Seasonal Influence on the Performance of Low-Cost NO Sensor Calibrations.

Low-cost sensor technology has been available for several years and has the potential to complement official monitoring networks. The current generation of nitrogen dioxide (NO) sensors suffers from various technical problems. This study explores the added value of calibration models based on (multiple) linear regression including cross terms on the performance of an electrochemical NO sensor, the B43F manufactured by Alphasense.

Assessment of PM Exposure during Cycle Trips in The Netherlands Using Low-Cost Sensors.

Air pollution, especially fine particulate matter (PM), is a major environmental risk factor for human health in Europe. Monitoring of air quality takes place using expensive reference stations. Low-cost sensors are a promising addition to this official monitoring network as they add spatial and temporal resolution at low cost.

Effectiveness of a Multidimensional Randomized Control Intervention to Reduce Quartz Exposure Among Construction Workers.

There is little evidence with respect to the effectiveness of intervention programs that focus on the reduction of occupational quartz exposure in the construction industry. This article evaluates the effectiveness of a multidimensional intervention which was aimed at reducing occupational quartz exposure among construction workers by increasing the use of technical control measures. Eight companies participating in the cluster randomized controlled trial were randomly allocated to the intervention (four companies) or control condition (four companies).

Process evaluation of an intervention program to reduce occupational quartz exposure among Dutch construction workers.

Objectives: Evaluate the process of an intervention in the construction industry to reduce quartz exposure.

Methods: In a cluster randomized controlled trial, data on seven process aspects (ie, recruitment, reach, dose delivered, dose received, fidelity, satisfaction, and context) were quantitatively collected on manager and worker levels.

Results: Dose delivered was 95% for the plenary sessions and 20% for the worksite visit.

'Relieved Working' study: systematic development and design of an intervention to decrease occupational quartz exposure at construction worksites.

Background: Occupational quartz exposure continues to be a serious hazard in the construction industry. Until now, evidence-based interventions aimed at reducing quartz exposure are scarce. The aim of this study was to systematically develop an intervention and to describe the study to evaluate its effectiveness.

Quartz and respirable dust in the Dutch construction industry: a baseline exposure assessment as part of a multidimensional intervention approach.

Quartz exposure can cause several respiratory health effects. Although quartz exposure has been described in several observational workplace studies, well-designed intervention studies that investigate the effect of control strategies are lacking. This article describes a baseline exposure study that is part of a multidimensional intervention program aiming to reduce quartz exposure among construction workers.

Advanced REACH Tool: a Bayesian model for occupational exposure assessment.

This paper describes a Bayesian model for the assessment of inhalation exposures in an occupational setting; the methodology underpins a freely available web-based application for exposure assessment, the Advanced REACH Tool (ART). The ART is a higher tier exposure tool that combines disparate sources of information within a Bayesian statistical framework. The information is obtained from expert knowledge expressed in a calibrated mechanistic model of exposure assessment, data on inter- and intra-individual variability in exposures from the literature, and context-specific exposure measurements.

Reliability of the Advanced REACH Tool (ART).

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the reliability of the Advanced REACH Tool (ART) by (i) studying interassessor agreement of the resulting exposure estimates generated by the ART mechanistic model, (ii) studying interassessor agreement per model parameters of the ART mechanistic model, (iii) investigating assessor characteristics resulting in reliable estimates, and (iv) estimating the effect of training on assessor agreement.

Methods: Prior to the 1-day workshop, participants had to assess four scenarios with the ART. During two 1-day workshops, 54 participants received 3-h training in applying the mechanistic model and the technical aspects of the web tool.

The Advanced REACH Tool (ART): incorporation of an exposure measurement database.

This article describes the structure, functionalities, and content of the Advanced REACH Tool (ART) exposure database (version 1.5). The incorporation of the exposure database into ART allows users who do not have their own measurement data for their exposure scenario, to update the exposure estimates produced by the mechanistic model using analogous measurement series selected from the ART exposure measurement database.

