1
|
Moghadasi A, Yousefinejad S, Soleimani E. False positives and false negatives in benzene biological monitoring. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 243:117836. [PMID: 38065394 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.117836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Revised: 11/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/06/2024]
Abstract
Benzene is a commonly used industrial chemical that is a significant environmental pollutant. Occupational health specialists and industrial toxicologists are concerned with determining the exact amount of exposure to chemicals in the workplace. There are two main approaches to assess chemical exposure; air monitoring and biological monitoring. Air monitoring has limitations, which biological monitoring overcomes and could be used as a supplement to it. However, there are several factors that influence biological monitoring results. It would be possible to assess exposure more accurately if these factors were taken into account. This study aimed to review published papers for recognizing and discussing parameters that could affect benzene biological monitoring. Two types of effects can be distinguished: positive and negative effects. Factors causing positive effects will increase the metabolite concentration in urine more than expected. Furthermore, the parameters that decrease the urinary metabolite level were referred to as false negatives. From the papers, sixteen influential factors were extracted that might affect benzene biological monitoring results. Identified factors were clarified in terms of their nature and mechanism of action. It is also important to note that some factors influence the quantity and quality of the influence of other factors. As a result of this study, a decision-making protocol was developed for interpreting the final results of benzene biological monitoring.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Abolfazl Moghadasi
- Student Research Committee, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran; Department of Occupational Health Engineering, School of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Saeed Yousefinejad
- Department of Occupational Health Engineering, School of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
| | - Esmaeel Soleimani
- Department of Occupational Health Engineering, School of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Giardini I, da Poça KS, da Silva PVB, Andrade Silva VJC, Cintra DS, Friedrich K, Geraldino BR, Otero UB, Sarpa M. Hematological Changes in Gas Station Workers. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:ijerph20105896. [PMID: 37239622 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20105896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 05/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
(1) Background: Benzene, toluene, and xylene isomers (BTX) are present in gasoline. Exposure to benzene may lead to the appearance of a series of signs, symptoms, and complications, which are characterized by benzene poisoning, which is an occupational disease. This study evaluated the presence of signs and symptoms related to occupational exposure and whether occupational exposure to BTX is associated with the development of hematological changes. (2) Material and Methods: This cross-sectional epidemiological study included 542 participants, in which 324 were gas station workers (GSWs) and 218 were office workers (OWs) with no occupational exposure to benzene. To characterize the type of exposure (exposed and not exposed), trans,trans-Muconic acid (tt-MA), Hippuric acid (HA), and Methylhippuric acid (MHA) were used as exposure biomarkers. The tt-MA analysis revealed that the GSWs had 0.29 mg/g of urinary creatinine and the OWs had 0.13 mg/g of urinary creatinine. For HA, the GSWs presented 0.49 g/g of creatinine while the OWs presented 0.07. MHA analysis revealed that the GSWs had 1.57 g/g creatinine and the OWs had 0.01 g/g creatinine. Occupation habits and clinical symptoms were collected by questionnaire and blood samples were analyzed for hematological parameters. The persistence of hematological changes was evaluated with three serial blood collections every 15 days followed by laboratory hematological analysis. A descriptive analysis by the Chi-square test method was performed to evaluate the association between occupational exposure to fuels and the occurrence of changes in hematological parameters. (3) Results: In the GSWs, the most described signs and symptoms were somnolence (45.1%), headache (38.3%), dizziness (27.5%), tingling (25.4%), and involuntary movement (25%). Twenty GSWs that presented hematological alterations performed serial collections fifteen days apart. In addition, these workers presented total leukocyte counts above the upper limit and lymphocyte counts close to the lower limit. Leukocytosis and lymphopenia are hematological alterations present in chronic benzene poisoning. (4) Conclusions: The results found an initial change in different hematological parameters routinely used in clinics to evaluate health conditions. These findings reveal the importance of valuing clinical changes, even in the absence of disease, during the health monitoring of gas station workers and other groups that share the same space.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Isabela Giardini
