Retention of nickel, cobalt and chromium in skin at conditions mimicking intense hand hygiene practices using water, soap, and hand-disinfectant in vitro.

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, increased hand hygiene practices using water, soap and hand disinfectants, became prevalent, particularly among frontline workers. This study investigates the impact of these practices on the skin's ability to retain the allergenic metals nickel, cobalt, and chromium. The study constitutes three parts: (I) creating an impaired skin barrier, (II) exposing treated and untreated skin to nickel alone, and (III) in co-exposure with cobalt and chromium.

Occupational exposure limits for reproductive toxicants - A comparative analysis.

We investigated the level of protection of reproductive and developmental toxicity offered through occupational exposure limits (OELs) and Derived No-Effect Levels for workers' inhalation exposure (wDNELs). We compared coverage of substances that have a harmonised classification as reproductive toxicant 1 A or 1B (Repr.1 A/B), numerical values and scientific basis of 12 lists of OELs and wDNELs from REACH Registrants' and the Committee for Risk Assessment.

Water, soap, and hand-disinfectant exposure during the COVID-19 pandemic and self-reported hand eczema in frontline workers: A cross-sectional study.

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, increased hand hygiene practices were implemented. Impaired skin health on the hands among healthcare workers has been reported previously. Knowledge of how worker in other occupations have been affected is scarce.

Hexavalent chromium still a concern in Sweden - Evidence from a cross-sectional study within the SafeChrom project.

Objectives: Hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) is classified as a human carcinogen. Occupational Cr(VI) exposure can occur during different work processes, but the current exposure to Cr(VI) at Swedish workplaces is unknown.

Methods: This cross-sectional study (SafeChrom) recruited non-smoking men and women from 14 companies with potential Cr(VI) exposure (n = 113) and controls from 6 companies without Cr(VI) exposure (n = 72).

Safety data sheets as an information pathway on hazards of occupationally used cleaning agents.

To investigate consistency and accessibility of asthma and skin allergy hazard information in safety data sheets (SDSs) for cleaning agents on the Swedish market, we compiled a database of 504 SDSs and 351 therein declared ingredients. Labelling of products was compared to that of ingredients according to harmonised classification. For each ingredient, also notified classification and three additional sources on sensitising properties were compared.

A scoping review of evaluations of and recommendations for default uncertainty factors in human health risk assessment.

Uncertainty factors (UFs) are used to account for uncertainties and variability when setting exposure limits or guidance values. Starting from a proposal of a single UF of 100 to extrapolate from an animal NOAEL to a human acceptable exposure, the aspects of uncertainty and number of UFs have diversified and today there are several risk assessment guidelines that contain schemes of default UFs of varying complexity. In the present work, we scoped the scientific literature on default UFs to map developments regarding recommendations and evaluations of these.

An Overview of Cleaning Agents' Health Hazards and Occupational Injuries and Diseases Attributed to Them in Sweden.

Using data from the Swedish Products Register, hosted by the Swedish Chemicals Agency (KemI), national occupational injury and disease statistics, and call records from the Swedish Poisons Information Centre (PIC) we characterize health hazards of marketed cleaning products and recorded injuries, disease, and incidents linked to cleaning or disinfection agents. The results show that cleaning agents pose many kinds of health hazards, although corrosion and irritation hazards dominate, in particular for the eyes (54% of all included products). Few products were recognized as inhalation hazards.

Exposures to lead during urban combat training.

Lead exposure is still a major concern for occupations that regularly train or work with firearms, such as law enforcement and military personnel. Due to the increasing number of women of fertile age in such professions, there is a strong incentive to monitor lead exposures during firearms training. Personal air sampling was performed during two sessions of a nine-day urban combat training (UCT) course for cadets in the Swedish Armed Forces, one session employing leaded ammunition (leaded scenario) and one session employing unleaded ammunition (unleaded scenario).

Socioscientific Issues in Science Education: An opportunity to Incorporate Education about Risk and Risk Analysis?

