Skin decontamination procedures against potential hazards substances exposure

Decontamination of Actinide-contaminated Injured Skin with Ca-DTPA Products Using an Ex Vivo Rat Skin Model

ABSTRACT

Skin contamination by α-emitting actinides such as plutonium and americium is a risk for workers during nuclear fuel production and reactor decommissioning. Decontamination of skin is an important medical countermeasure to limit potential internal contamination, particularly in the case of injured skin. Current recommendations include undressing of the victim followed by skin washing using soap or chelating agents, such as diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA). The goal of the present work is to assess the efficacy of a novel Ca-DTPA loaded gel to decontaminate injured skin exposed to plutonium or americium as compared to recommended treatments. For decontaminant testing on injured skin, whole body skin was obtained from euthanized rats and lesions created using a metallic brush. Delimited test areas were contaminated with plutonium or americium solutions of known properties. Various protocols were tested including time before contamination, duration of gel application, washing steps, as well as the concomitant addition or not of dressings. Activity was measured in each decontamination product and in skin. Data indicate that healthy skin was easier to decontaminate than damaged skin. On injured skin, we demonstrated an increased decontamination efficacy of the Ca-DTPA gel formulation as compared to the solution. Importantly, gel application alone was effective, and further gel applications could be used for residual activity.

Mass Decontamination of Companion Dogs in Disaster: Planning for Personnel, Water, and Time Requirements

OBJECTIVE

The importance of companion animals in the daily lives of people, and the increasing incidence and severity of natural disasters impacting people and their animals, is very well documented. However, despite the advancement of companion animal response capabilities, decontamination remains an inconsistently implemented component of disaster response. The challenge for local authorities is their need for planning factors and protocols specific to companion animal decontamination which are generally lacking. Data is provided on the average time requirements, water use and containment resources necessary, and the personnel required to decontaminate (decon) a large number of companion dogs.

METHODS

Sixty-three lightly contaminated, medium weight, short to medium coat, highly tractable dogs (Labradors and Hounds) from a State facility colony were used to determine the water requirements, soap effectiveness, and time required to complete decon (washing/bathing). Data were collected over a 6-mo period using 2 personnel that were randomly assigned to wash the dogs. Difference in weight, bathing time, and water use between groups was evaluated using a 2-tailed 2-sample t-test for independent data.

RESULTS

The time and water requirements were significantly different between medium coated dogs and short coated dogs. On average, for a short coated dog, the amount of time to complete decon was 7 min, and the amount of water was 8-10 gal. For medium coated dogs, the time increased to 10-12 min to complete the process and 12-15 gal water.

DISCUSSION

The results of this study provide important insights emergency management planners, animal response team members, and community personnel tasked with implementation of mass decontamination of companion dogs following a natural or man-made disaster.

The Effectiveness of Ionized Water as a Radiodecontaminant for 99mTc-Pertechnetate and 131I

Immediate and complete decontamination procedures are essential to restore the functionality, precision, accuracy, and safety of tests done within the nuclear medicine facility. Decontamination is a simple procedure that, if performed correctly, effectively reduces exposure brought about by spills. The determination of a suitable radiodecontaminant may be beneficial in decontaminating patient beds, collimators, probes, and machines. Methods: Two surface types (i.e., stainless steel and vinyl) were contaminated with a predetermined activity of 99mTcO4 and 131I. After air drying, static images of the contaminated surfaces were obtained using a γ-camera to determine the activity counts on each surface before and after decontamination procedures. Different decontaminant contact times (i.e., 5, 10, and 15 min) were used for each decontaminant (i.e., ionized water, 10% bleach, detergent solution, a negative control [no treatment], and a positive control [a commercial radiodecontaminant]). Differences between the effectiveness of ionized water and the other decontaminants against 99mTcO4 and 131I at different contact times were measured, and the mean percentage activity removed (%AR) was compared using 2-way ANOVA at the 0.05 level of significance. Results: 99mTcO4 and 131I contaminants had %ARs of greater than 80% after 5 min of contact time for ionized water and the other decontaminants. At 15 min contact time, ionized water was not as effective as the other decontaminating agents for 131I on vinyl surfaces. There was no significant interaction between the effects of the decontaminants (%AR) and the contact times with stainless steel and vinyl for either 99mTcO4 or 131I. Conclusion: For 99mTcO4 and 131I on stainless steel surfaces, ionized water is an effective decontaminant at contact times of 5, 10, and 15 min. For 99mTcO4 on vinyl surfaces, ionized water is also an effective decontaminant at contact times of 5, 10, and 15 min. For 131I on vinyl surfaces, ionized water is as effective as 10% bleach, detergent solution, and a commercial radiodecontaminant at contact times of 5 and 10 min.

