Risk assessment methods in occupational health and hygiene: a scoping review.

Background: There are a variety of risk assessment methods to evaluate occupational hazards in the field of industrial hygiene. With the development of emerging technologies in the workforce, the previously established risk assessment methods may need to be adapted or new methods developed to address the risk of new hazards.

Methods: A scoping review was conducted consistent with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines.

Micro-environmental factors impact breathing zone exposures: A simulated petrochemical manufacturing facility task.

This study investigates the impact of micro-environmental factors on worker breathing zone exposure levels in petrochemical facilities. A laboratory simulation study evaluated near-field exposure to methane for a typical maintenance task. Individual and combinations of micro-environmental factors significantly affected methane exposure.

Accuracy of professional judgments for dermal exposure assessment using deterministic models.

The accuracy of exposure judgments, particularly for scenarios where only qualitative information is available or a systematic approach is not used, has been evaluated and shown to have a relatively low level of accuracy. This is particularly true for dermal exposures, where less information is generally available compared to inhalation exposures. Relatively few quantitative validation efforts have been performed for scenarios where dermal exposures are of interest.

Assessing Exposures from the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Response and Clean-up.

The GuLF Study is investigating adverse health effects from work on the response and clean-up after the Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil release. An essential and necessary component of that study was the exposure assessment. Bayesian statistical methods and over 135 000 measurements of total hydrocarbons (THC), benzene, ethylbenzene, toluene, xylene, and n-hexane (BTEX-H) were used to estimate inhalation exposures to these chemicals for >3400 exposure groups (EGs) formed from three exposure determinants: job/activity/task, location, and time period.

Estimation of Airborne Vapor Concentrations of Oil Dispersants COREXIT™ EC9527A and EC9500A, Volatile Components Associated with the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Response and Clean-up Operations.

The Deepwater Horizon (DWH) drilling unit explosion above the Macondo oil well on 20 April 2010 caused the release of approximately 4.9 million barrels (779 million L) of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. As part of a larger spill response and clean-up effort, approximately 1.

Modeled Air Pollution from In Situ Burning and Flaring of Oil and Gas Released Following the Deepwater Horizon Disaster.

The GuLF STUDY, initiated by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, is investigating the health effects among workers involved in the oil spill response and clean-up (OSRC) after the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) explosion in April 2010 in the Gulf of Mexico. Clean-up included in situ burning of oil on the water surface and flaring of gas and oil captured near the seabed and brought to the surface. We estimated emissions of PM2.

Setting surface wipe limits for skin sensitizers.

Guidance for managing potential dermal exposures has historically been qualitative in nature, for example, in the form of a DSEN notation. We propose a method that can provide quantitative guidance on how to establish and use surface wipe limits for skin sensitizers. The murine local lymph node assay (LLNA) is a validated test that not only identifies potential skin sensitizers but also provides an effective concentration (EC3) value.

Source specific exposure and risk assessment for indoor aerosols.

Poor air quality is a leading contributor to the global disease burden and total number of deaths worldwide. Humans spend most of their time in built environments where the majority of the inhalation exposure occurs. Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) is challenged by outdoor air pollution entering indoors through ventilation and infiltration and by indoor emission sources.

Evaluation of the well mixed room and near-field far-field models in occupational settings.

Drawing appropriate conclusions about a scenario for which the exposure is truly unacceptable drives appropriate exposure and risk management, and protects the health and safety of those individuals. To ensure the vast majority of these decisions are accurate, these decisions must be based upon proven approaches and tools. When these decisions are based solely on professional judgment guided by subjective inputs, however, they are more than likely wrong, and biased, underestimating the true exposure.

Evaluating well-mixed room and near-field-far-field model performance under highly controlled conditions.

Exposure judgments made without personal exposure data and based instead on subjective inputs tend to underestimate exposure, with exposure judgment accuracy not significantly more accurate than random chance. Therefore, objective inputs that contribute to more accurate decision making are needed. Models have been shown anecdotally to be useful in accurately predicting exposure but their use in occupational hygiene has been limited.

Using checklists and algorithms to improve qualitative exposure judgment accuracy.

Most exposure assessments are conducted without the aid of robust personal exposure data and are based instead on qualitative inputs such as education and experience, training, documentation on the process chemicals, tasks and equipment, and other information. Qualitative assessments determine whether there is any follow-up, and influence the type that occurs, such as quantitative sampling, worker training, and implementing exposure and risk management measures. Accurate qualitative exposure judgments ensure appropriate follow-up that in turn ensures appropriate exposure management.

Influence of parameter values and variances and algorithm architecture in ConsExpo model on modeled exposures.

This study evaluated the influence of parameter values and variances and model architecture on modeled exposures, and identified important data gaps that influence lack-of-knowledge-related uncertainty, using Consexpo 4.1 as an illustrative case study. Understanding the influential determinants in exposure estimates enables more informed and appropriate use of this model and the resulting exposure estimates.

Modeling mixtures resulting from concurrent exposures to multiple sources.

There is a growing recognition of the need to identify when exposures to specific combinations of chemicals result in toxicological effects of concern. In order to meet this need new tools are required to evaluate the doses of multiple chemicals that occur from the concurrent exposures to multiple sources of the chemicals. Limitations associated with the traditional approach for exposure modeling (source-to-dose models) have led to the development of a new approach that focuses on the person.