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Huang Z, Kijko G, Scanlon K, Lloyd S, Henderson A, Fantke P, Jolliet O, Li S. System Approach for Characterizing and Evaluating Factors for Occupational Health Impacts Due to Nonfatal Injuries and Illnesses for the Use in Life Cycle Assessment. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:11738-11749. [PMID: 37490771 PMCID: PMC10433530 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c00188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2023] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023]
Abstract
Occupational injuries and illnesses are major risk factors for human health impacts worldwide, but they have not been consistently nor comprehensively considered in life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) methods. In this study, we quantified occupational health impacts as disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) for nonfatal injuries and illnesses in all US industries. We further applied an economic input-output model of the US economy to develop a new data set of characterization factors (CFs) that links direct and indirect occupational health impacts to product life cycle final demand. We found that the CF data set varies significantly by industry, ranging from 6.1 to 298 DALYs per billion dollars. About 20% of final demand in the US economic system contributes nearly 50% of the total impacts of occupational health, suggesting occupational health impacts are concentrated in a small portion of industries. To verify the feasibility of the CFs and demonstrate their importance, we included a case of an office chair. The occupational health impacts caused by nonfatal injuries and illnesses during the production of an office chair are of the same order of magnitude as those caused by chemical emissions across the chair's life cycle, with 1.1 × 10-5 and 1.4 × 10-5 DALYs per chair, respectively. Results and data sets derived from this study support the integration of occupational health impacts with LCIA methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhehan Huang
- College
of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Gaël Kijko
- École
Polytechnique de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec H3C 3A7, Canada
| | - Kelly Scanlon
- Independent
Researcher, Washington, District of Columbia 20008, United States
| | - Shannon Lloyd
- John
Molson School of Business, Concordia University, Montréal, Quebec H3G 2J1, Canada
| | - Andrew Henderson
- School
of Public Health, University of Texas Health
Science Center, Austin, Texas 77030, United States
- Eastern
Research Group, Concord, Massachusetts 01742, United States
| | - Peter Fantke
- Quantitative
Sustainability Assessment, Department of Environmental and Resource
Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby 2800, Denmark
| | - Olivier Jolliet
- Quantitative
Sustainability Assessment, Department of Environmental and Resource
Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby 2800, Denmark
- Department
of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Shaobin Li
- College
of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
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Nguyen VK, Colacino J, Patel CJ, Sartor M, Jolliet O. Identification of occupations susceptible to high exposure and risk associated with multiple toxicants in an observational study: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2014. EXPOSOME 2022; 2:osac004. [PMID: 35832257 PMCID: PMC9266352 DOI: 10.1093/exposome/osac004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Revised: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Occupational exposures to toxicants are estimated to cause over 370 000 premature deaths annually. The risks due to multiple workplace chemical exposures and those occupations most susceptible to the resulting health effects remain poorly characterized. The aim of this study is to identify occupations with elevated toxicant biomarker concentrations and increased health risk associated with toxicant exposures in a diverse working US population. For this observational study of 51 008 participants, we used data from the 1999-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. We characterized differences in chemical exposures by occupational group for 131 chemicals by applying a series of generalized linear models with the outcome as biomarker concentrations and the main predictor as the occupational groups, adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, poverty income ratio, study period, and biomarker of tobacco use. For each occupational group, we calculated percentages of participants with chemical biomarker levels exceeding acceptable health-based guidelines. Blue-collar workers from "Construction," "Professional, Scientific, Technical Services," "Real Estate, Rental, Leasing," "Manufacturing," and "Wholesale Trade" have higher biomarker levels of toxicants such as several heavy metals, acrylamide, glycideamide, and several volatile organic compounds (VOCs) compared with their white-collar counterparts. Moreover, blue-collar workers from these industries have toxicant concentrations exceeding acceptable levels: arsenic (16%-58%), lead (1%-3%), cadmium (1%-11%), glycideamide (3%-6%), and VOCs (1%-33%). Blue-collar workers have higher toxicant levels relative to their white-collar counterparts, often exceeding acceptable levels associated with noncancer effects. Our findings identify multiple occupations to prioritize for targeted interventions and health policies to monitor and reduce toxicant exposures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vy Kim Nguyen
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Justin Colacino
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Chirag J Patel
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Maureen Sartor
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, Medical School, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Olivier Jolliet
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Quantitative Sustainability Assessment, Department of Environmental and Resource Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
