Measurements of airborne asbestos fibres during refurbishing

Although the use of asbestos fibres in building materials has been prohibited in Norway since 1985, asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) are still found in many buildings. Lack of knowledge and awareness of these materials may lead to exposure during refurbishing. The aim of this study was to investigate the airborne fibre concentration and classify fibres found during the abatement of various ACMs. The release of fibres during short-term work tasks, such as drilling and sawing, was also investigated. Parallel air samples were collected during asbestos abetment of different building materials and analysed with scanning electron microscope (SEM) and phase-contrast microscope (PCM), respectively. Material samples were analysed with SEM. A real-time fibre monitor was used to measure asbestos during short-term work. The highest fibre concentrations were measured for samples collected during the removal of asbestos insulating boards (1.5-4.5 fibres/cm3 [f/cm3]), and the numbers were relatively similar for SEM and PCM. A large difference in asbestos concentrations was found between SEM and PCM when analysing floor materials, which were probably caused by a high number of gypsum fibres that the PCM operator counted. Thin fibres (<0.2 µm in width) were included in the SEM count and constituted up to 50% of the total fibre concentration for the asbestos cement materials. The presence of other inorganic and organic fibres on these samples probably led to similar results between SEM and PCM. Short-term work led to peak concentrations above 30 f/cm3.

Influence of Shift Work on Arterial Stiffness and Systemic Inflammation: A 3-Year Follow-up Study in Industry

OBJECTIVE

To assess changes in cardiovascular disease risk factors during a 3-year follow-up among 57 rotating shift workers and 29 day workers in industry.

METHODS

We collected demographics by questionnaire, examined blood pressure, heart rate, pulse wave velocity, carotid media thickness, and maximal oxygen uptake. We assessed blood samples for determination of lipids, glycosylated hemoglobin, C-reactive protein, markers of inflammation, and particle concentrations/respirable dust. Baseline comparisons were analyzed using logistic regression (plaque) and linear regression for all other outcomes. We applied mixed models to assess differences in change in health outcomes between the shift workers and the day workers.

RESULTS

At baseline, the adhesion molecules soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 and soluble P-selectin were elevated among the shift workers compared with that of the day workers. There was a significant difference in change in pulse wave velocity between shift workers (1.29-m/s increase) and day workers (0.11-m/s increase) over the 3-year follow-up. Respirable dust levels were below the Norwegian occupational exposure limit.

CONCLUSIONS

Shift work in industry is associated with arterial stiffening reflecting increased risk for future cardiovascular disease. More uncertainly, we found some support for systemic inflammation.

Chemical characterization of combustion engine exhaust and assessment of helicopter deck operator occupational exposures on an offshore frigate class ship

Diesel engine exhaust (DE) consists of a complex mixture of gases and aerosols, originating from sources such as engines, turbines, and power generators. It is composed of a wide range of toxic compounds ranging from constituents that are irritating to those that are carcinogenic. The purposes of this work were to characterize DE originating from different engine types on a ship operating offshore and to quantify the potential exposure of workers on the ship's helicopter deck to select DE compounds. Sampling was conducted on a Norwegian Nansen-class frigate that included helicopter operations. Frigate engines and generators were fueled by marine diesel oil, while the helicopter engine was fueled by high flash point kerosene-type aviation fuel. Exhaust samples were collected directly from the stack of the diesel engine and one of the diesel generator exhaust stacks, inside a gas turbine exhaust stack, and at the exhaust outlet of the helicopter. To characterize the different exhaust sources, non-targeted screening of volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds was performed for multiple chemical classes. Some of the compounds detected at the sources are known irritants, such as phthalic anhydride, 2,5-dyphenyl-p-benzoquinone, styrene, cinnoline, and phenyl maleic anhydride. The exhaust from the diesel engine and diesel generator was found to contain the highest amounts of particulate matter and gaseous compounds, while the gas turbine had the lowest emissions. Personal exposure samples were collected outdoors in the breathing zone of a helicopter deck operator over nine working shifts, simultaneously with stationary measurements on the helicopter deck. Elemental carbon, nitrogen dioxide, and several volatile organic compounds are known to be present in DE, such as formaldehyde, acrolein, and phenol were specifically targeted. Measured DE exposures of the crew on the helicopter deck were variable, but less than the current European occupational exposure limits for all compounds, except elemental carbon, in which concentration varied between 0.5 and 37 µg/m³ over nine work shifts. These findings are among the first published for this type of working environment.

