Evaluation of flow controllers used with evacuated canisters to assess VOC exposures in occupational and non-occupational environments.

Ideally, measuring exposures to volatile organic compounds should allow for modifying sampling duration without loss in sensitivity. Traditional sorbent-based sampling can vary sampling duration, but sensitivity may be affected when capturing shorter tasks. Diaphragm and capillary flow controllers allow for a range of flow rates and sampling durations for air sampling with evacuated canisters.

Exposure to emissions generated by 3-dimensional printing with polycarbonate: effects on peripheral vascular function, cardiac vascular morphology and expression of markers of oxidative stress in male rat cardiac tissue.

Three-dimensional (3D) printing with polycarbonate (PC) plastic occurs in manufacturing settings, homes, and schools. Emissions generated during printing with PC stock and bisphenol-A (BPA), an endocrine disrupter in PC, may induce adverse health effects. Inhalation of 3D printer emissions, and changes in endocrine function may lead to cardiovascular dysfunction.

Biological effects of diesel exhaust inhalation. III cardiovascular function.

Objective: Inhalation of diesel exhaust (DE) has been shown to be an occupational hazard in the transportation, mining, and gas and oil industries. DE also contributes to air pollution, and therefore, is a health hazard to the general public. Because of its effects on human health, changes have been made to diesel engines to reduce both the amounts of particulate matter and volatile fumes they generate.

Pulmonary evaluation of whole-body inhalation exposure of polycarbonate (PC) filament 3D printer emissions in rats.

During fused filament fabrication (FFF) 3D printing with polycarbonate (PC) filament, a release of ultrafine particles (UFPs) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) occurs. This study aimed to determine PC filament printing emission-induced toxicity in rats via whole-body inhalation exposure. Male Sprague Dawley rats were exposed to a single concentration (0.

Influence of puff topographies on e-liquid heating temperature, emission characteristics and modeled lung deposition of Puff Bar.

Puff Bar, one of the latest designs of e-cigarettes, heats a mixture of liquid using a battery-powered coil at certain temperatures to emit aerosol. This study presents a mass-based characterization of emissions from seven flavors of Puff Bar devices by aerosolizing with three puff topographies [(puff volume: 55 < 65 < 75-mL) within 4-seconds at 30-seconds interval]. We evaluated the effects of puff topographies on heating temperatures; characterized particles using a cascade impactor; and measured volatile carbonyl compounds (VCCs).

Multi-instrument assessment of fine and ultrafine titanium dioxide aerosols.

The measurement of fine (diameter: 100 nanometers-2.5 micrometers) and ultrafine (UF: < 100 nanometers) titanium dioxide (TiO) particles is instrument dependent. Differences in measurements exist between toxicological and field investigations for the same exposure metric such as mass, number, or surface area because of variations in instruments used, operating parameters, or particle-size measurement ranges.

Decrements in lung function and respiratory abnormalities associated with exposure to diacetyl and 2,3-pentanedione in coffee production workers.

Coffee production workers are exposed to complex mixtures of gases, dust, and vapors, including the known respiratory toxins, diacetyl, and 2,3-pentanedione, which occur naturally during coffee roasting and are also present in flavorings used to flavor coffee. This study evaluated the associations of these two α-diketones with lung function measures in coffee production workers. Workers completed questionnaires, and their lung function was assessed by spirometry and impulse oscillometry (IOS).

Towards sustainable additive manufacturing: The need for awareness of particle and vapor releases during polymer recycling, making filament, and fused filament fabrication 3-D printing.

Fused filament fabrication three-dimensional (FFF 3-D) printing is thought to be environmentally sustainable; however, significant amounts of waste can be generated from this technology. One way to improve its sustainability is via distributed recycling of plastics in homes, schools, and libraries to create feedstock filament for printing. Risks from exposures incurred during recycling and reuse of plastics has not been incorporated into life cycle assessments.

Use of 3-Dimensional Printers in Educational Settings: The Need for Awareness of the Effects of Printer Temperature and Filament Type on Contaminant Releases.

Material extrusion-type fused filament fabrication (FFF) 3-D printing is a valuable tool for education. During FFF 3-D printing, thermal degradation of the polymer releases small particles and chemicals, many of which are hazardous to human health. In this study, particle and chemical emissions from 10 different filaments made from virgin (never printed) and recycled polymers were used to print the same object at the polymer manufacturer's recommended nozzle temperature ("normal") and at a temperature higher than recommended ("hot") to simulate the real-world scenarios of a person intentionally or unknowingly printing on a machine with a changed setting.

Potential for Exposure to Particles and Gases throughout Vat Photopolymerization Additive Manufacturing Processes.

Vat photopolymerization (VP), a type of additive manufacturing process that cures resin to build objects, can emit potentially hazardous particles and gases. We evaluated two VP technologies, stereolithography (SLA) and digital light processing (DLP), in three separate environmental chambers to understand task-based impacts on indoor air quality. Airborne particles, total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs), and/or specific volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were monitored during each task to evaluate their exposure potential.

Determinants of Task-Based Exposures to Alpha-Diketones in Coffee Roasting and Packaging Facilities Using a Bayesian Model Averaging Approach.

Coffee production workers can be exposed to inhalational hazards including alpha-diketones such as diacetyl and 2,3-pentanedione. Exposure to diacetyl is associated with the development of occupational lung disease, including obliterative bronchiolitis, a rare and irreversible lung disease. We aimed to identify determinants contributing to task-based exposures to diacetyl and 2,3-pentanedione at 17 U.

Model Predictions of Occupational Exposures to Diacetyl and 2,3-Pentanedione Emitted From Roasted Whole Bean and Ground Coffee: Influence of Roast Level and Physical Form on Specific Emission Rates.