Potential Carcinogens in Makeup Cosmetics

Facial makeup cosmetics are commonly used products that are applied to the skin, and their ingredients come into contact with it for many years. Consequently, they should only contain substances that are considered safe or used within an allowable range of established concentrations. According to current European laws, all cosmetics approved for use should be entirely safe for their users, and the responsibility for this lies with manufacturers, distributors, and importers. However, the use of cosmetics can be associated with undesirable effects due to the presence of certain chemical substances. An analysis of 50 random facial makeup cosmetics commercially available on the European Union market and manufactured in six European countries was carried out, concerning the presence of substances with potential carcinogenic properties, as described in recent years in the literature. Nine types of facial makeup cosmetics were selected, and their compositions, as declared on the labels, were analyzed. The carcinogens were identified with information present in the European CosIng database and according to the Insecticide Resistance Action Committee's (IRAC) classification. As a result, the following potential carcinogens were identified: parabens (methylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben, and ethylparaben), ethoxylated compounds (laureth-4, lautreth-7, or ethylene glycol polymers known as PEG), formaldehyde donors (imidazolidinyl urea, quaternium 15, and DMDM hydantoin), and ethanolamine and their derivatives (triethanolamine and diazolidinyl urea), as well as carbon and silica. In conclusion, all of the analyzed face makeup cosmetics contain potential carcinogenic substances. The literature review confirmed the suppositions regarding the potential carcinogenic effects of selected cosmetic ingredients. Therefore, it seems necessary to carry out studies on the long-term exposure of compounds present in cosmetics and perhaps introduce stricter standards and laws regulating the potential presence of carcinogens and their activity in cosmetics.

Incidence of skin diseases in healthcare workers before and during the COVID-19 pandemic at Trieste Hospitals (northeastern Italy)

BACKGROUND

Occupational skin diseases (OSDs) are common in healthcare workers (HCWs).

OBJECTIVES

To investigate and compare the incidence and clinical features of OSDs amongst HCWs before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

MATERIALS & METHODS

Incident cases of OSDs were investigated in the cohort of HCWs at Trieste Hospitals from July 1, 2018 (3340 workers) to October 31, 2021 (137,532 person-months).

RESULTS

The monthly incidence was ranging from 0 to 11.90 cases per 10,000 person-months in pre-COVID-19 period (cumulative incidence 4.22; 95%CI 2.9-6.0) and from 0 to 13.61 cases per 10,000 person-months in COVID-19 period (cumulative incidence 5.06; 95%CI 3.6-6.9). The incidence rate ratio (IRR) between COVID-19 and pre-COVID-19 period was 1.22 (95% CI 0.73-1.98). The incidence of OSDs in the COVID-19 period was 6.1 (4.2-8.6) and 2.7 (95%CI 1.1-5.6) cases * 10,000 person-months for women and men, respectively with an IRR of 2.25 (95%CI 0.98-5.9). Incidence in nurses in the COVID-19 period was 6.7 (95%CI 4.2-10.2) cases * 10,000 person-months.

CONCLUSIONS

Incidence of OSDs was a little bit higher during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the previous period but fluctuation of numbers were mainly related to calendar period, with higher incidence in winter and spring. Incidence data were higher than that observed in 2004-2013 in the same cohort. Face dermatitis cases doubled after the start of COVID-19 pandemic. Overall data demonstrated a non-significant increase of OSDs in HCWs during the pandemic, probably due to the preventive strategies set up in our cohort over the years. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Efficacy of soap and water-based skin decontamination using in vitro animal models: A systematic review

Water and/or soap and water solutions have historically been used as first-line decontamination strategies for a wide variety of dermal contaminants from workplace exposure, environmental pesticides, and civilian chemical warfare. Although water and/or soap and water solutions are often considered a gold standard of decontamination, many studies have found other decontamination methods to be superior. This systematic review summarizes the available data on in vitro animal models contaminated with a various chemicals and their decontamination with water and/or soap and water solutions using in vitro animal models. A comprehensive literature search was performed using Concordance, Embase, PubMed, Medline, Web of Science, and Google Scholar to find in vitro animal studies that provided data on dermal decontamination using water and/or soap and water solutions. Five studies were included that analyzed 11 contaminants across two in vitro animal models (rats and pigs). Water alone was used as a decontamination method for 63.6% of the contaminants (n = 7/11) and water and soap solutions for decontamination in 54.6% of contaminants (n = 6/11). Water alone provided incomplete contaminant removal of five of seven contaminants studied; soap and water did not show significant difference in decontamination when compared with other solutions for all four contaminants and was superior to water for both contaminants studied. Water and/or soap and water are used as decontamination strategies for a variety of dermal contamination events, but for many contaminants, they do not provide complete contamination when compared with newer decontamination solutions studied with in vitro animal models.