Nano- and microplastics: a comprehensive review on their exposure routes, translocation, and fate in humans

Contamination of the environment with nano-and microplastic particles (NMPs) and its putative adverse effects on organisms, ecosystems, and human health is gaining increasing scientific and public attention. Various studies show that NMPs occur abundantly within the environment, leading to a high likelihood of human exposure to NMPs. Here, different exposure scenarios can occur. The most notable exposure routes of NMPs into the human body are via the airways and gastrointestinal tract (GIT) through inhalation or ingestion, but also via the skin due to the use of personal care products (PCPs) containing NMPs. Once NMPs have entered the human body, it is possible that they are translocated from the exposed organ to other body compartments. In our review article, we combine the current knowledge on the (1) exposure routes of NMPs to humans with the basic understanding of the potential (2) translocation mechanisms into human tissues and, consequently, their (3) fate within the human body. Regarding the (1) exposure routes, we reviewed the current knowledge on the occurrence of NMPs in food, beverages, personal care products and the air (focusing on indoors and workplaces) and found that the studies suggest an abundant presence of MPs within the exposure scenarios. The overall abundance of MPs in exposure matrices relevant to humans highlights the importance of understanding whether NMPs have the potential for tissue translocation. Therefore, we describe the current knowledge on the potential (2) translocation pathways of NMPs from the skin, GIT and respiratory systems to other body compartments. Here, particular attention was paid to how likely NMPs can translocate from the primary exposed organs to secondary organs due to naturally occurring defence mechanisms against tissue translocation. Based on the current understanding, we conclude that a dermal translocation of NMPs is rather unlikely. In contrast, small MPs and NPs can generally translocate from the GIT and respiratory system to other tissues. Thus, we reviewed the existing literature on the (3) fate of NMPs within the human body. Based on the current knowledge of the contamination of human exposure routes and the potential translocation mechanisms, we critically discuss the size of the detected particles reported in the fate studies. In some cases, the particles detected in human tissue samples exceed the size of a particle to overcome biological barriers allowing particle translocation into tissues. Therefore, we emphasize the importance of critically reading and discussing the presented results of NMP in human tissue samples.

Physicochemical characterization of particulate matter in a cement production plant

Employees working in cement production plants are exposed to airborne particulate matter (PM) which may lead to lung function impairments and airway symptoms. The PM consists of raw materials, clinker and additives which vary depending on cement blend. The aim of this work was to characterize the thoracic fraction of PM with regard to size, phase composition and mixing state. Both stationary and personal impactors were used to collect size-fractionated samples in a cement production plant in Norway. Stationary samples were measured with aerosol particle counters and collected with a 13-stage cascade impactor, which were stationed at three locations of the cement production plant: at the raw meal mill, clinker conveyor belt and cement mill. Sioutas cascade impactors, and thoracic and respirable dust samplers were used in parallel for personal sampling. Additionally, particles for electron microscopy were collected with the stationary cascade impactor for size-fractionated single particle characterization. Gravimetric measurements and element compositions of the samples from the stationary impactors show that the PM mass is dominated by calcium-rich particles of size >1 μm. The size distribution results of stationary and personal impactors were similar. Characterization of single particles reveals that limestone is the dominating material in the raw meal mill, whereas clinker and limestone dominate at the clinker conveyor belt and at the cement mill. The element composition of clinker PM did not change with particle size. The PM collected on impactor stages with aerodynamic diameter cut-offs below 0.56 μm was dominated by soot and volatile secondary particles at the three locations. The number of ultrafine particles of the cement related compounds was low. Air concentrations of PM in personal respirable and thoracic samples ranged from 0.14-10 mg m^-3 to 0.37-9.5 mg m^-3, respectively. Considerable local variations exist, both in composition and air concentration of the PM.