- Technical Area of Environment, Work and Cancer, National Cancer Institute-INCA, Rua Marquês do Pombal, 125/5º andar-Centro, Rio de Janeiro CEP 20230-240, RJ, Brazil
| | - Katia Soares da Poça
- Technical Area of Environment, Work and Cancer, National Cancer Institute-INCA, Rua Marquês do Pombal, 125/5º andar-Centro, Rio de Janeiro CEP 20230-240, RJ, Brazil
- Laboratory of Environmental Mutagenesis, Department of Biochemistry, Biomedical Institute, Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro (UNIRIO)-Rua Frei Caneca, 94/4º andar-Centro, Rio de Janeiro CEP 20211-010, RJ, Brazil
| | - Paula Vieira Baptista da Silva
- Technical Area of Environment, Work and Cancer, National Cancer Institute-INCA, Rua Marquês do Pombal, 125/5º andar-Centro, Rio de Janeiro CEP 20230-240, RJ, Brazil
| | - Valnice Jane Caetano Andrade Silva
- Technical Area of Environment, Work and Cancer, National Cancer Institute-INCA, Rua Marquês do Pombal, 125/5º andar-Centro, Rio de Janeiro CEP 20230-240, RJ, Brazil
| | - Deborah Santos Cintra
- Technical Area of Environment, Work and Cancer, National Cancer Institute-INCA, Rua Marquês do Pombal, 125/5º andar-Centro, Rio de Janeiro CEP 20230-240, RJ, Brazil
| | - Karen Friedrich
- Centro de Estudos de Saúde do Trabalhador e Ecologia Humana (CESTEH), Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Rua Leopoldo Bulhões, 1480-Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro CEP 21041-210, RJ, Brazil
- Department of Collective Health Biochemistry, Biomedical Institute, Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro (UNIRIO)-Rua Frei Caneca, 94-Centro, Rio de Janeiro CEP 20211-010, RJ, Brazil
| | - Barbara Rodrigues Geraldino
- Technical Area of Environment, Work and Cancer, National Cancer Institute-INCA, Rua Marquês do Pombal, 125/5º andar-Centro, Rio de Janeiro CEP 20230-240, RJ, Brazil
- Laboratory of Environmental Mutagenesis, Department of Biochemistry, Biomedical Institute, Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro (UNIRIO)-Rua Frei Caneca, 94/4º andar-Centro, Rio de Janeiro CEP 20211-010, RJ, Brazil
| | - Ubirani Barros Otero
- Technical Area of Environment, Work and Cancer, National Cancer Institute-INCA, Rua Marquês do Pombal, 125/5º andar-Centro, Rio de Janeiro CEP 20230-240, RJ, Brazil
| | - Marcia Sarpa
- Technical Area of Environment, Work and Cancer, National Cancer Institute-INCA, Rua Marquês do Pombal, 125/5º andar-Centro, Rio de Janeiro CEP 20230-240, RJ, Brazil
- Laboratory of Environmental Mutagenesis, Department of Biochemistry, Biomedical Institute, Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro (UNIRIO)-Rua Frei Caneca, 94/4º andar-Centro, Rio de Janeiro CEP 20211-010, RJ, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Mohsin M, Yin H, Huang W, Zhang S, Zhang L, Mehak A. Evaluation of Occupational Health Risk Management and Performance in China: A Case Study of Gas Station Workers. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19073762. [PMID: 35409446 PMCID: PMC8997918 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19073762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Revised: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022]
Abstract
China has a large number of gas stations, with which thousands of workers are associated. There is abundant online literature documenting the various occupational health risks these workers face. However, this literature has many flaws to address, and it falls short of suggesting measures to manage these risks. This study strives to fill that gap, and aims to improve the occupational health of gas station workers through comprehensive risk management and performance analysis. To this end, a reasonable volume of reliable data, i.e., 208 completed questionnaires, were analyzed through current statistical routines, viz., fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Importance Performance Analysis (IPA). These methods were employed to hierarchically organize the main factors and sub-factors of physical risk management, chemical risk management, biological risk management, physiological risk management and psychological risk management according to their appraised importance, and screen out the risk management stratagem for priority improvement. Research findings reveal that chemical risk and biological risk response schemes have the lowest performance, and need to be prioritized for improvement. Furthermore, this study argues that we can safeguard the occupational health of gas station workers through appropriate risk management strategies. It also elaborates on implications, limitations and future research directions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Mohsin
- College of International Finance and Trade, Zhejiang YueXiu University of Foreign Languages, Shaoxing 312000, China;
| | - Hengbin Yin
- School of Finance and Trade, Wenzhou Business College, Wenzhou 325035, China; (W.H.); (S.Z.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +86-158-5855-7931
| | - Weilun Huang
- School of Finance and Trade, Wenzhou Business College, Wenzhou 325035, China; (W.H.); (S.Z.)