Roasted coffee emits hazardous volatile organic compounds including diacetyl and 2,3-pentanedione. Workers in non-flavored coffee roasting and packaging facilities might inhale diacetyl and 2,3-pentanedione from roasted coffee above occupational exposure limits depending on their work activities and proximity to the source of emissions. Objectives of this laboratory study were to: (1) investigate factors affecting specific emission rates (SERs) of diacetyl and 2,3-pentanedione from freshly roasted coffee, (2) explore the effect of time on SERs of coffee stored in sealed bags for 10-days, and (3) predict exposures to workers in hypothetical workplace scenarios.

Influence of E-Liquid Humectants, Nicotine, and Flavorings on Aerosol Particle Size Distribution and Implications for Modeling Respiratory Deposition.

Electronic cigarette, or vaping, products are used to heat an e-liquid to form an aerosol (liquid droplets suspended in gas) that the user inhales; a portion of this aerosol deposits in their respiratory tract and the remainder is exhaled, thereby potentially creating opportunity for secondhand exposure to bystanders (e.g., in homes, automobiles, and workplaces).

Assessment of worker chemical exposures in California vape shops.

E-cigarettes are battery-operated devices that heat a liquid mixture to make an aerosol that is inhaled, or vaped, by the user. Vape shops are retail environments designed to fulfill customer demand for diverse e-liquid flavors and hardware options, which create unique worker exposure concerns. To characterize exposures to vape shop workers, especially to flavoring chemicals associated with known respiratory toxicity, this study recruited vape shops from the San Francisco Bay Area.

Chemical Emissions From Heated Vitamin E Acetate-Insights to Respiratory Risks From Electronic Cigarette Liquid Oil Diluents Used in the Aerosolization of Δ-THC-Containing Products.

As of February 18, 2020, the e-cigarette, or vaping, product use associated lung injury (EVALI) outbreak caused the hospitalization of a total of 2,807 patients and claimed 68 lives in the United States. Though investigations have reported a strong association with vitamin E acetate (VEA), evidence from reported EVALI cases is not sufficient to rule out the contribution of other chemicals of concern, including chemicals in either THC or non-THC products. This study characterized chemicals evolved when diluent oils were heated to temperatures that mimic e-cigarette, or vaping, products (EVPs) to investigate production of potentially toxic chemicals that might have caused lung injury.

Modeled Respiratory Tract Deposition of Aerosolized Oil Diluents Used in Δ-THC-Based Electronic Cigarette Liquid Products.

Electronic cigarette, or vaping, products (EVP) heat liquids ("e-liquids") that contain substances (licit or illicit) and deliver aerosolized particles into the lungs. Commercially available oils such as Vitamin-E-acetate (VEA), Vitamin E oil, coconut, and medium chain triglycerides (MCT) were often the constituents of e-liquids associated with an e-cigarette, or vaping, product use-associated lung injury (EVALI). The objective of this study was to evaluate the mass-based physical characteristics of the aerosolized e-liquids prepared using these oil diluents.

Toxicology of flavoring- and cannabis-containing e-liquids used in electronic delivery systems.

Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) were introduced in the United States in 2007 and by 2014 they were the most popular tobacco product amongst youth and had overtaken use of regular tobacco cigarettes. E-cigarettes are used to aerosolize a liquid (e-liquid) that the user inhales. Flavorings in e-liquids is a primary reason for youth to initiate use of e-cigarettes.

Pulmonary and systemic toxicity in rats following inhalation exposure of 3-D printer emissions from acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) filament.

Background: Fused filament fabrication 3-D printing with acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) filament emits ultrafine particulates (UFPs) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). However, the toxicological implications of the emissions generated during 3-D printing have not been fully elucidated.

Aim And Methods: The goal of this study was to investigate the toxicity of ABS-emissions from a commercial desktop 3-D printer.

Exposures and Emissions in Coffee Roasting Facilities and Cafés: Diacetyl, 2,3-Pentanedione, and Other Volatile Organic Compounds.

Roasted coffee and many coffee flavorings emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) including diacetyl and 2,3-pentanedione. Exposures to VOCs during roasting, packaging, grinding, and flavoring coffee can negatively impact the respiratory health of workers. Inhalational exposures to diacetyl and 2,3-pentanedione can cause obliterative bronchiolitis.

Workplace indoor environmental quality and asthma-related outcomes in healthcare workers.

Background: Asthma-related health outcomes are known to be associated with indoor moisture and renovations. The objective of this study was to estimate the frequency of these indoor environmental quality (IEQ) factors in healthcare facilities and their association with asthma-related outcomes among workers.

Methods: New York City healthcare workers (n = 2030) were surveyed regarding asthma-related symptoms, and moisture and renovation factors at work and at home during the last 12 months.

Particle and organic vapor emissions from children's 3-D pen and 3-D printer toys.

Fused filament fabrication "3-dimensional (3-D)" printing has expanded beyond the workplace to 3-D printers and pens for use by children as toys to create objects. Emissions from two brands of toy 3-D pens and one brand of toy 3-D printer were characterized in a 0.6 m chamber (particle number, size, elemental composition; concentrations of individual and total volatile organic compounds (TVOC)).

Evaluation of Sorbent Sampling and Analysis Procedures for Acetone in Workplace Air: Variations of Concentration and Relative Humidity.

This study experimentally evaluates the performance of different sorbent tubes for sampling acetone vapor in workplace air. A dynamic atmosphere system produced an acetone alone and a mixture with other analytes containing ~73, 483, and 1898 µg acetone mass loading at 25, 50, and 75% relative humidity (RH) at 25°C. Sorbent samples were analyzed in accordance with OSHA Method 69 (Carbosieve S-III) and NMAM 1501, modified to use Anasorb 747 sorbent.