Industrial production and professional application of manufactured nanomaterials-enabled end products in Dutch industries: potential for exposure.

Background: In order to make full use of the opportunities while responsibly managing the risks of working with manufactured nanomaterials (MNM), we need to gain insight into the potential level of exposure to MNM in the industry. Therefore, the goal of this study was to obtain an overview of the potential MNM exposure scenarios within relevant industrial sectors, applied exposure controls, and number of workers potentially exposed to MNM in Dutch industrial sectors producing and applying MNM-enabled end products in the Netherlands.

Methods: A survey was conducted in three phases: (i) identification of MNM-enabled end products; (ii) identification of relevant industrial sectors; and (iii) a tiered telephone survey to estimate actual use of the products among 40 sector organizations/knowledge centres (Tier 1), 350 randomly selected companies (Tier 2), and 110 actively searched companies (Tier 3).

The relationship between inadvertent ingestion and dermal exposure pathways: a new integrated conceptual model and a database of dermal and oral transfer efficiencies.

Occupational inadvertent ingestion exposure is ingestion exposure due to contact between the mouth and contaminated hands or objects. Although individuals are typically oblivious to their exposure by this route, it is a potentially significant source of occupational exposure for some substances. Due to the continual flux of saliva through the oral cavity and the non-specificity of biological monitoring to routes of exposure, direct measurement of exposure by the inadvertent ingestion route is challenging; predictive models may be required to assess exposure.

Stoffenmanager Nano version 1.0: a web-based tool for risk prioritization of airborne manufactured nano objects.

Stoffenmanager Nano (version 1.0) is a risk-banding tool developed for employers and employees to prioritize health risks occurring as a result of exposure to manufactured nano objects (MNOs) for a broad range of worker scenarios and to assist implementation of control measures to reduce exposure levels. In order to prioritize the health risks, the Stoffenmanager Nano combines the available hazard information of a substance with a qualitative estimate of potential for inhalation exposure.

Harmonization of measurement strategies for exposure to manufactured nano-objects; report of a workshop.

The present paper summarizes the outcome of the discussions at the First International Scientific Workshop on Harmonization of Strategies to Measure and Analyze Exposure to (Manufactured) Nano-objects in Workplace Air that was organized and hosted by the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) and the Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the German Social Accident Insurance (IFA) (Zeist, The Netherlands, December 2010). It reflects the discussions by 25 international participants in the area of occupational (nano) exposure assessment from Europe, USA, Japan, and Korea on nano-specific issues related to the three identified topics: (i) measurement strategies; (ii) analyzing, evaluating, and reporting of exposure data; and (iii) core information for (exposure) data storage. Preliminary recommendations were achieved with respect to (i) a multimetric approach to exposure assessment, a minimal set of data to be collected, and basic data analysis and reporting as well as (ii) a minimum set of contextual information to be collected and reported.

Advanced REACH Tool: development and application of the substance emission potential modifying factor.

The Advanced REACH Tool (ART) is an exposure assessment tool that combines mechanistically modelled inhalation exposure estimates with available exposure data using a Bayesian approach. The mechanistic model is based on nine independent principal modifying factors (MF). One of these MF is the substance emission potential, which addresses the intrinsic substance properties as determinants of the emission from a source.

Advanced REACH Tool (ART): overview of version 1.0 and research needs.

This paper provides an outline of the Advanced REACH Tool (ART) version 1.0 and a discussion of how it could be further developed. ART is a higher tier exposure assessment tool that combines mechanistically modelled inhalation exposure predictions with available exposure data using a Bayesian approach.

Use of the MEGA exposure database for the validation of the Stoffenmanager model.

Objectives: This paper explores the usefulness of the exposure database MEGA for model validation and evaluates the capability of two Stoffenmanager model equations (i.e. handling of powders/granules and machining) to estimate workers exposure to inhalable dust.

Revisiting the effect of room size and general ventilation on the relationship between near- and far-field air concentrations.

