadiene were determined using personal sampling for each job category. A total of 692 full shift and short-term personnel and 259 area air samples were examined for the presence of 1,3-butadiene. Sample results indicated that all worker exposures were well below the current OSHA PEL of 1000 ppm. Exposures ranged from less than 0.006 ppm to 374 ppm. The average exposure for all samples was less than 2 ppm. The present American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) threshold limit value for 1,3-butadiene is 10 ppm. To reduce the potential for occupational exposure, it is recommended that quality control sampling be conducted using a closed loop system. Also all process pumps should be retrofitted with dual mechanical seals, magnetic gauges should be used in loading and unloading rail cars, and engineering controls should be designed for safely voiding quality control cylinders.

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "From 1945 through 1962, the United States conducted a series of aboveground atomic weapons tests. Many people exposed to radiation from this nuclear weapons testing program later developed serious diseases, including cancer. To begin the process of making partial restitution to these victims, the President signed into law the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) in 1990. RECA established the Radiation Exposure Compensation Trust Fund (Trust Fund), criteria for determining claimant eligibility for compensation, and a program (administered by the Attorney General) to process and adjudicate claims under the act. The Department of Justice (DOJ) established the Radiation Exposure Compensation Program (RECP) within its Civil Division to administer its responsibilities under the act. Through the end of fiscal year 2000, RECP received 7,819 applications for compensation. Roughly equal numbers of applications have been approved and denied, awarding compensation to about 46 percent of the claimants and denying compensation to about 46 percent. RECA claims are most often denied because the victim's disease is not eligible for compensation under the RECA program. The costs for administering RECP have fluctuated from the first full year of program implementation, fiscal year 1993, through fiscal year 2000. For example, administrative costs were $2.1 million in fiscal year 1993 and $1.3 million in fiscal year 2000. DOJ has procedures in place to certify that funds are appropriately disbursed from the Trust Fund. A review of the payment documentation for 30 randomly selected RECA cases in which compensation was awarded indicated that all payments were made as authorized. To identify and inform candidates of their potential eligibility for compensation under the program and to help them apply for funds, RECP engages in three primary outreach programs. The program has established an Internet website, conducts onsite visits to groups and organizations to promote the program, and operates a toll-free telephone line for program queries."

The objectives of this study were to develop optimal analytic methods for detecting urinary 2-thiothiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid (TTCA) and thiocarbamide simultaneously and to evaluate the usefulness of these metabolites to a biological exposure index (BEI) for carbon disulfide (CS2) exposure. For this experiment, synthesized TTCA and thiocarbamide were used. The synthesized TTCA was identified by infrared spectrophotometer, nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer and thin layer chromatography. The recovery rates of both metabolites were calculated to find the optimum analytical method. The amounts of urinary TTCA and thiocarbamide were measured by using an ultraviolet detector connected to high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) after the administration of CS2 (350, 700 mg/kg) into Sprague-Dawley rats intraperitoneally. The maximum absorbance wave lengths for TTCA and thiocarbamide were 272 and 236 nm, respectively. Ethyl acetate extraction with NaCl as a salting-out reagent was used as a simultaneous extraction method for these metabolites. HPLC conditions for these metabolites included using a NH2 column, 50 mM KH2PO4: acetonitrile (85:15) and pH 3. Excreted amounts of urinary TTCA and thiocarbamide were increased significantly following CS2 administration. TTCA, which was already adopted as a BEI for CS2 by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH), seems to be a more useful BEI for CS2 exposure than thiocarbamide. However further studies are needed to increase analytical efficiency before thiocarbamide can be adopted as a BEI and to apply this analytic method for simultaneous analysis of these metabolites in workers exposed to CS2. ; open

OBJECTIVES—To construct a computer assisted information system for the estimation of the numbers of workers exposed to established and suspected human carcinogens in the member states of the European Union (EU). METHODS—A database called CAREX (carcinogen exposure) was designed to provide selected exposure data and documented estimates of the number of workers exposed to carcinogens by country, carcinogen, and industry. CAREX includes data on agents evaluated by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) (all agents in groups 1 and 2A as of February 1995, and selected agents in group 2B) and on ionising radiation, displayed across the 55 industrial classes. The 1990-3 occupational exposure was estimated in two phases. Firstly, estimates were generated by the CAREX system on the basis of national labour force data and exposure prevalence estimates from two reference countries (Finland and the United States) which had the most comprehensive data available on exposures to these agents. For selected countries, these estimates were then refined by national experts in view of the perceived exposure patterns in their own countries compared with those of the reference countries. RESULTS—About 32 million workers (23% of those employed) in the EU were exposed to agents covered by CAREX. At least 22 million workers were exposed to IARC group 1 carcinogens. The exposed workers had altogether 42 million exposures (1.3 mean exposures for each exposed worker). The most common exposures were solar radiation (9.1 million workers exposed at least 75% of working time), environmental tobacco smoke (7.5 million workers exposed at least 75% of working time), crystalline silica (3.2 million exposed), diesel exhaust (3.0 million), radon (2.7 million), and wood dust (2.6 million). CONCLUSION—These preliminary estimates indicate that in the early 1990s, a substantial proportion of workers in the EU were exposed to carcinogens. Keywords: exposure; carcinogen; Europe