Socioscientific issues (SSI) concern social issues, often lacking simple solutions, that relate to science and often also risk controversies. SSIs have become an established part of science education, aiming to teach students not only about content knowledge but also about the nature of science and to offer them practice in argumentation and decision making. We performed a scoping review of the literature on SSI in science education research, in order to investigate if the topics covered would lean themselves to education about risk, and if risk is raised in these works.

Management of bias and conflict of interest among occupational exposure limit expert groups.

Our aim was to evaluate policies and procedures for management of conflict of interest (CoI) and other sources of bias, implemented in Occupational Exposure Limit (OEL) expert groups. First, we compiled procedural criteria applicable to OEL-setting, based on literature on CoI and systematic reviews. Second, we identified 58 global OEL-sources and sought the underlying expert groups and operating procedures.

A scoping survey of attitudes towards occupational exposure limits and REACH derived no effect levels for workers among chemical risk managers at Swedish workplaces.

Objectives: Setting and implementing occupational exposure limits (OELs) is one of the measures taken to protect workers from adverse effects of hazardous chemicals. The EU Regulation on Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) introduced an additional kind of exposure guidance values for workers; namely, the derived no effect level (DNEL) for workers' inhalation exposure (worker DNEL). About 500 substances have a Swedish OEL, while roughly 5000 substances have a worker DNEL derived by REACH registrants.

A novel approach to monitor skin permeation of metals in vitro.

How metals permeate skin is poorly understood. Risk assessments tend to take default approaches to account for the dermal route, often using numbers of questionable relevance. Moreover, simultaneous exposure to multiple metals may affect the permeation of individual metals.

Industry Derived Occupational Exposure Limits: A Survey of Professionals on the Dutch System of Exposure Guidelines.

The Netherlands' system for occupational exposure limits (OELs) encompasses two kinds of OELs: public and private. Public OELs are set by the government. Private OELs are derived by industry and cover all substances without a public OEL.

Will worker DNELs derived under the European REACH regulation extend the landscape of occupational exposure guidance values?

Derived no-effect levels for workers (wDNELs) under the European REACH legislation have many aspects in common with occupational exposure limits (OELs). In an attempt to examine under which circumstances wDNELs might be used as exposure guidance outside their intended application, we compared derivation methods, coverage of substances and numerical values of wDNELs against two regulatory OEL lists (European Commission and Sweden) and three sets of recommendations (European SCOEL, German MAK and US ACGIH). Finally, we looked closer at wDNELs where SCOEL concluded that data were insufficient to derive an OEL.

Educating about radiation risks in high schools: towards improved public understanding of the complexity of low-dose radiation health effects.

The levels of stochastic health effects following exposure to low doses of ionising radiation are not well known. A consequence of the uncertainty is that any radiation exposure is met with deep concern-both by the public and by scientists who disagree about how the partly conflicting results from low-dose studies should be interpreted. The concern is not limited to ionising radiation but is inherent to other areas of modern technologies such as biotechnology or electromagnetic fields.

Calls made to the Poisons Information Centre reveal need for improved risk management of cleaning agents in the workplace.

. This study aimed to investigate chemical injuries caused by cleaning agents and disinfectants by reviewing poison control data. .

Percutaneous absorption of thirty-eight organic solvents in vitro using pig skin.

Percutaneous absorption is highly variable between chemicals but also within chemicals depending on exposure conditions and experimental set up. We tested a larger number of organic solvents with the same experimental set up, using skin from new-born piglets and static diffusion cells. Thirty-six common organic solvents were studied neat (and 31 of them also in water dilution): acetone, acetonitrile, n-butanol 2-butanone 2-butoxyethanol, 1-butoxy-2-propanol, n-butyl acetate, butyl acrylate, cyclohexane, cyclohexanone, 1,2-dichloroethane, dichloromethane, ethanol, 2-ethoxyethanol, ethyl acetate, ethyl acrylate, ethylbenzene, furfuryl alcohol, n-hexane, 2-hexanone, 2-isopropoxyethanol, methanol, 1-methoxy-2-propanol, methyl acrylate, 3-methyl-1-butanol, methyl tertiary butyl ether, 4-metyl-2-pentanol, methyl methacrylate, 2-propanol, 2-propen-1-ol, 2-propoxyethanol, 1-propoxy-2-propanol, styrene, trichloromethane, toluene and m-xylene.

