Asbestos in organochlorine insecticide powder sprinkled between pages of antiquarian books in a library in Japan.

Librarians at a university had planned to check the collection prior to the library renovations that began in 2015. They had previous knowledge of the presence of a light greyish-white powder with an unpleasant odour (hereinafter referred to as 'powder') sprinkled between the pages of antiquarian books in the library archive. The purpose of this study was to identify this powder with the help of experts from both inside and outside the university.

Correction to: Particle toxicology and health - where are we?

After the publication of this article [1] it was hihglighted that the number of deaths related to natural disasters was incorrectly reported in the second paragraph of the Hazards from Natural particulates and the evolution of the biosphere section. This correction article shows the correct and incorrect statement. This correction does not change the idea presented in the article that from an evolutionary view point, natural disasters account only for a small fraction of the people on the planet.

Particle toxicology and health - where are we?

Background: Particles and fibres affect human health as a function of their properties such as chemical composition, size and shape but also depending on complex interactions in an organism that occur at various levels between particle uptake and target organ responses. While particulate pollution is one of the leading contributors to the global burden of disease, particles are also increasingly used for medical purposes. Over the past decades we have gained considerable experience in how particle properties and particle-bio interactions are linked to human health.

Heat Strain and Hydration of Japanese Construction Workers during Work in Summer.

Objectives: The aim was to ascertain hydration and heat strain of construction workers in Japan during the summer who are at the highest risk of heat-related disorders.

Methods: The subjects were 23 construction workers, whose average age was 41, average weight was 69 kg, and average height was 170 cm. We measured thermal working conditions with a wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) measurement instrument affixed to the helmet of each worker, at fixed points outdoors in the sun and indoors.

The association among ferruginous body, uncoated fibers, asbestos and non-asbestos fibers in lung tissue in terms of length.

To demonstrate the correlations between the concentrations of ferruginous body as well as uncoated fiber both of which can be observed with phase-contrast microscope and the concentration of various inorganic fibers including asbestos which requires the observation with TEM or SEM, we measured those indices among Japanese and Korean cases. Though the concentration of ferruginous body in lung tissue is an important index of asbestos exposure, uncoated fibers observed with phase-contrast microscope might be another index especially in such cases with relatively low exposure due to their history of living in a general environment. However, to establish the reliability of uncoated fibers as an index of asbestos exposure, analysis with more cases and from various backgrounds must be carried out.

Chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 3 detection in the serum of persons exposed to asbestos: A patient-based study.

Exposure to asbestos results in serious risk of developing lung and mesothelial diseases. Currently, there are no biomarkers that can be used to diagnose asbestos exposure. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether the levels or detection rate of chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 3 (CCL3) in the serum are elevated in persons exposed to asbestos.

Formation of the nitrative DNA lesion 8-nitroguanine is associated with asbestos contents in human lung tissues: a pilot study.

Objectives: Asbestos causes lung cancer and malignant mesothelioma, and chronic inflammation is considered to participate in carcinogenesis. However, biomarkers to evaluate its carcinogenic risk have not been established. Reactive oxygen/nitrogen species are generated in biological systems under inflammatory conditions and may contribute to carcinogenesis by causing DNA damage.

Trends in asbestos and non-asbestos fibre concentrations in the lung tissues of Japanese patients with mesothelioma.

Objectives: We aimed to elucidate changes in asbestos and non-asbestos fibre concentrations in the lung tissues of Japanese patients with mesothelioma over time.

Methods: Lung tissues were obtained from 46 patients with mesothelioma who died or underwent surgery between 1971 and 2005. All of the patients had a history of occupational asbestos exposure.

Risk Assessment of Baby Powder Exposure through Inhalation.

This study was conducted to assess the exposure risk through inhalation to baby powder for babies and adults under simulated conditions. Baby powder was applied to a baby doll and the amount of baby powder consumed per application was estimated. The airborne exposure to baby powder during application was then evaluated by sampling the airborne baby powder near the breathing zones of both the baby doll and the person applying the powder (the applicator).

Pleural plaque profiles on the chest radiographs and CT scans of asbestos-exposed Japanese construction workers.

Pleural plaques are asymptomatic focal thickenings of the pleura and considered the hallmark of asbestos exposure. However, it is often difficult to detect pleural plaques on chest x-rays (CXR). In a retrospective study, using chest CT scans of 140 Japanese asbestos-exposed construction workers who have probable or definite findings of pleural plaque on CXR; firstly, we proposed plaque morphology-based classification for CXR findings, and then we examined if those classified findings could be confirmed as pleural plaques on CT scans.

Work-related cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases (WR-CVDs) in Korea.

The effects of work on the heart are mediated by chemical, physical, and psychological stressors. It is standard clinical practice to assess personal risk factors such as cigarette smoking, hypertension, and cholesterol. Evaluation of a patient's acute symptoms and activity level at the time of presentation is also standard practice.

