Association between particulate matter and respiratory symptoms in students in the municipality of Guachetá, Colombia

The purpose of this article was to establish the association between exposure to particulate matter and respiratory symptoms evaluated in students who remain in schools at the municipality of Guachetá (Colombia). This is a cross-sectional study conducted on children between 4 and 17 years old, in two schools in the municipality of Guachetá. During a period of 11 consecutive working days, using a personal sampling pump and a low-cost real-time sensor, concentrations of PM10 and PM2.5 were measured. A survey was applied to a sample of 276 students, obtaining respiratory symptoms and general data. A prevalence ratio (PR) was estimated to show the possible association between exposure to particulate matter and respiratory symptoms. The school with the highest concentrations of particulate matter presented a possible association with all the respiratory symptoms evaluated in the school facilities, with a PR of 3.05 (95%CI:1.62-5.76) for cough, 1.85 (95%CI:1.06-3.24) for phlegm, 5.12 (95%CI:2.17-12.07) for shortness of breath, 3.83 (95%CI:2.07-7.10) for sneezing and 2.25 (95%CI:1.12-4.54) for dry nasal passages. In conclusion, children who are located in the school closest to a coke furnace and disrepair roads where heavy traffic circulates, are possibly associated with the presence of respiratory symptoms during their stay in the school facilities. For living in the urban area, cooking with firewood or charcoal, and living with smokers at home, a possible association with the evaluated respiratory symptoms was found.

ANALISIS TINGKAT KEBISINGAN DAN UPAYA PENGENDALIAN PENYAKIT AKIBAT KERJA DI AREA MINING PT. XYZ, SUMBAWA BARAT, NUSA TENGGARA BARAT

Aspek K3 berorientasi menciptakan lingkungan kerja yang aman, nyaman, dan sehat bagi pekerja. Industri pertambangan memiliki tingkat resiko cukup tinggi khususnya terkait kebisingan di tempat kerja yang berasal dari intensitas suara tinggi pada aktivitas penambangan, peledakan, alat, mesin, dan perbengkelan. Penelitian dilakukan di area penambangan PT. XYZ, salah satu perusahaan tambang terbuka yang berlokasi di Sumbawa Barat, Nusa Tenggara Barat dengan pengukuran kebisingan dilakukan dengan metode personal sampling dilakukan menggunakan peralatan Edge 5, dan mengetahui upaya pengendalian kebisingan dengan cara observasi dan wawancara mendalam dengan metode deskriptif kualitatif. Hasil penelitian didapatkan pembagian 12 Similar Exposure Group (SEG) di area mining PT.XYZ dengan hasil pengukuran kebisingan personal menunjukkan rentang 81.1-87 dB dengan SEG tertinggi di area Mine Batch Plant dan terendah di SEG Mine Drill Sampler. PT. XYZ telah melakukan upaya pengendalian kebisingan dengan prinsip hirarki kontrol yaitu eliminasi, substitusi, rekayasa teknik, administrasi, dan alat pelindung diri.Keywords: Kebisingan, K3, Mining, Similar Exposure Group, Hirarki Kontrol ABSTRACTOccupational Health and Safety aspects create a safe and healthy work environment for workers. The mining industry has a high level of risk, especially related to workplaces originating from high noise intensity in mining, explosions, tools, and machinery and workshop activities. The research was conducted in the mining area of PT. XYZ, a company located in West Sumbawa, West Nusa Tenggara Province, was carried out using a private sampling method using Edge 5 equipment, and knowing control efforts by observation and in-depth qualitative descriptive methods. The results showed that there were 12 Similar Exposure Groups (SEG) in the mining area of PT. XYZ. Personal noise dosimetry measurement results showing a range of 81.1-87 dB with the highest SEG in the Mine Batch Plant area and the lowest in the SEG Mine Drill Sampler. PT. XYZ has carried out control efforts with the principles of the control hierarchy, namely elimination, substitution, engineering, administration, and personal protective equipment.Keywords: Noise, OHS, Mining, Similar Exposure Groups, Hierarchy Control