| | - Shijun Zhang
- School of Finance and Trade, Wenzhou Business College, Wenzhou 325035, China; (W.H.); (S.Z.)
| | - Luyao Zhang
- School of Business, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Korea;
| | - Ana Mehak
- College of Fisheries, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China;
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Geraldino BR, Nunes RFN, Gomes JB, da Poça KS, Toledo TMP, Otero UB, Sarpa M. Risks related to the domestic laundering of filling station attendant uniforms: advances and uncertainties. Rev Bras Med Trab 2021; 19:240-248. [PMID: 34603421 PMCID: PMC8447651 DOI: 10.47626/1679-4435-2020-590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Gasoline is the most common transportation fuel in Brazil, with up to 1% of benzene. Benzene is a health-damaging organic solvent that is extensively used worldwide, being classified as a human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (Group 1). Many workers at filling stations are exposed to benzene, present in gasoline. The main routes of exposure and absorption of benzene are inhalation, oral, and dermal routes. The penetration and maintenance of benzene and other chemicals on personal protective equipment and clothing of workers who manipulate these solvents may increase their levels of exposure and offer risks to their family members, since contaminated clothing is laundered at their homes, which goes against legislative framework (Annex 2, Regulatory Standard No. 9). This way, the objective of this work was to discuss the importance of periodic changes and cleaning of filling station attendant uniforms performed by employers as preventive measures against the deterioration of the health of workers and their family members. We performed a narrative review; no systematic criteria were used in the search for national and international studies. After critical reading, we observed a lack of consistent data on this theme. Laundering of uniforms worn by filling station attendants should take place outside the domestic environment in order to protect the health of workers and their family members and avoid possible cross-contamination.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Rodrigues Geraldino
- Coordenação de Prevenção e Vigilância, Área Técnica Ambiente, Trabalho e Câncer, Instituto Nacional de Câncer José Alencar Gomes da Silva, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
- Laboratório de Mutagênese Ambiental, Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto Biomédico, Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Rafaella Ferreira Nascimento Nunes
- Coordenação de Prevenção e Vigilância, Área Técnica Ambiente, Trabalho e Câncer, Instituto Nacional de Câncer José Alencar Gomes da Silva, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
- Laboratório de Mutagênese Ambiental, Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto Biomédico, Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Juliana Barroso Gomes
- Coordenação de Prevenção e Vigilância, Área Técnica Ambiente, Trabalho e Câncer, Instituto Nacional de Câncer José Alencar Gomes da Silva, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
- Laboratório de Mutagênese Ambiental, Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto Biomédico, Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Katia Soares da Poça
- Coordenação de Prevenção e Vigilância, Área Técnica Ambiente, Trabalho e Câncer, Instituto Nacional de Câncer José Alencar Gomes da Silva, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
- Laboratório de Mutagênese Ambiental, Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto Biomédico, Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Thainá Matos Palhaes Toledo
- Coordenação de Prevenção e Vigilância, Área Técnica Ambiente, Trabalho e Câncer, Instituto Nacional de Câncer José Alencar Gomes da Silva, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
- Laboratório de Mutagênese Ambiental, Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto Biomédico, Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Ubirani Barros Otero
- Coordenação de Prevenção e Vigilância, Área Técnica Ambiente, Trabalho e Câncer, Instituto Nacional de Câncer José Alencar Gomes da Silva, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Marcia Sarpa
- Coordenação de Prevenção e Vigilância, Área Técnica Ambiente, Trabalho e Câncer, Instituto Nacional de Câncer José Alencar Gomes da Silva, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
