Exposure to soluble platinum salts in precious metal refinery workers over a 17-year period.

Background: Occupational exposure to soluble chlorinated platinum (Pt) salts, commonly called chloroplatinates, is a known cause of Pt salt sensitisation (PSS) and occupational asthma. We aimed to model inhalable soluble Pt salts exposure levels based on measurements in precious metal refineries for use in a retrospective cohort study on PSS.

Methods: Five platinum refineries located in the United Kingdom (3 sites), United States, and South Africa provided time weighted average inhalable soluble Pt salts exposure data, measured in 2,982 personal air samples over a 17-year period (2000-2016).

Temporal Trends in Variability of Respirable Dust and Respirable Quartz Concentrations in the European Industrial Minerals Sector.

While between- and within-worker variability have been studied quite extensively, hardly any research is available that examines long-term trends in the variability of occupational exposure. In this first study on trends in occupational exposure variability temporal changes in the variability of respirable dust and respirable quartz concentrations within the European industrial minerals sector were demonstrated. Since 2000 the European Industrial Minerals Association's Dust Monitoring Program (IMA-DMP) has systematically collected respirable dust and respirable quartz measurements.

Is the New EN689 a Better Standard to Test Compliance With Occupational Exposure Limits in the Workplace?

Objective: To evaluate the performance of three measurement strategies to test compliance with occupational exposure limits of similarly exposed groups (SEGs): the old and new versions of EN689, and the BOHS-NVvA guidance on measuring compliance.

Methods: Respirable dust exposures concentrations (n = 1383) measured within the member companies of IMA-Europe were used to compare compliance decisions between the three measurement strategies. A total of 210 SEGs of which 158 with repeated measurements were analysed.

Temporal trends in respirable dust and respirable quartz concentrations within the European industrial minerals sector over a 15-year period (2002-2016).

Objectives: Since 2000 the European Industrial Minerals Association's Dust Monitoring Programme (IMA-DMP) has systematically collected respirable dust and respirable quartz measurements from 35 companies producing industrial minerals. The IMA-DMP initiative allowed for estimating overall temporal trends in exposure concentrations for the years 2002-2016 and for presenting these trends by type of mineral produced, by jobs performed and by time of enrolment into the DMP.

Methods: Approximately 32 000 personal exposure measurements were collected during 29 sampling campaigns during a 15-year period (2002-2016).

Serum levels of decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-209) in women from different European countries and possible relationships with lifestyle and diet.

To determine possible effects of lifestyle, diet, housing and professional activities on differences in individual levels of decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-209) in serum of women, 20 to 40years of age, in The Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Norway and Spain. BDE-209 was measured in serum of 145 female volunteers with no known occupational exposure from Norway, United Kingdom, The Netherlands and Spain. Blood levels of BDE-209 in a subgroup of 40 Dutch women were determined twice at a six months' interval.

15 years of monitoring occupational exposure to respirable dust and quartz within the European industrial minerals sector.

Introduction: In 2000, a prospective Dust Monitoring Program (DMP) was started in which measurements of worker's exposure to respirable dust and quartz are collected in member companies from the European Industrial Minerals Association (IMA-Europe). After 15 years, the resulting IMA-DMP database allows a detailed overview of exposure levels of respirable dust and quartz over time within this industrial sector. Our aim is to describe the IMA-DMP and the current state of the corresponding database which due to continuation of the IMA-DMP is still growing.

Exposure-response analyses for platinum salt-exposed workers and sensitization: A retrospective cohort study among newly exposed workers using routinely collected surveillance data.

Background: Chloroplatinate salts are well-known respiratory sensitizing agents leading to work-related sensitization and allergies in the work environment. No quantitative exposure-response relation has been described for chloroplatinate salts.

Objective: We sought to evaluate the quantitative exposure-response relation between occupational chloroplatinate exposure and sensitization.

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).

A cross-sectional study of exposures, lung function and respiratory symptoms among aluminium cast-house workers.

Unlabelled: OBJECTIVES To investigate exposures, respiratory symptoms, lung function and exposure-response relationships among aluminium cast-house workers.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 182 workers. Exposure data were used to model exposure to irritants.

A cross-sectional study among detergent workers exposed to liquid detergent enzymes.

Objectives: To investigate sensitisation and respiratory health among workers who produce liquid detergent products and handle liquid detergent enzymes.

Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study among 109 eligible workers of a detergent products plant. 108 were interviewed for respiratory and allergic symptoms and 106 blood samples were taken from them to examine sensitisation to enzymes.

A cross-sectional study of lung function and respiratory symptoms among chemical workers producing diacetyl for food flavourings.

Objectives: Four diacetyl workers were found to have bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome. Exposures, respiratory symptoms, lung function and exposure-response relationships were investigated.

Methods: 175 workers from a plant producing diacetyl between 1960 and 2003 were investigated.

Bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome in chemical workers producing diacetyl for food flavorings.

Rationale: Workers in microwave popcorn plants are at risk of developing bronchiolitis obliterans associated with exposure to butter flavoring volatiles, including diacetyl.

Objectives: To investigate the risk of bronchiolitis obliterans for chemical workers producing diacetyl, with exposure to less complex mixtures of chemicals.

Methods: We interviewed and conducted spirometry on 175 of 196 workers from a chemical production plant that produced diacetyl between 1960 and 2003.

Respiratory symptoms, lung function, and nasal cellularity in Indonesian wood workers: a dose-response analysis.

Objectives: It was hypothesised that inflammation plays a dominant part in the respiratory effects of exposure to wood dust. The purpose of this study was to relate the nasal inflammatory responses of workers exposed to meranti wood dust to (a) levels of exposure, (b) respiratory symptoms and (c) respiratory function.

