Dual Exposure to E-Cigarette Vapour and Cigarette Smoke Results in Poorer Airway Cell, Monocyte, and Macrophage Function Than Single Exposure.

E-cigarette users predominantly also continue to smoke cigarettes. These Dual Users either consume e-cigarettes in locations where smoking is not allowed, but vaping is, or to reduce their consumption of cigarettes, believing it will lead to harm reduction. Whilst it is known that e-cigarette vapour is chemically less complex than cigarette smoke, it has a distinct chemical profile, and very little is known about the health impacts of exposure to both chemical profiles vs.

An approach to quantify ortho-phthalaldehyde contamination on work surfaces.

Ortho-phthalaldehyde (OPA) is used as a high-level disinfectant for reusable medical devices in healthcare settings. The ACGIH recently adopted a Threshold Limit Value-Surface Limit (TLV-SL; 25 µg/100 cm2) for OPA surface contamination to prevent induction of dermal and respiratory sensitization following dermal exposure. However, there is no current validated method to measure OPA surface contamination.

Rapid Assessment of Oxidative Damage Potential: A Comparative Study of Engineered Stone Dusts Using a Deoxyguanosine Assay.

The popularity of engineered stone (ES) has been associated with a global increase in occupational lung disease in workers exposed to respirable dust during the fabrication of benchtops and other ES products. In this study, the reactivity and subsequent oxidative reduction potential of freshly generated ES dusts were evaluated by (i) comparing different engineered and natural stones, (ii) comparing settled and respirable stone dust fractions and (iii) assessing the effect of ageing on the reactivity of freshly generated stone dust. An established cell-free deoxyguanosine hydroxylation assay was used to assess the potential for oxidative DNA damage.

assessment of the dermal penetration potential of sodium fluoroacetate using a formulated product.

This paper presents experimental data on the skin absorption of sodium fluoroacetate from a formulated product using an approach and human skin. Sodium fluoroacetate is a pesticide, typically applied in formulation (1080) for the control of unwanted vertebrate invasive species. It has been assigned a Skin Notation by the ACGIH, and other international workplace health regulatory bodies, due to its predicted ability to permeate intact and abraded human skin.

Characterisation of dust emissions from machined engineered stones to understand the hazard for accelerated silicosis.

Engineered stones are novel construction materials associated with a recent upsurge in silicosis cases among workers in the stonemason industry. In order to understand the hazard for the short latency of lung disease among stonemasons, we simulated real-time dust exposure scenario by dry-machining engineered stones in controlled conditions, capturing and analysing the respirable dust generated for physical and chemical characteristics. Natural granite and marble were included for comparison.

The role of formulation co-ingredients in skin and glove barrier protection against organophosphate insecticides.

Background: Commercially formulated pesticide products are complex mixtures of one or more active ingredients and several co-ingredients. However, the modifying effect of co-ingredients on skin uptake and glove barrier protection has been poorly studied. The aim of this study was to understand the role of formulation co-ingredients in skin and glove barrier protection performance against organophosphate insecticides.

Glove performance in a warming climate: The role of glove material and climate on permeation resistance to organophosphate insecticides.

Hands and forearms are the principal sites of dermal exposure to organophosphate insecticides, which makes glove use one of the most important components of an exposure control strategy. However, the selection of suitable gloves depends on issues such as task, type, and concentration of organophosphate as well as cost. In addition, chemical protection performance of gloves may be temperature dependent, which is of increasing concern in a warming climate.

Exposure of Agriculture Workers to Pesticides: The Effect of Heat on Protective Glove Performance and Skin Exposure to Dichlorvos.

Dichlorvos is a toxic organophosphate insecticide that is used in agriculture and other insecticide applications. Dermal uptake is a known exposure route for dichlorvos and chemical protective gloves are commonly utilized. Chemical handling and application may occur in a variety of thermal environments, and the rates of both chemical permeation through gloves and transdermal penetration may vary significantly with temperature.

Is the skin an important exposure route for workers during cyanogen fumigation?