Comparison of lung asbestos fiber content in cancer subjects with healthy individuals with no known history of occupational asbestos exposure in Korea.

To evaluate the effects of environmental asbestos exposure on the inducement of lung cancer, pulmonary asbestos and non-asbestos fiber content was determined in 36 normal Korean subjects and 38 lung cancer subjects with no known occupational history of asbestos exposure. Pulmonary asbestos fiber content was measured by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) with energy-dispersive x-ray analysis after applying a low-temperature ashing procedure. Chrysotile fibers were the major fiber type found in the lungs of the Korean subjects.

Transfer of occupational health problems from a developed to a developing country: lessons from the Japan-South Korea experience.

Many corporations move their manufacturing facilities or technologies from developed to developing countries. Stringent regulations have made it costly for industries to operate in developed, industrialized countries. In addition, labor costs are high in these countries, and there is increasing awareness among the general public of the health risks associated with industry.

Musculoskeletal pain and night-shift naps in nursing home care workers.

Background: Care workers in nursing homes are at high risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). Many care workers work in shifts, which may compromise both the quality of care they give and their working life. Taking a nap during night shifts has been proposed to ameliorate shift work-related problems, but its relationship with MSDs is not clear.

Trichloroethylene causes generalized hypersensitivity skin disorders complicated by hepatitis.

Idiosyncratic generalized skin disorders complicated by hepatitis, which resemble severe drug hypersensitivities, occur sporadically in workers exposed to trichloroethylene (TCE) in China. However, it has been a matter of controversy whether the solvent itself, not its impurities or stabilizers, can cause hypersensitivity reactions or not. This study aimed to characterize the exposure of hospitalized patients and their healthy colleagues.

Work schedule differences in sleep problems of nursing home caregivers.

Nursing home caregivers (n=775; 604 women; mean age 33.6 years) were studied to examine how work schedules affect their sleep. The shift group (n=536) worked under a rotating two-shift system (n=365), a rotating three-shift system (n=66), or other types of shifts (n=78).

Overtime, job stressors, sleep/rest, and fatigue of Japanese workers in a company.

To ascertain the usefulness of a 21-item checklist that assesses accumulated fatigue due to overwork, we examined (1) the associations between overtime work, job stressors, or the quantity of sleep/rest and subjective symptoms of fatigue, and (2) whether sleeping hours and monthly days off are associated with the accumulated fatigue parameter using the checklist. Questionnaire surveys were administered twice to Japanese workers at a plant of a manufacturing company. Among the 390 registered workers, 383 workers (284 males and 99 females) in the first survey and 350 workers (260 males and 90 females) in the second survey responded.

[Usage survey of care equipment in care service facilities for the elderly].

Musculoskeletal disorders(MSD)have been increasing recently among care workers. Since providing care workers with appropriate equipment is effective for preventing MSD, we conducted a questionnaire survey in two nursing homes and a healthcare facility for the elderly to clarify equipment usage, problems and points for improvement. A total of 81 care workers(average age 32.

Occupational trichloroethylene exposure as a cause of idiosyncratic generalized skin disorders and accompanying hepatitis similar to drug hypersensitivities.

Objectives: Workers exposed to trichloroethylene (TCE) rarely show severe generalized skin disorders and accompanying hepatitis which resemble drug hypersensitivities. The disorders are completely different from solvent-induced irritating contact dermatitis, and their serious consequences have become one of the critical occupational health issues recently in Asia. The present review sheds light on the analogous relationship between the reported patients' clinical manifestations and those of severe drug rash, and provides a comprehensive picture of the disorder occurrences among TCE-exposed workers to date.

Arm pain and daytime sleepiness among nursing home employees.

We investigated the relationship between musculoskeletal disorders and sleep problems among 98 employees (79 women) at three nursing homes. Self-reported data were collected regarding pain in the neck, shoulders, arms, legs, and low back, sleep disturbances, daytime sleepiness (Epworth Sleepiness Scale), and the level of workload on the hands, legs, and low back by type of care. Pain in the arms was significantly associated with less difficulty initiating sleep, fewer symptoms of insomnia, and a higher level of daytime sleepiness.

Asbestos exposures during reprocessing of automobile brakes and clutches.

Asbestos exposures of workers in three small factories reprocessing automobile brakes and clutches in Japan were investigated. Airborne asbestos was collected on a membrane filter using an air sampler. From 1982 to 1989, asbestos counting was performed on 295 samples (198 personal and 97 stationary), using phase contrast microscopy.

Airborne asbestos and non-asbestos fiber concentrations in non-occupational environments in Korea.

Both airborne asbestos and non-asbestos fiber concentrations were evaluated in Korean non-occupational environments. The airborne fiber concentrations were analyzed in 96 air samples, from 48 different points, by transmission electron microscopy, with energy-dispersive X-ray analysis. The geometric means of the airborne asbestos and non-asbestos fiber concentrations were 0.