Personal exposure to aldehydes and potential health risks among schoolchildren in the city.

Schoolchildren are sensitive to airborne aldehyde exposures. The knowledge regarding inhalation exposure to aldehydes and the factors influencing exposure in schoolchildren is limited. This study aimed to assess the variability and potential health risks of exposure to aldehydes (including formaldehyde) in schoolchildren.

Rapid identification and monitoring of cooking oil fume-based toxic volatile organic aldehydes in lung tissue for predicting exposure level and cancer risks.

Cooking oil fumes (COFs) comprised of a mixture of cancer-causing volatile organic aldehydes (VOAs), particularly trans, trans-2,4-decadienal (t,t-DDE), 4-hydroxy-hexenal (4-HHE), and 4-hydroxy-nonenal (4-HNE). Monitoring toxic VOAs levels in people exposed to different cooking conditions is vital to predicting the cancer risk. For this purpose, we developed a fast tissue extraction (FaTEx) technique combined with UHPLC-MS/MS to monitor three toxic VOAs in mice lung tissue samples.

Impacts of COVID-19's restriction measures on personal exposure to VOCs and aldehydes in Taipei City.

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic provided an unprecedented natural experiment, that allowed us to investigate the impacts of different restrictive measures on personal exposure to specific volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and aldehydes and resulting health risks in the city. Ambient concentrations of the criteria air pollutants were also evaluated. Passive sampling for VOCs and aldehydes was conducted for graduate students and ambient air in Taipei, Taiwan, during the Level 3 warning (strict control measures) and Level 2 alert (loosened control measures) of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021-2022.

Particulate matters, aldehydes, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons produced from deep-frying emissions: comparisons of three cooking oils with distinct fatty acid profiles.

It is recognized that hazardous emissions produced from frying oils may be related to oil properties, particularly the fatty acid composition. However, investigations have been limited and partial. In this work, the emissions from deep-frying foods with three oils (palm, olive, and soybean oils) with distinct fatty acid profiles were comprehensively examined in a simulated kitchen, and the interrelationship among emitted substances, oil quality parameters, and fatty acids profiles was explored.

Comparison of Effects of N95 Respirators and Surgical Masks to Physiological and Psychological Health among Healthcare Workers: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Since the onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, wearing facemasks has become more important for healthcare workers. This study aimed to investigate and compare the influence of wearing N95 respirators and surgical masks for 8 h on physiological and psychological health. Sixty-eight healthcare workers were randomly assigned to the N95 respirator or surgical mask groups.

Gender differences and site-specific incident risks of musculoskeletal disorders among 224 506 workers in the food and beverage service industry in Taiwan: A 15-year Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study.

Objectives: Occupational characteristics in the food and beverage service industry (FBSI) have been found to be associated with musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). This study aimed to examine gender and site-specific incident risks of MSDs among FBSI workers in Taiwan using a national population-based database.

Methods: We conducted a 15-year population-based cohort study among 224 506 FBSI workers in Taiwan using data from five large nationwide databases to estimate direct standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) for identifying specific MSDs related to overexertion and repetitiveness during work.

Risk of two common glandular cell-type cancers (breast and colorectal cancers) in Chinese occupational chefs: a nationwide ecological study in Taiwan.

Objectives: Cooking oil fumes (COFs) contain many carcinogens. We investigated the association between COFs and incidence risk of colorectal cancer and female breast in chefs.

Methods: We identified Chinese food chefs and non-Chinese food chefs from Taiwan's national database of certified chefs in 1984-2007.

Reduction of aldehyde emission and attribution of environment burden in cooking fumes from food stalls using a novel fume collector.

Uncontrolled cooking emissions from commercial kitchens are problematic due to their corresponding health effects and malodors. To reduce cooking emissions, medium and large commercial kitchens install air pollution control devices, such as electrostatic precipitators and wet scrubbers, while small-scale commercial cooking workplaces, such as street-food stalls, use smaller, simpler, and less costly filtration and absorption devices. However, these smaller devices may be poorly designed and recirculate cooking emissions in the workplace.

Simulating the spatiotemporal distribution of BTEX with an hourly grid-scale model.

Modeling approaches have been utilized to simulate ambient pollutant concentrations, but very limited efforts have been made to estimate volatile organic compounds in the atmosphere. For this reason, an hourly grid-scale simulation model was developed to determine ambient air concentrations of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX). BTEX data were collected over a one-year time frame from the database of the Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration's photochemical assessment monitoring stations.

Optimal Regimen of N-Acetylcysteine on Chromium-Induced Renal Cell Damage.

Chromium (Cr) is a well-known heavy metal that can cause renal damage. The production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) due to chromium-induced toxicity induces cell dysfunction, apoptosis, and death. N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is an antioxidant used as an antidote for chromium-induced toxicity.

Canned food intake and urinary bisphenol a concentrations: a randomized crossover intervention study.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is an endocrine disruptor. To evaluate the effect of canned food consumption on internal BPA dose, urinary BPA concentrations were measured before and after intake of canned foods. This study applied a randomized crossover design, recruited 20 healthy volunteers, and divided them into two groups.

