scholarly journals Laboratory Estimation of Occupational Exposures to Volatile Organic Compounds During Nail Polish Application

2019 ◽  
Vol 67 (6) ◽  
pp. 288-293 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tasha Heaton ◽  
Laura K. Hurst ◽  
Azita Amiri ◽  
Claudiu T. Lungu ◽  
Jonghwa Oh
Keyword(s):  
Volatile Organic Compounds ◽  
Organic Compounds ◽  
Occupational Exposures ◽  
Case Scenario ◽  
Worst Case ◽  
Worst Case Scenario ◽  
Nail Polish ◽  
Volatile Organic ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Nail Salons

In the United States, there are more than 120,000 nail salons in which workers could be potentially exposed to a number of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) used in various procedures. Measuring workers exposure in the field is time-consuming and could be very expensive. The purpose of this study was to estimate the VOC levels in the proximity of workers in nail salons through simulating the application process of some popular nail polishes in a laboratory chamber. The worst-case scenario was defined as a worker’s exposure during nail polish application to one set of fingernails every 15 minutes for an 8-hour shift (total nail sets = 32). Nail polish was applied on paper plates in a flow-controlled test chamber. Air was sampled during the application of five different nail polishes for 8 hours using passive air samplers and the experiment was triplicated. Passive samplers were used for VOCs and formaldehyde. In this worst-case scenario setting, a total of 17 VOCs were detected, with eight that were found in all the samples. The mean concentration of butyl acetate (161-330 ppm, parts per million) and ethyl acetate (440 ppm) exceeded the threshold limit value (TLV) of 150 ppm and 400 ppm, respectively. Formaldehyde was analyzed separately and the mean concentrations exceeded the TLV of 0.10 ppm in all types of nail polish, ranging from 0.12 ppm to 0.22 ppm. Occupational safety and health professionals could use these data to increase awareness of workers’ potential exposure to high levels of VOCs in nail salons and recommend practical measures to reduce potential exposures.

scholarly journals Associations between residential exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and liver injury markers

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Banrida Wahlang ◽  
Tyler C. Gripshover ◽  
Hong Gao ◽  
Tatiana Krivokhizhina ◽  
Rachel J. Keith ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Volatile Organic Compounds ◽  
Liver Injury ◽  
Organic Compounds ◽  
Linear Models ◽  
Smoking Status ◽  
Occupational Exposures ◽  
Urinary Metabolites ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Disease Biomarkers ◽  
Volatile Organic

ABSTRACTOccupational exposures to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have been associated with numerous health complications including steatohepatitis and liver cancer. However, the potential impact of environmental/residential VOC exposures on liver health and function is largely unknown. To address this knowledge gap, the objective of this cross-sectional study is to investigate associations between VOCs and liver injury biomarkers in community residents. Subjects were recruited from six Louisville neighborhoods, and informed consent was obtained. Exposure biomarkers included 16 creatinine-adjusted urinary metabolites corresponding to 12 parent VOCs. Serological disease biomarkers measured included cytokertain-18 (K18 M65 and M30), liver enzymes and direct bilirubin. Associations between exposure and disease biomarkers were assessed using generalized linear models. Smoking status was confirmed through urinary cotinine levels. The population comprised of approximately 60% females and 40% males; White persons accounted 78% of the population; with more nonsmokers (n=413) than smokers (n=250). When compared to nonsmokers, Males (45%) and Black persons (26%) were more likely to be smokers. In the overall population, metabolites of acrolein, acrylonitrile, acrylamide, 1,3-butadiene, crotonaldehyde, styrene and xylene were positively associated with alkaline phosphatase (ALP). These associations persisted in smokers, with the exception of crotonaldehyde, and addition of N,N dimethylformamide and propylene oxide metabolites. Although no positive associations were observed for K18 M30, the benzene metabolite was positively associated with bilirubin, irrespective of smoking status. Taken together, the results demonstrated that selected VOCs were positively associated with liver injury biomarkers. These findings will enable better risk assessment and identification of populations vulnerable to liver disease.

scholarly journals Missing OH reactivity in the global marine boundary layer

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (6) ◽  
pp. 4013-4029 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander B. Thames ◽  
William H. Brune ◽  
David O. Miller ◽  
Hannah M. Allen ◽  
Eric C. Apel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Volatile Organic Compounds ◽  
Organic Compounds ◽  
Dimethyl Sulfide ◽  
Marine Boundary Layer ◽  
Limit Of Detection ◽  
Chemical Species ◽  
Volatile Organic ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The Difference