Analisis Paparan Fume Pengelasan Pada Pengelas Di Divisi Kendaraan Khusus PT. X

Penelitian mengenai paparan fume pengelasan pada pengelas di Divisi Kendaraan Khusus PT. X telah dilakukan. Penggunaan mesin Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) semakin luas di kawasan industri sehingga dampak kesehatan yang ditimbulkan fume pengelasan harus menjadi perhatian. Tujuan penelitian ini untuk mengetahui nilai paparan yang diterima pengelas. Kelompok non-pengelas merupakan pekerja di bagian administrasi digunakan sebagai pembanding. Teknik pengumpulan data menggunakan personal sampling pump terkalibrasi yang telah dipasang filter Mixed Cellulose Ester (MCE). Metode Gravimetri digunakan untuk menghitung konsentrasi partikulat terespirasi dan Indeks Bahaya (HI) digunakan untuk mengetahui bahaya dari proses pengelasan. Rata-rata konsentrasi partikulat terespirasi pada pengelas sebesar 7.913,94 μg/m3, sedangkan pada non-pengelas 219,91 μg/m3. Indeks Bahaya (HI) kelompok pengelas sebesar 9,45 sedangkan pada kelompok non-pengelas 0,51. Untuk itu, perlu dilakukan tindakan pencegahan untuk mengurangi bahaya fume pengelasan. Kata kunci: Fume pengelasan; GMAW; Indeks bahaya; Metode gravimetri

Exposure to Ultrafine Particles in the Ferroalloy Industry Using a Logbook Method

Background: It is difficult to assess workers’ exposure to ultrafine particles (UFP) due to the lack of personal sampling equipment available for this particle fraction. The logbook method has been proposed as a general method for exposure assessment. This method measures the time and concentration components of the time-weighted average concentration separately and could be suitable for investigation of UFP exposure. Objectives: In this study, we have assessed workers’ exposure to UFP in a ferrosilicon plant. The main tasks of the furnace workers were identified, and the logbook method was used in combination with stationary measurements of UFP taken as close to the identified task areas as possible. In order to verify the results, respirable particles were collected using stationary sampling in close proximity to the UFP measuring instrument, and personal full-shift sampling of respirable particles was performed simultaneously. Thus, exposure to respirable particles determined using the logbook method could be compared to the results of standard measurement. Methods: The particle number concentration of ultrafine particles was determined using a NanoScan SMPS. Respirable particle concentration and exposure were determined using a sampling train consisting of a pump, filter, filter cassettes, and SKC Cyclone for the respirable fraction. Attendance times for workers at each work location were registered via thorough observations made by the research team. Results: The logbook method for exposure estimation based on stationary sampling equipment made it possible to calculate UFP exposure for workers operating the furnaces at a ferrosilicon plant. The mid-size furnace and the large furnace were evaluated separately. The workers operating the largest furnace were exposed to 1.47 × 104 particles/cm3, while workers operating the mid-size furnace were exposed to 2.06 × 104 particles/cm3, with a mean of 1.74 × 104 particles/cm3. Substantial contributions from the casting area, ladle transport corridor, and both tapping areas were made. Exposure to respirable particles was 2.04 mg/m3 (logbook); 2.26 mg/m3 (personal sampling) for workers operating the large-sized furnace, 3.24 mg/m3 (logbook); 2.44 mg/m3 (personal sampling) for workers operating the medium-sized furnace, and 2.57 mg/m3 (logbook); 2.53 mg/m3(personal sampling) on average of all tappers. The average ratio of these two methods’ results was 1.02, which indicates that the logbook method could be used as a substitute for personal sampling when it is not possible to perform personal sampling, at least within this industry. Conclusions: The logbook method is a useful supplement for exposure assessment of UFP, able to identify the most polluted areas of the workplace and the contribution of different work tasks to the total exposure of workers, enabling companies to take action to reduce exposure.