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Fantke P, Aylward L, Bare J, Chiu WA, Dodson R, Dwyer R, Ernstoff A, Howard B, Jantunen M, Jolliet O, Judson R, Kirchhübel N, Li D, Miller A, Paoli G, Price P, Rhomberg L, Shen B, Shin HM, Teeguarden J, Vallero D, Wambaugh J, Wetmore BA, Zaleski R, McKone TE. Advancements in Life Cycle Human Exposure and Toxicity Characterization. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2018; 126:125001. [PMID: 30540492 PMCID: PMC6371687 DOI: 10.1289/ehp3871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2018] [Revised: 11/06/2018] [Accepted: 11/15/2018] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Life Cycle Initiative, hosted at the United Nations Environment Programme, selected human toxicity impacts from exposure to chemical substances as an impact category that requires global guidance to overcome current assessment challenges. The initiative leadership established the Human Toxicity Task Force to develop guidance on assessing human exposure and toxicity impacts. Based on input gathered at three workshops addressing the main current scientific challenges and questions, the task force built a roadmap for advancing human toxicity characterization, primarily for use in life cycle impact assessment (LCIA). OBJECTIVES The present paper aims at reporting on the outcomes of the task force workshops along with interpretation of how these outcomes will impact the practice and reliability of toxicity characterization. The task force thereby focuses on two major issues that emerged from the workshops, namely considering near-field exposures and improving dose–response modeling. DISCUSSION The task force recommended approaches to improve the assessment of human exposure, including capturing missing exposure settings and human receptor pathways by coupling additional fate and exposure processes in consumer and occupational environments (near field) with existing processes in outdoor environments (far field). To quantify overall aggregate exposure, the task force suggested that environments be coupled using a consistent set of quantified chemical mass fractions transferred among environmental compartments. With respect to dose–response, the task force was concerned about the way LCIA currently characterizes human toxicity effects, and discussed several potential solutions. A specific concern is the use of a (linear) dose–response extrapolation to zero. Another concern addresses the challenge of identifying a metric for human toxicity impacts that is aligned with the spatiotemporal resolution of present LCIA methodology, yet is adequate to indicate health impact potential. CONCLUSIONS Further research efforts are required based on our proposed set of recommendations for improving the characterization of human exposure and toxicity impacts in LCIA and other comparative assessment frameworks. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP3871.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Fantke
- Quantitative Sustainability Assessment Division, Department of Management Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Lesa Aylward
- National Centre for Environmental Toxicology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Jane Bare
- U.S. EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Weihsueh A Chiu
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Robin Dodson
- Silent Spring Institute, Newton, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Robert Dwyer
- International Copper Association, New York, New York, USA
| | | | | | - Matti Jantunen
- Department of Environmental Health, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Olivier Jolliet
- School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | | | - Nienke Kirchhübel
- Quantitative Sustainability Assessment Division, Department of Management Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Dingsheng Li
- School of Community Health Sciences, University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada, USA
| | - Aubrey Miller
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Greg Paoli
- Risk Sciences International, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Paul Price
- U.S. EPA, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | | | - Beverly Shen
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | | | - Justin Teeguarden
- Health Effects and Exposure Science, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington, USA
| | | | - John Wambaugh
- U.S. EPA, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | | | - Rosemary Zaleski
- ExxonMobil Biomedical Sciences, Inc., Annandale, New Jersey, USA
| | - Thomas E McKone
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
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Krajnak K. Health effects associated with occupational exposure to hand-arm or whole body vibration. JOURNAL OF TOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH. PART B, CRITICAL REVIEWS 2018; 21:320-334. [PMID: 30583715 PMCID: PMC6415671 DOI: 10.1080/10937404.2018.1557576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Workers in a number of different occupational sectors are exposed to workplace vibration on a daily basis. This exposure may arise through the use of powered-hand tools or hand-transmitted vibration (HTV). Workers might also be exposed to whole body vibration (WBV) by driving delivery vehicles, earth moving equipment, or through use of tools that generate vibration at low dominant frequencies and high amplitudes, such as jackhammers. Occupational exposure to vibration has been associated with an increased risk of musculoskeletal pain in the back, neck, hands, shoulders, and hips. Occupational exposure may also contribute to the development of peripheral and cardiovascular disorders and gastrointestinal problems. In addition, there are more recent data suggesting that occupational exposure to vibration may enhance the risk of developing certain cancers. The aim of this review is to provide an assessment of the occupations where exposure to vibration is most prevalent, and a description of the adverse health effects associated with occupational exposure to vibration. This review will examine (1) various experimental methods used to measure and describe the characteristics of vibration generated by various tools and vehicles, (2) the etiology of vibration-induced disorders, and (3) how these data were employed to assess and improve intervention strategies and equipment that reduces the transmission of vibration to the body. Finally, there is a discussion of the research gaps that need to be investigated to further reduction in the incidence of vibration-induced illnesses and injuries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristine Krajnak
- a Health Effects Laboratory Division , National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health , Morgantown , WV , USA
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