- Laboratório de Mutagênese Ambiental, Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto Biomédico, Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Frigerio G, Campo L, Mercadante R, Mielżyńska-Švach D, Pavanello S, Fustinoni S. Urinary Mercapturic Acids to Assess Exposure to Benzene and Other Volatile Organic Compounds in Coke Oven Workers. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:E1801. [PMID: 32164281 PMCID: PMC7084241 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17051801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Revised: 03/04/2020] [Accepted: 03/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Coke production was classified as carcinogenic to humans by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Besides polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, coke oven workers may be exposed to benzene and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The aim of this study was to assess the exposure to several VOCs in 49 coke oven workers and 49 individuals living in the same area by determining urinary mercapturic acids. Active tobacco smoking was an exclusion criterion for both groups. Mercapturic acids were investigated by a validated isotopic dilution LC-MS/MS method. Linear models were built to correct for different confounding variables. Urinary levels of N-acetyl-S-phenyl-L-cysteine (SPMA) (metabolite of benzene), N-acetyl-S-(2-hydroxy-1/2-phenylethyl)-L-cysteine (PHEMA) (metabolite of styrene), N-acetyl-S-(2-cyanoethyl)-L-cysteine (CEMA) (metabolite of acrylonitrile), N-acetyl-S-[1-(hydroxymethyl)-2-propen-1-yl)-L-cysteine and N-acetyl-S-(2-hydroxy-3-buten-1-yl)-L-cysteine (MHBMA) (metabolites of 1,3-butadiene) were 2-10 fold higher in workers than in controls (p < 0.05). For SPMA, in particular, median levels were 0.02 and 0.31 µg/g creatinine in workers and controls, respectively. Among workers, coke makers were more exposed to PHEMA and SPMA than foremen and engine operators. The comparison with biological limit values shows that the exposure of workers was within 20% of the limit values for all biomarkers, moreover three subjects exceeded the restrictive occupational limit value recently proposed by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) for SPMA.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gianfranco Frigerio
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Laura Campo
- Environmental and Industrial Toxicology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Rosa Mercadante
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Danuta Mielżyńska-Švach
- Department of Medical Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, WST University of Technology, 40-555 Katowice, Poland
| | - Sofia Pavanello
- Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padova, 35128 Padua, Italy
| | - Silvia Fustinoni
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20122 Milan, Italy
- Environmental and Industrial Toxicology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, 20122 Milan, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Lovreglio P, De Palma G, Barbieri A, Andreoli R, Drago I, Greco L, Gallo E, Diomede L, Scaramuzzo P, Ricossa MC, Fostinelli J, Apostoli P, Soleo L. Biological monitoring of exposure to low concentrations of benzene in workers at a metallurgical coke production plant: new insights into S-phenylmercapturic acid and urinary benzene. Biomarkers 2017; 23:70-77. [DOI: 10.1080/1354750x.2017.1387935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Piero Lovreglio
- Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, Section of Occupational Medicine “E.C. Vigliani”, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | - Giuseppe De Palma
- Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences and Public Health Section of Public Health and Human Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Anna Barbieri
- Department of Medical and Surgical Science, Section of Public Health and Human Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Roberta Andreoli
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Laboratory of Industrial Toxicology, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Ignazio Drago
- Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, Section of Occupational Medicine “E.C. Vigliani”, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | - Luciano Greco
- Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, Section of Occupational Medicine “E.C. Vigliani”, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Gallo
- Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, Section of Occupational Medicine “E.C. Vigliani”, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | - Laura Diomede
- Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, Section of Occupational Medicine “E.C. Vigliani”, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | - Pietro Scaramuzzo
- Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, Section of Occupational Medicine “E.C. Vigliani”, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | - Maria Cristina Ricossa
- Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences and Public Health Section of Public Health and Human Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Jacopo Fostinelli
- Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences and Public Health Section of Public Health and Human Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Pietro Apostoli
- Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences and Public Health Section of Public Health and Human Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Leonardo Soleo
- Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, Section of Occupational Medicine “E.C. Vigliani”, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
He Q, Yan Y, Zhang Y, Wang X, Wang Y. Coke workers' exposure to volatile organic compounds in northern China: a case study in Shanxi Province. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2015; 187:359. [PMID: 25975238 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-015-4582-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2014] [Accepted: 04/16/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