Reliability of the measurement method in determining the mass concentration of hardwood dust

The reliability of the measurement method in determining the mass concentration of wood dust relates to the sampling time for the detection of wood particles in the ambient air of woodworking places. The aim of this study was to calculate the mass limit of detection (LOD), limit of quantification (LOQ), and the minimal sampling time (tLOD and tLOQ) for determination and quantification of samples, based on the hardwood dust mass concentration at various woodworking places in the sawmills, floor production factories, and carpentries. Determination of the mass concentration of respirable, inhalable, and total hardwood dust from ambient air was performed using personal sampling pumps and three types of filter holders: respirable dust cyclone, Institute of Occupational Medicine IOM inhalable dust sampler, and total dust open-faced filter holder. The average limit of detection amounts to 0.052, 0.083, and 0.167 mg for respirable, inhalable, and total hardwood dust, respectively. The minimal detection sampling time for collecting all observed types of dust fractions ranged between 1.12 h and 1.72 h. The minimal quantification time for all collected hardwood dust samples ranged from 3.75 h to 5.51 h. Pearson’s correlation test showed that the reliability of the measurements was affected more by the dustiness of the workspace than the real sampling time.

How improvements in monitoring and safety practices lowered airborne formaldehyde concentrations at an Italian university hospital: a summary of 20 years of experience

The last two decades have been crucial for the assessment of airborne formaldehyde (FA) exposure in healthcare environments due to changes in limits and reference values, definition of carcinogenicity, and new monitoring methods. The aim of this study was to analyse twenty years (1999–2019) of experience in automatic, continuous airborne FA monitoring in the Pathology Laboratory and operating rooms at the Careggi University Hospital, Florence, Italy. These 20 years saw gradual improvements in FA monitoring of exposed employees considered at maximum risk, including improvements in analytical methods of detection and sampling strategies, which came with changes in procedures and workflow operations. In 2019, after the adoption of safe practices, including a closed-circuit system using pre-loaded containers and a vacuum sealing, 94 % of the total measurements (FA concentrations) were lower than 16 μg/m3, and only 6 % ranged from 21 to 75 μg/m3. In the studied work units, the ratio between area and personal readings ranged from 0.9 to 1.0, both for long and short-term sampling. Personal sampling was simplified with a new workstation, which integrated different monitoring systems into an innovative ergonomic armchair equipped with personal sampling devices. Area monitoring was also improved with a real-time, continuous photoacoustic instrument. Over these 20 years, FA exposure significantly dropped, which coincided with optimised histology workflow and implementation of safety practices. For high-throughput screening and cost savings we propose an innovative ergonomic armchair station which allows remote continuous monitoring.

Workers’ Exposure Assessment during the Production of Graphene Nanoplatelets in R&D Laboratory

Widespread production and use of engineered nanomaterials in industrial and research settings raise concerns about their health impact in the workplace. In the last years, graphene-based nanomaterials have gained particular interest in many application fields. Among them, graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) showed superior electrical, optical and thermal properties, low-cost and availability. Few and conflicting results have been reported about toxicity and potential effects on workers’ health, during the production and handling of these nanostructures. Due to this lack of knowledge, systematic approaches are needed to assess risks and quantify workers’ exposure to GNPs. This work applies a multi-metric approach to assess workers’ exposure during the production of GNPs, based on the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) methodology by integrating real-time measurements and personal sampling. In particular, we analyzed the particle number concentration, the average diameter and the lung deposited surface area of airborne nanoparticles during the production process conducted by thermal exfoliation in two different ways, compared to the background. These results have been integrated by electron microscopic and spectroscopic analysis on the filters sampled by personal impactors. The study identifies the process phases potentially at risk for workers and reports quantitative information about the parameters that may influence the exposure in order to propose recommendations for a safer design of GNPs production process.