Background: Cyanogen is a toxic flammable gas used as a fumigant in numerous industries. Occupational exposure to cyanogen can occur during its production and use. The most serious human health risk from exposure to cyanogen is via the respiratory system.

Effects of E-cigarette E-liquid components on bronchial epithelial cells: Demonstration of dysfunctional efferocytosis.

Background And Objective: E-cigarettes are often marketed and thought of as emitting harmless vapour; however, verification of their safety for non-smokers is scarce. We have previously shown that E-cigarettes cause decreased phagocytosis of bacteria by macrophages via reductions in surface bacterial recognition receptors. This study assessed the effect of E-cigarette constituents, 3 E-liquid apple flavours, nicotine, vegetable glycerine and propylene glycol, on bronchial epithelial cell viability, apoptosis and cytokine secretion and macrophage phagocytosis of apoptotic airway cells and phagocytic recognition molecules.

The greenhouse work environment: a modifier of occupational pesticide exposure?

Greenhouses are enclosed structures which have various characteristics that enhance crop productivity, but the implications for workers' pesticide exposure and uptake are not well understood. A narrative literature review was conducted to explore the mechanism/s of interactions between greenhouse characteristics and occupational pesticide exposure. Using a "work", "worker" and "workplace" conceptual framework, the greenhouse environment (hot and humid microclimate, limited space and dense crop arrangements) combines with work characteristics (high work and pesticide use intensity, multi-tasking, predominantly manual spraying techniques and quick reentry to treated farms) to potentially increase occupational pesticide exposure, compared with open field farming.

Understanding skin absorption of common aldehyde vapours from exposure during hazardous material incidents.

The toxic release of aldehyde vapours during a hazardous material (HAZMAT) incident primarily results in respiratory concerns for the unprotected public. However, skin absorption may be an important concurrent exposure route that is poorly understood for this scenario. This study provides experimental data on the skin absorption properties of common aldehydes used in industry, including acetaldehyde, acrolein, benzaldehyde and formaldehyde, in gaseous or vapour form using an adapted in vitro technique.

Skin Notations for Low-Molecular-Weight Amines: Development of a Testing Protocol with Isopropylamine as an Example.

Owing to their volatility, the most important occupational exposure route for low-molecular-weight amines is considered to be inhalation. However, dermal exposure is also possible in many workplace situations. There are limited data available on the dermal uptake of these amines through human skin, and existing exposure standard skin notations are typically based on acute toxicity animal studies or by chemical analogy.

Empirical data in support of a skin notation for methyl chloride.

This article presents the first empirical experimental data on the skin absorption of methyl chloride gas using an in vitro technique and human skin. Methyl chloride is a commonly used industrial agent that is known to be an inhalational hazard but is also reported to be absorbed through human skin in amounts that contribute substantially to systemic intoxication. As a result, is has been assigned a skin notation by the ACGIH.

DNA capture-probe based separation of double-stranded polymerase chain reaction amplification products in poly(dimethylsiloxane) microfluidic channels.

Herein, we describe the development of a novel primer system that allows for the capture of double-stranded polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification products onto a microfluidic channel without any preliminary purification stages. We show that specially designed PCR primers consisting of the main primer sequence and an additional "tag sequence" linked through a poly(ethylene glycol) molecule can be used to generate ds-PCR amplification products tailed with ss-oligonucleotides of two forensically relevant genes (amelogenin and human c-fms (macrophage colony-stimulating factor) proto-oncogene for the CSF-1 receptor (CSF1PO). Furthermore, with a view to enriching and eluting the ds-PCR products of amplification on a capillary electrophoretic-based microfluidic device we describe the capture of the target ds-PCR products onto poly(dimethylsiloxane) microchannels modified with ss-oligonucleotide capture probes.

On-chip capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection using "injected" metal electrodes.

We demonstrate the use of injected gallium electrodes for capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection (C(4)D) within a microchip electrophoresis device. Evaluation of the electrodes for quantitative detection of electrophoretically separated lithium, sodium and potassium ions showed the system offers competitive detection limits of 6.1 × 10(-6) M, 6.