Objectives: In 1999, Cherrie carried out a series of mathematical simulations to investigate dispersion of pollutants through two indoor zones: the near-field (NF) and the far-field (FF). The results of these simulations were used to derive modifying factors for use in exposure modeling. However, in the original simulations, no account was taken of deposition on surfaces, either from sedimentation of aerosols or other mechanisms or the potential effects of intermittent or short duration sources.

Advanced Reach Tool (ART): development of the mechanistic model.

This paper describes the development of the mechanistic model within a collaborative project, referred to as the Advanced REACH Tool (ART) project, to develop a tool to model inhalation exposure for workers sharing similar operational conditions across different industries and locations in Europe. The ART mechanistic model is based on a conceptual framework that adopts a source receptor approach, which describes the transport of a contaminant from the source to the receptor and defines seven independent principal modifying factors: substance emission potential, activity emission potential, localized controls, segregation, personal enclosure, surface contamination, and dispersion. ART currently differentiates between three different exposure types: vapours, mists, and dust (fumes, fibres, and gases are presently excluded).

Classification of occupational activities for assessment of inhalation exposure.

There is a large variety of activities in workplaces that can lead to emission of substances. Coding systems based on determinants of emission have so far not been developed. In this paper, a system of Activity Classes and Activity Subclasses is proposed for categorizing activities involving chemical use.

Cost-benefit analysis in occupational health: a comparison of intervention scenarios for occupational asthma and rhinitis among bakery workers.

Objectives: Use of cost-benefit analysis in occupational health increases insight into the intervention strategy that maximises the cost-benefit ratio. This study presents a methodological framework identifying the most important elements of a cost-benefit analysis for occupational health settings. One of the main aims of the methodology is to evaluate cost-benefit ratios for different stakeholders (employers, employees and society).

Validation of the inhalable dust algorithm of the Advanced REACH Tool using a dataset from the pharmaceutical industry.

As it is often difficult to obtain sufficient numbers of measurements to adequately characterise exposure levels, occupational exposure models may be useful tools in the exposure assessment process. This study aims to refine and validate the inhalable dust algorithm of the Advanced REACH Tool (ART) to predict airborne exposure of workers in the pharmaceutical industry. The ART was refined to reflect pharmaceutical situations.

Advanced REACH Tool (ART): calibration of the mechanistic model.

The mechanistic model of the Advanced Reach Tool (ART) provides a relative ranking of exposure levels from different scenarios. The objectives of the calibration described in this paper are threefold: to study whether the mechanistic model scores are accurately ranked in relation to exposure measurements; to enable the mechanistic model to estimate actual exposure levels rather than relative scores; and to provide a method of quantifying model uncertainty. Stringent data quality guidelines were applied to the collated data.

Conceptual model for assessment of inhalation exposure to manufactured nanoparticles.

As workplace air measurements of manufactured nanoparticles are relatively expensive to conduct, models can be helpful for a first tier assessment of exposure. A conceptual model was developed to give a framework for such models. The basis for the model is an analysis of the fate and underlying mechanisms of nanoparticles emitted by a source during transport to a receptor.

What is the best strategy to reduce the burden of occupational asthma and allergy in bakers?

Rationale: Insight into the effectiveness of intervention strategies will help realise a decrease in the occupational disease burden from (allergic) respiratory diseases in the bakery population.

Objectives: To use a simulation model to assess the impact of different intervention strategies on the disease burden of the bakery population over time.

Methods: A recently developed dynamic population based model was used to prospectively evaluate the impact on disease burden resulting from different intervention strategies.

Variability of biomarkers in volunteer studies: The biological component.

Biological monitoring has become one of the methods to measure exposure, with the advantage that it gives information about the concentration of a substance that actually enters the body and reflects the inter-individual differences in uptake and metabolic variation. However, limited information is available on inter- and intra-individual variability of biomarkers. The aim of this study was to gather information about the biological component of inter-individual variation in biomarkers using results from volunteer studies.