Characterisation of Particles Emitted during Laser Cutting of Various Metal Sheets and an Exposure Assessment for the Laser Operators

Laser cutting is used in many industrial settings to achieve precise cuts of metal sheets. Laser operators may be exposed to particles formed during cutting when opening the cabinet or when metal sheets are exchanged. To characterise the potential exposure, particles formed during laser cutting were studied with scanning electron microscopy equipped with an energy dispersive X-ray detector and an energy backscatter diffraction detector. The total concentration of particles (11-615 nm) was determined online with a scanning mobility particle sizer. The chemical composition of the particles formed during the cutting of the different metal sheets was determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). X-ray diffraction was applied to determine the phase composition. The occupational exposure was assessed gravimetrically and by ICP-MS for five laser operators handling different laser cutters, and materials and were found to be low. Agglomerates and aggregates of condensation particles were formed during laser cutting, independent of the sheet type. Iron, present as both magnetite and α-Fe, was the main element found in the particles formed when cutting steel sheets. The size of the particles generated was mainly below 300 nm. Open laser cutters may lead to higher metal exposures, which is especially relevant when cutting metal sheets containing heavy metals.

Occupational Exposure among Electronic Repair Workers in Ghana

Electronic repair workers may be exposed to lead, mercury, cadmium and other elements including rare earth elements used in electronic equipment. In this study, repair work took place in small repair shops where, e.g., televisions, radios, video players, compact discs and computers were repaired. Personal full-shift air samples of particulate matter were collected among 64 electronic repair workers in Kumasi (Ghana) and analysed for 29 elements by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Results showed that air concentrations of all elements were low. The highest air concentration was measured for iron with a geometric mean concentration and geometric standard deviation of 6.3 ± 0.001 µg/m3. The corresponding concentration of Pb and Hg were 157 ± 3 ng/m3 and 0.2 ± 2.7 ng/m3, respectively. The cerium concentration of 5 ± 2 ng/m3 was the highest among the rare earth elements. Source apportionment with ranked principal component analysis indicated that 63% of the variance could be explained by the repair and soldering of electronic components such as batteries, magnets, displays and printed circuit boards. An association between concentrations of lead in the workroom air and lead in whole blood was found (Pearson’s correlation coefficient r = 0.42, p < 0.001). There was, however, no statistically significant difference between whole blood lead concentrations in the workers and references indicating that lead did not exclusively originate from occupational exposure.

Particle characterisation and bioaccessibility of manganese in particulate matter in silico- and ferromanganese smelters

The aim of this study was to characterise particulate matter (PM) collected in the furnace area during SiMn and high carbon (HC)-FeMn production in terms of single particle analysis and to determine the bioaccessibility of Mn in the PM in a simulated lung fluid. Airborne PM was collected with Sioutas cascade impactors and respirable cyclones in the breathing zone of tappers and crane operators. Stationary samples were collected from the furnace area with a nanoMOUDI cascade impactor and an ESPnano electrostatic particle collector. Individual particles were characterised by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Bioaccessibility of Mn was studied in terms of the dissolution of Mn in Gamble solution (24 hours leaching at 37 °C) relative to total Mn. Slag particles, alloy fragments, Mn and Fe oxides as well as carbonaceous particles were observed in the size fraction > 1 μm aerodynamic diameter (d_ae). Thermally generated condensation particles dominated the d_ae size range of 0.18-1 μm collected from the tapping fumes, while carbonaceous particles dominated the fraction below 0.18 μm. Condensation generated particles from the furnace area of HC-FeMn production were coated with an amorphous Si-O rich surface layer which seemed to hold primary particles together as aggregates. In the same size range, the particles from the furnace area of SiMn production were dominated by spherical condensation particles rich in Si, Mn and O, but without a Si-O rich surface layer. Instead, the Mn oxides were enclosed in an amorphous Si-O rich matrix. The bioaccessibility of Mn was low to moderate (<30%), but higher for SiMn furnace workers (highest median = 23%) than HC-FeMn furnace workers (highest median = 12%). This difference in bioaccessibility was significant for PM with d_ae up to 2.5 μm, and most pronounced in the d_ae size range between 0.25 and 1.0 μm. Also, a significantly higher bioaccessibility of Mn was found for PM larger than d_ae of 0.5 μm collected among crane operators compared to tappers in the HC-FeMn smelter.