Abstract. The hydroxyl radical (OH) reacts with thousands of chemical species in the atmosphere, initiating their removal and the chemical reaction sequences that produce ozone, secondary aerosols, and gas-phase acids. OH reactivity, which is the inverse of OH lifetime, influences the OH abundance and the ability of OH to cleanse the atmosphere. The NASA Atmospheric Tomography (ATom) campaign used instruments on the NASA DC-8 aircraft to measure OH reactivity and more than 100 trace chemical species. ATom presented a unique opportunity to test the completeness of the OH reactivity calculated from the chemical species measurements by comparing it to the measured OH reactivity over two oceans across four seasons. Although the calculated OH reactivity was below the limit of detection for the ATom instrument used to measure OH reactivity throughout much of the free troposphere, the instrument was able to measure the OH reactivity in and just above the marine boundary layer. The mean measured value of OH reactivity in the marine boundary layer across all latitudes and all ATom deployments was 1.9 s−1, which is 0.5 s−1 larger than the mean calculated OH reactivity. The missing OH reactivity, the difference between the measured and calculated OH reactivity, varied between 0 and 3.5 s−1, with the highest values over the Northern Hemisphere Pacific Ocean. Correlations of missing OH reactivity with formaldehyde, dimethyl sulfide, butanal, and sea surface temperature suggest the presence of unmeasured or unknown volatile organic compounds or oxygenated volatile organic compounds associated with ocean emissions.

Occupational exposure to volatile organic compounds and health risks in Colorado nail salons

2019 ◽  
Vol 249 ◽  
pp. 518-526 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aaron Lamplugh ◽  
Megan Harries ◽  
Feng Xiang ◽  
Janice Trinh ◽  
Arsineh Hecobian ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Exposure ◽  
Volatile Organic Compounds ◽  
Organic Compounds ◽  
Health Risks ◽  
Volatile Organic ◽  
Nail Salons

Volatile organic compound emission in a university printing press facility in eastern North Carolina

2020 ◽  
pp. 1420326X1989684
Author(s):  
Kellyn Reese ◽  
Ogaga Tebehaevu ◽  
Jo Anne G. Balanay
Keyword(s):  
North Carolina ◽  
Volatile Organic Compounds ◽  
Organic Compounds ◽  
Weighted Average ◽  
Digital Printing ◽  
Offset Printing ◽  
Volatile Organic Compound Emission ◽  
Volatile Organic ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Eastern North Carolina

Printing presses are known to release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that may pose health risks to workers. The purpose of this study was to assess the area airborne total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs) and toluene concentrations in an eastern North Carolina university printing facility. Real-time TVOC concentrations for ∼8 h were measured using photoionization detectors during each sampling day in the facility offset and digital printing areas. Air samples were collected in the offset printing area using activated charcoal tubes to determine the 8-h time-weighted-average toluene exposure. The mean daily TVOC concentrations (n = 38) had an overall average of 6.68 ± 3.25 ppm. The mean daily TVOC concentrations in the offset printing area (8.99 ± 2.93 ppm) were significantly higher ( p <0.01) than that in the digital printing area (4.38 ± 1.38 ppm), which may be attributed to the type of printing equipment used. The highest mean daily TVOC concentration (15.77 ± 5.69 ppm) and the maximum 1-s TVOC level (42.59 ppm) were measured in the offset printing area. The overall mean toluene concentration (n = 9) was 0.14 ± 0.10 ppm (range of 0.04–0.31 ppm). Findings of this study will help in further understanding the offset and digital printing TVOC exposures and in planning to improve worker protection in printing and other similar industries.

The effect of anthropogenic volatile organic compound sources on ozone in Boise, Idaho

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 445 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victor Vargas ◽  
Marie-Cecile Chalbot ◽  
Robert O'Brien ◽  
George Nikolich ◽  
David W. Dubois ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Volatile Organic Compounds ◽  
Organic Compound ◽  
Organic Compounds ◽  
Volatile Organic Compound ◽  
Fugitive Emissions ◽  
Wildfire Smoke ◽  
Volatile Organic ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Photochemical Processing ◽  
Ozone Levels

Environmental context Volatile organic compounds are precursors of ozone, a pollutant with adverse environmental effects. It is important to determine the associations between the various sources of volatile organic compounds and ozone levels because emission controls are based on sources. We estimated the contributions of specific sources of volatile organic compounds on ozone levels using both measurements and statistical models, and found that traffic is the largest source even in events when wildfire smoke is present. Abstract Here, we present the application of a tiered approach to apportion the contributions of volatile organic compound (VOC) sources on ozone (O3) concentrations. VOCs from acetylene to n-propylbenzene were measured at two sites at Boise, Idaho, using an online pneumatically focussed gas chromatography system. The mean 24-h concentrations of individual VOCs varied from 0.4ppbC (parts per billion carbon) for 1-butene to 23.2ppbC for m- and p-xylene. The VOC sources at the two monitoring sites were determined by positive matrix factorisation. They were attributed to: (i) liquefied petroleum and natural gas (LPG/NG) emissions; (ii) fugitive emissions of olefins from fuel and solvents; (iii) fugitive emissions of aromatic VOCs from area sources and (iv) vehicular emissions. Vehicle exhausts accounted for 36 to 45% of VOCs followed by LPG/NG and fugitive emissions of aromatic VOCs. Evaluation of photochemical changes showed that the four separate VOC sources were identified by PMF rather than different stages of photochemical processing of fresh emissions. The contributions of VOC sources on daily 8-h maximum O3 concentrations measured at seven locations in the metropolitan urban area were identified by regression analysis. The four VOC sources added, on average, 6.4 to 16.5 parts per billion by volume (ppbv) O3, whereas the unexplained (i.e. intercept) O3 was comparable to non-wildfire policy-relevant background O3 levels in the absence of all anthropogenic emissions of VOC precursors in North America for the region. Traffic was the most significant source influencing O3 levels contributing up to 32ppbv for days with O3 concentrations higher than 75ppbv.