Use of uncertainty factors by the European Commission Scientific Committee on Occupational Exposure Limits: a follow-up.

Decision on the safety margin, for instance by using uncertainty factors (UFs), is a key aspect in setting Occupational Exposure Limits (OELs). We analyzed the UFs in 128 OEL recommendations from the European Commission's Scientific Committee on Occupational Exposure Limits (SCOEL). We investigated factors expected to potentially influence the UFs, as well as a selection of factors that might influence how expert groups perceive quality or reliability of key studies.

Comparing Data from the Poisons Information Centre with Employers' Accident Reports Reveal Under-Recognized Hazards at the Workplace.

Records of injuries and incidents provide an important basis for injury prevention related to hazardous substances at the workplace. The present study aimed to review available data on injuries and incidents involving hazardous substances and investigate how data from the Poisons Information Centre could complement the records of the Swedish Work Environment Authority. We found two major obstacles for using injury/incident data based on employers' mandatory reporting.

Does industry take the susceptible subpopulation of asthmatic individuals into consideration when setting derived no-effect levels?

Asthma, a chronic respiratory disease, can be aggravated by exposure to certain chemical irritants. The objectives were first to investigate the extent to which experimental observations on asthmatic subjects are taken into consideration in connection with the registration process under the EU REACH regulation, and second, to determine whether asthmatics are provided adequate protection by the derived no-effect levels (DNELs) for acute inhalation exposure. We identified substances for which experimental data on the pulmonary functions of asthmatics exposed to chemicals under controlled conditions are available.

Derived no-effect levels (DNELs) under the European chemicals regulation REACH--an analysis of long-term inhalation worker-DNELs presented by industry.

The European REACH regulation places responsibility for providing safety information, including derived no-effect levels (DNELs), on chemicals and chemical products on 'industry', i.e. manufacturers and importers.

Comparative analysis of toxicological evaluations for dermal exposure performed under two different EU regulatory frameworks.

Dermal exposure to chemicals is highly relevant in relation to the use of cosmetic products, both in consumers and in individuals exposed occupationally. Regulatory frameworks exist within the EU to limit the dermal exposure of the general population and workers to chemicals in general, as well as to limit the use of certain substances in cosmetic products. The objective of the study was to investigate and compare toxicological evaluations of dermal exposure performed under current regulatory frameworks.

Occupational diseases in the people's Republic of China between 2000 and 2010.

Background: This study provides a description and analysis of the development of occupational diseases in China as recorded in the official statistics during the period 2000-2010, identifies major challenges, and explores possible solutions for prevention and control.

Methods: In-depth textual analysis and data analysis of China's annual national reports of occupational diseases, as well as of corresponding policy and regulation documents.

Results: The number of recorded cases of occupational diseases increased rapidly in China between 2000 and 2010.

Awareness and understanding of occupational exposure limits in Sweden.

The efficiency of a risk management tool, such as occupational exposure limits (OELs), partly depends on the responsible parties' awareness and understanding of it. The aim of this study was to measure the awareness and understanding of OELs at Swedish workplaces and to collect opinions on their use and function. Through a web-based questionnaire targeting workers that are exposed to air pollutants or chemicals, and persons working with occupational health and safety or in management at workplaces where workers are exposed to air pollutants or chemicals 1017 responses were collected.

Throwing the baby out with the bath water? Occupational hygienists' views on the revised dutch system for occupational exposure limits.

In 2007, the Dutch Working Conditions Act was revised with the goal to decrease the regulatory burden, and to open up for company-specific solutions of establishing a safe and healthy work environment. One tool geared towards company-specific solutions is the compilation of the Arbocatalogs, which are company or sector-level collections of safe working methods and guidelines developed both by employers and employees. The revision also introduced a new occupational exposure limit (OEL) system in the Netherlands.