Comparative analysis of swine leukocyte antigen gene diversity in European farmed pigs

In Europe, swine represent economically important farm animals and furthermore have become a preferred preclinical large animal model for biomedical studies, transplantation and regenerative medicine research. The need for typing of the swine leukocyte antigen (SLA) is increasing with the expanded use of pigs as models for human diseases and organ‐transplantation experiments and their use in infection studies and for design of veterinary vaccines. In this study, we characterised the SLA class I (SLA‐1, SLA‐2, SLA‐3) and class II (DRB1, DQB1, DQA) genes of 549 farmed pigs representing nine commercial pig lines by low‐resolution (Lr) SLA haplotyping. In total, 50 class I and 37 class II haplotypes were identified in the studied cohort. The most common SLA class I haplotypes Lr‐04.0 (SLA‐1*04XX‐SLA‐3*04XX(04:04)‐SLA‐2*04XX) and Lr‐32.0 (SLA‐1*07XX‐SLA‐3*04XX(04:04)‐SLA‐2*02XX) occurred at frequencies of 11.02 and 8.20% respectively. For SLA class II, the most prevalent haplotypes Lr‐0.15b (DRB1*04XX(04:05/04:06)‐DQB1*02XX(02:02)‐DQA*02XX) and Lr‐0.12 (DRB1*06XX‐DQB1*07XX‐DQA*01XX) occurred at frequencies of 14.37 and 12.46% respectively. Meanwhile, our laboratory has contributed to several vaccine correlation studies (e.g. Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus, Classical Swine Fever Virus, Foot‐and‐Mouth Disease Virus and Swine Influenza A Virus) elucidating the immunodominance in the T‐cell response with antigen specificity dependent on certain SLA‐I and SLA‐II haplotypes. Moreover, these SLA–immune response correlations could facilitate tailored vaccine development, as SLA‐I Lr‐04.0 and Lr‐32.0 as well as SLA‐II Lr‐0.15b and Lr‐0.12 are highly abundant haplotypes in European farmed pigs.

Mobilization of asbestos fibers by weathering of a corrugated asbestos cement roof

Mobilization of asbestos fibers from a 60-year-old corrugated asbestos cement roof was studied in material samples collected from a domestic house in Southern-Norway. Samples included pieces of the roof itself, rainfall simulated run off-water and moss growing on the roof surface. Weathered roof debris below the rain water system was investigated for asbestos fibers leached from the roof, and air samples were collected for asbestos concentrations in ambient air. Micrographs obtained by scanning electron microscopy show that weathering exposed asbestos fibers on the deteriorated roof surface. A high number of fibers found in the run off-water as well as in the weathered roof debris sample illustrates that exposed fibers are prone to mobilization. Investigation of weathering-induced magnesium depletion by scanning electron microscopy energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy of asbestos fibers collected from the moss, roof underside and surface revealed that fibers had MgO weight % comparable to reference material. The major element chemistry of the fibers is therefore unaltered. Our findings demonstrate that care must be taken when working on and handling old corrugated asbestos cement roof as asbestos fibers might be released. In order to limit exposure to mobile fibers, moss covering asbestos cement roof should not be removed.

Wild boars from Sweden, Austria, the Czech Republic and Japan possess intact mannose-binding lectin 2 (MBL2) genes

The two-nucleotide deletion recently detected in the mannose-binding lectin 2 gene in purebred and crossbred domestic pigs was not found among 68 wild boars representing 4 populations from Europe and Asia. This suggests that the deletion is a result of breeding and/or genetic drift/bottle necks.