Methods: A cross sectional study was carried out in 1997 in a woodworking plant that used mainly meranti, among 982 workers exposed to different concentrations of wood dust.

An exploratory quantitative risk assessment for high molecular weight sensitizers: wheat flour.

Objective: Quantitative risk assessments have been made for wheat dust and allergen exposure and wheat sensitization using classical epidemiological approaches based on simple categorizations in exposure groups. Such analyses suggest the existence of an exposure threshold level for wheat specific sensitization and were used as input in recently conducted risk assessments for wheat flour by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists and the Dutch Expert Committee on Occupational Standards. More advanced statistical analyses were applied using generalized additive modeling and smoothed plots to evaluate the shape of the exposure response relationship in greater detail and evaluate the presence of exposure thresholds.

Wheat antigen content of inhalable dust in bakeries: modeling and an inter-study comparison.

The purposes of this study were (a) to compare wheat antigen content of inhalable bakery dust in Canada and the Netherlands and, (b) to evaluate the validity of dust exposure measurement as a surrogate of specific antigen exposure. Wheat antigen exposure data from the studies of Canadian and Dutch bakeries were used to explore the correlation between dust and antigen levels, and identify factors explaining variability of the antigen content of bakery dust. Direct comparison and pooling of the data were possible because the same antigen assay was used in both studies.

Wheat sensitization and work-related symptoms in the baking industry are preventable. An epidemiologic study.

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 393 workers from 21 bakeries to study the relationship between wheat allergen exposure and wheat sensitization and work-related allergic symptoms. Exposure to wheat allergens was characterized by a recently developed and validated immunoassay. Specific IgE antibodies against wheat flour and common allergens were measured by immunoassays, and work-related allergic symptoms were registered by questionnaire.

Occupational respiratory allergy in bakery workers: a review of the literature.

Baker's asthma has long been recognized as a serious disease among workers in the bakery industry and the number of cases with baker's asthma is steadily increasing. This paper presents a review of the available literature on baker's allergy with a special focus on the allergens involved, the epidemiologic research and issues on exposure assessment, evidence of exposure-response-relationships, and possible prevention strategies. A large number of potential allergens have been identified and are described here.

Decline in lung function related to exposure and selection processes among workers in the grain processing and animal feed industry.

Objectives: To follow up workers in the grain processing and animal feed industry five years after an initial survey, and to monitor exposures to organic dust and endotoxin and changes in prevalence of respiratory symptoms and lung function.

Methods: Outcome measures in the present survey were decline in lung function over five years, rapid annual decline in forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) above 90 ml.s-1, and loss to follow up.

Desmoplastic ameloblastoma.

Two cases of desmoplastic form of ameloblastoma are reported. This tumor shows marked stromal desmoplasia and often scattered osteoplasia. The majority of stromal elements is represented by myofibroblasts.

Individual-based and group-based occupational exposure assessment: some equations to evaluate different strategies.

Basically, two strategies can be considered for the analysis of hazardous pollutants in the work environment: group-based and individual-based strategies. This paper provides existing and recently derived equations for both strategies describing the influence of several factors on attenuation and on the standard error of an estimated linear regression coefficient relating a continuous exposure variable and a continuous health outcome via a simple linear regression model. We applied these equations using exposure variability information from industry-wide surveys over the past decade in order to gain more insight into the effects of various sources of exposure variability on choices among different analysis strategies.

Grouping strategies for exposure to inhalable dust, wheat allergens and alpha-amylase allergens in bakeries.

This paper describes repeated measurements of inhalable flour dust, wheat allergens and alpha-amylase allergens in the bakery industry. A total of 571 full-shift personal dust samples was collected. Wheat allergens and alpha-amylase allergens were measured in 449 and 507 samples, respectively, by the use of recently developed immunoassays.

Airborne levels of alpha-amylase allergens in bakeries.

Background: In the baking industry the use of enzymes has increased throughout the 1980s. Several studies have reported sensitization and respiratory disorders among bakery workers caused by enzymes in dough improvers. Fungal alpha-amylase is the most frequently reported cause of allergy.

Exposure-sensitization relationship for alpha-amylase allergens in the baking industry.

Fungal alpha-amylase is an important occupational allergen in the bakery industry. Epidemiologic studies focusing on the relationship between alpha-amylase allergen exposure and work-related respiratory allergy, however, have not been reported yet. In this cross-sectional study, sensitization to occupational allergens and work-related symptoms were studied in 178 bakery workers and related to allergen exposure.

Wheat antigen exposure assessment for epidemiological studies in bakeries using personal dust sampling and inhibition ELISA.

Background: Asthma in bakery workers caused by exposure to wheat flour proteins is an important occupational health problem. Until recently, gravimetric dust measurements were the only available technique for quantitative exposure assessment in bakeries. However, it is questionable whether dust levels are a good exposure parameter or only give a crude approximation of the actual flour allergen concentration.

Enzyme immunoassays for total and allergen specific IgE in population studies.

Objective: Extensive IgE serology in occupational or environmental health studies is often hampered by a lack of technical facilities and finance. The use in population studies of relatively simple and inexpensive enzyme immunoassays (EIAs) was therefore evaluated for the assessment of total serum immunoglobulin E (IgE), and of specific IgE reactions with various common (house dust mites, grass and birch pollen, and cat) or occupational (fungal alpha-amylase and rat urinary protein) allergens.

Methods: Total IgE was measured with a sandwich EIA, calibrated with commercially available IgE standards.