China is the largest coke producer and exporter in the world, and it has been a major concern that large populations of coke workers are exposed to the associated air pollutants such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs). This study aimed to preliminarily quantify the potential exposure to VOCs emitted from two representative coking plants and assess the potential health risks. Air samples from various stages of coking were collected from the topside of coke ovens and various plant areas and then analyzed for benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX). The time-weighted average (TWA) concentrations were used to quantify the coke oven emission (COE). The TWA concentrations for benzene were 705.6 and 290.4 μg m(-3) in plant A and plant B, respectively, which showed a higher exposure level than those reported in other countries. COE varied on the topside of coke ovens during charging and pushing processes, from 268.3 to 1197.7 μg m(-3) in plant A and 85.4-489.7 μg m(-3) in plant B. Our results indicate that benzene exposure from the diffusion of tar distillation also exerts significant health risks and thus should also be concerned. Charging and pushing activities accounted for nearly 70 % of benzene dose at the topside, and the benzene exposure risks to the coke oven workers in China were higher than those reported by US EPA. Compared to the reported emission sources, the weight-based ratios of average benzene to toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene in different COE air samples showed unique characteristic profiles. Based on the B/T ratios from this work and from literatures on several major cities in northern China, it was evident that COE contributes significantly to the severe pollution of VOCs in the air of northern China. Future more rigorous studies are warranted to characterize VOC emission profiles in the stack gas of the coking processes in China.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qiusheng He
- College of Environment and Safety, Taiyuan University of Science and Technology, Taiyuan, 030024, China,
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
8
|
Rocha LP, Cezar-Vaz MR, Almeida MCVD, Bonow CA, Silva MSD, Costa VZD. Use of personal protective equipment by gas stations workers: a nursing contribution. TEXTO & CONTEXTO ENFERMAGEM 2014. [DOI: 10.1590/s0104-07072014000100023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
This study's objective was to identify the use of personal protective equipment by gas stations' workers in the city of Rio Grande, RS, Brazil. This quantitative, descriptive and exploratory study was conducted with 221 workers from 22 gas stations using a questionnaire and non-participative and symmetrical observation. Descriptive statistics were used in the analysis and question quality was controlled through Cronbach's alpha test, which obtained a result of 0.96. The results indicate a predominance of multitasking, while workers self-reported the use of boots, aprons, gloves, masks, goggles, earplugs and uniforms. Observation, however, showed incoherence in the workers' reports, since only boots and uniforms were actually used. The results show there is a need for nurses to implement protective and preventive actions to assure workers are not exposed to risks and hazards, while also encouraging health surveillance.
Collapse
|
9
|
Risk perception and occupational accidents: a study of gas station workers in southern Brazil. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2012; 9:2362-77. [PMID: 22851948 PMCID: PMC3407909 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph9072362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2012] [Revised: 06/09/2012] [Accepted: 06/27/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The present study aimed to identify the perceptions of gas station workers about physical, chemical, biological and physiological risk factors to which they are exposed in their work environment; identify types of occupational accidents involving gas station workers and; report the development of a socioenvironmental intervention as a tool for risk communication to gas station workers. A quantitative study was performed with 221 gas station workers in southern Brazil between October and December 2010. Data collection was performed between October to December 2010 via structured interviews. The data were analyzed using SPSS 19.0. The participants identified the following risk types: chemical (93.7%), physical (88.2%), physiological (64.3%) and biological (62.4%). In this sample, 94.1% of gas station workers reported occupational accidents, and 74.2% reported fuel contact with the eyes (p < 0.05). It is concluded that workers perceive risks, and that they tend to relate risks with the occurrence of occupational accidents as an indicator of the dangerous nature of their work environment.
Collapse
|
10
|
Benzene Exposure During Tunnelling—Using Biological Monitoring to Assess Control Measures and Working Practice. ANNALS OF OCCUPATIONAL HYGIENE 2011; 55:248-52. [DOI: 10.1093/annhyg/mer001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
|