Risk assessment of personal exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and aldehydes in three commercial cooking workplaces.

Cooking-related emissions are associated with environmental pollution and adverse health effects. Of the various chemical species emitted during cooking, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and aldehydes are two chemical species with carcinogenic or tumor promoting characteristics. Although PAH exposure has been studied in commercial kitchen workers, few studies have investigated simultaneous exposure to PAHs and aldehydes in these workers.

Breast cancer is associated with methylation and expression of the a disintegrin and metalloproteinase domain 33 (ADAM33) gene affected by endocrine‑disrupting chemicals.

A disintegrin and metalloproteinase domain 33 (ADAM33) gene is a transmembrane glycoprotein that mediates changes in cell adhesion and plays an important role in cancer progression. Since bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates are epigenetically toxic, the purpose of this study was to examine whether BPA and phthalate metabolites, including monoethyl phthalate (MEP), mono‑n‑butyl phthalate (MBP), mono‑isobutyl phthalate (MIBP), mono(2‑ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP), mono(2‑ethyl‑5‑hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (MEHHP), mono(2‑ethyl‑5‑carboxypentyl) phthalate (MECPP), and mono(2‑ethyl‑5‑oxohexyl) phthalate (MEOHP), have an epigenetic impact on ADAM33 and the incidence of breast cancer. CpG islands of breast cancer microarray datasets obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) were used to assess the ADAM33 methylation profile.

Gender differences and lung cancer risk in occupational chefs: analyzing more than 350,000 chefs in Taiwan, 1984-2011.

Objectives: Cooking oil fumes (COFs) contain many carcinogens. We investigated the association between COFs and incidence risk of any cancer and lung cancer in chefs.

Methods: We identified Chinese food chefs and non-Chinese food chefs from Taiwan's national database of certified chefs in 1984-2007.

Promoter methylation status of the tumor suppressor genes p16 and cadherin 1 in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia.

Cervical cancer is the second most common female cancer worldwide. DNA methylation is one of a number of epigenetic regulation mechanisms leading to gene silencing in neoplastic cells. Aberrant methylation results in the silencing of tumor suppressor gene expression, and has been detected in a high percentage of human cancers.

n-Hexane intoxication in a Chinese medicine pharmaceutical plant: a case report.

Background: n-Hexane is a well-known neurotoxicant. Polyneuropathy due to occupational n-hexane exposure has been reported worldwide, however, our case is the first report in the Chinese herb industry.

Case Presentation: A 25-year-old Asian man experienced progressive weakness and numbness in his hands and feet after working as an operator in a Chinese medicine pharmaceutical plant for the manufacture of Chinese herbal pain relief patches for 10 months.

Effects of cooking method, cooking oil, and food type on aldehyde emissions in cooking oil fumes.

Cooking oil fumes (COFs) contain a mixture of chemicals. Of all chemicals, aldehydes draw a great attention since several of them are considered carcinogenic and formation of long-chain aldehydes is related to fatty acids in cooking oils. The objectives of this research were to compare aldehyde compositions and concentrations in COFs produced by different cooking oils, cooking methods, and food types and to suggest better cooking practices.

Ambient Melamine Exposure and Urinary Biomarkers of Early Renal Injury.

Information about environmental exposure to melamine and renal injury in adults is lacking. We investigated this relationship in 44 workers at two melamine tableware manufacturing factories in Taiwan (16 manufacturers, eight grinders, ten packers, and ten administrators) and 105 nonexposed workers (controls) at one shipbuilding company who were enrolled in August-December of 2012. For melamine workers, personal and area air samples were obtained at the worksite over 1 workweek (Monday-Friday).

Volatile organic compound identification and characterization by PCA and mapping at a high-technology science park.

High-technology industries have grown continuously in Taiwan and elsewhere in the world. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) comprise the highest percentage of emissions in these industries. The objectives of this study were to identify VOC sources and to apportion their contributions by using a three-step approach.

Risk evaluation for the development of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia: development and validation of risk-scoring schemes.

Cervical cancer screening guidelines do not comprehensively define what constitutes high risk. This study developed and validated simple risk-scoring schemes to improve Papanicolaou smear screening for women at high risk. Four cumulative risk score (CRS) schemes were derived respectively for the development of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 1 (CIN1) and grade 2 or worse (CIN2+) using community-based case-control data (n = 1523).

Trihalomethanes in drinking water and the risk of death from kidney cancer: does hardness in drinking water matter?

The objectives of this study were to (1) examine the relationship between total trihalomethanes (TTHM) levels in public water supplies and risk of development of kidney cancer and (2) determine whether hardness levels in drinking water modify the effects of TTHM on risk of kidney cancer induction. A matched case-control study was used to investigate the relationship between the risk of death attributed to kidney cancer and exposure to TTHM in drinking water in 53 municipalities in Taiwan. All kidney cancer deaths in the 53 municipalities from 1998 through 2007 were obtained.