Formaldehyde and Acetaldehyde Exposure in "Non-Traditional" Occupational Sectors: Bakeries and Pastry Producers.

Introduction: Formaldehyde, a colorless and highly irritating substance, causes cancer of the nasopharynx and leukemia. Furthermore, it is one of the environmental mutagens to which humans are most abundantly exposed. Acetaldehyde was recently classified as carcinogen class 1B and mutagen class 2 in Annex VI EC regulation.

[Low exposure to lead and reproductive health: a cohort study of female workers in the ceramic industry of Emilia-Romagna (Northern Italy)].

Aims: to assess the effects of low levels of lead exposure on reproductive health (miscarriage, fertility, multiple births, sex ratio at birth, incidence of some diseases during pregnancy), following a cohort of female workers exposed to lead in the ceramic tile industry in the Municipalities of Scandiano (RE) and Sassuolo (MO), Northern Italy.

Design: a cohort of 2,067 female workers was considered. These workers repeatedly underwent blood lead levels testing at the Toxicology Laboratory of Scandiano (RE) in the period 1998-2004.

Effectiveness of the biological monitoring of chemical exposure in the workplace: results of a survey in an area of Northern Italy.

A survey of biological monitoring results from 2000 to 2008 was carried out as a part of institutional activities performed by the Workplace Prevention and Safety Service (SPSAL) of the south area of Modena district (Italy). The survey involved 18 companies employing 945 workers altogether. According to workplace exposure, routine biological monitoring had been carried out yearly or 6-monthly in private laboratories chosen by each company.