scholarly journals Occupational Exposure to Particulate Matter and Volatile Organic Compounds in Two Indoor Cannabis Production Facilities

2020 ◽  
Vol 64 (7) ◽  
pp. 715-727
Author(s):  
Brynne Silvey ◽  
Edmund Seto ◽  
Alexander Gipe ◽  
Niloufar Ghodsian ◽  
Christopher D Simpson
Keyword(s):  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Volatile Organic Compounds ◽  
Organic Compounds ◽  
Mass Concentration ◽  
Occupational Exposures ◽  
Arithmetic Mean ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
P Value ◽  
Volatile Organic ◽  
Mass Concentrations

Abstract Legal commercial cultivation and processing of cannabis is a rapidly growing industry in multiple countries. However, to date little effort has been made to characterize and identify the various occupational hazards that workers may be facing in the cannabis production industry, including airborne contaminants that may affect the human respiratory system. In the current study, we quantified occupational exposures to particulate matter (PM) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in various task zones of two indoor cannabis facilities in Washington State. Full-shift (8-h) area measurements of PM and VOCs were collected in each task zone. Measurement devices were placed near the employee’s work area in order to attempt to estimate the personal exposure to the contaminants. In each task zone we measured particle number concentration, particle mass concentration (PMC), cumulative size distribution of the particles, and total terpene mass concentrations. The mean PMCs were greater in task zones that required the employees to manipulate the cannabis plants and materials. The arithmetic mean PMC for the trim task was 60 µg m−3, preroll task was 45 µg m−3, grow task was 42 µg m−3, and the referent office area was 27 µg m−3. When comparing each task zone PMC to the office referent PMC, the trim task, and the preroll task were significantly higher than the referent group (P-values both &lt;0.05). The arithmetic mean terpene mass concentration for the trim task was 36 mg m−3, preroll task was 9.9 mg m−3, grow task was 15 mg m−3, and for the office referent space was 4.9 mg m−3. Compared with the office space, only the trim task area had significantly elevated terpene mass concentrations (P-value &lt;0.01). We observed a weak but statistically significant correlation between PMC and total terpene mass concentrations (rho = 0.42, P &lt; 0.02). Overall, we observed that exposures to respiratory hazards were highest in task zones where cannabis plants and material were manipulated by workers, including the trim, preroll, and the grow task areas. These observations can help inform the employer of the task zones where exposure to respiratory hazards are the highest, and where it may be beneficial to deploy control measures to reduce worker exposures.

Gefahrstoffbelastung auf dem Flughafenvorfeld – Teil 2: Gefahrstoffexpositionen/Hazardous substances on the airport apron – Part 2: hazardous substance exposure levels

Gefahrstoffe ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 79 (11-12) ◽  
pp. 408-418
Author(s):  
D. Breuer ◽  
B. Flemming ◽  
T. Sye ◽  
S. Auras ◽  
O. Heise ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Volatile Organic Compounds ◽  
Organic Compounds ◽  
Hazardous Substances ◽  
Hazardous Substance ◽  
Worst Case ◽  
Substance Exposure ◽  
Volatile Organic ◽  
Exposure Levels

Flughäfen sind hochkomplexe Arbeitsbereiche mit vielfältigen Tätigkeiten und Gefährdungen. In Teil 1 dieser Veröffentlichung haben die Unfallversicherungsträger (UVT) 2018 die wesentlichen Arbeitsbereiche eines Flughafenvorfelds charakterisiert und mögliche Gefahrstoffbelastungen beschrieben. In diesem Teil werden nun Ergebnisse der am häufigsten gemessenen Gefahrstoffe Dieselrußemissionen, alveolengängige und einatembare Staubfraktion, Benzol, Kohlenwasserstoffgemische (Bewertung nach RCP), polycyclische aromatische Kohlenwasserstoffe und flüchtige organische Verbindungen (volatile organic compounds, VOC) zusammengestellt. Nicht selten erfolgten diese Messungen unter Worst-Case-Bedingungen, die Ergebnisse liegen in der Regel deutlich unter den Grenzwerten für Arbeitsplätze. Daher gehen die UVT davon aus, dass die Messwerte als gesundheitlich unbedenklich einzustufen sind. Weiterhin werden Messergebnisse zu ultrafeinen Partikeln vorgestellt. Diese Messungen fanden ebenfalls unter Worst-Case-Bedingungen statt, sodass die Mess- ergebnisse in der Regel höher sind als in bisherigen Studien. Die Unterschiede lassen sich durch die Messstrategie erklären. Darüber hinaus enthält dieser Artikel Erkenntnisse zum Biomonitoring bei Beschäftigten auf dem Flughafenvorfeld.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document