Emissions into the Air from Bitumen and Rubber Bitumen-Implications for Asphalt Workers' Exposure.

The risk among asphalt workers of developing adverse health effects may increase due to their occupational exposure. One area of special concern arises when rubber granules are mixed into bitumen to enhance asphalt properties. This research characterizes and compares bitumen and rubber bitumen regarding the emissions of and workers' exposure to particulates, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and benzothiazole.

Exposure, respiratory symptoms, lung function and inflammation response of road-paving asphalt workers.

Background: Controversy exists as to the health effects of exposure to asphalt and crumb rubber modified (CRM) asphalt, which contains recycled rubber tyres.

Objective: To assess exposures and effects on airway symptoms, lung function and inflammation biomarkers in conventional and CRM asphalt road pavers.

Methods: 116 conventional asphalt workers, 51 CRM asphalt workers and 100 controls were investigated.

Comparison and Evaluation of Multiple Users' Usage of the Exposure and Risk Tool: Stoffenmanager 5.1.

Stoffenmanager is an exposure and risk assessment tool that has a control banding part, with risk bands as outcome and a quantitative exposure assessment part, with the 90th percentile of the predicted exposure as a default outcome. The main aim of the study was to investigate whether multiple users of Stoffenmanager came to the same result when modelling the same scenarios. Other aims were to investigate the differences between outcomes of the control banding part with the measured risk quota and to evaluate the conservatism of the tool by testing whether the 90th percentiles are above the measured median exposures.

N-nitrosamines in the southern Swedish rubber industries - exposure, health effects, and immunologic markers.

Objectives: The aim of this study was twofold: (i) to evaluate the air levels of N-nitrosamines in the Swedish rubber industry and (ii) to estimate the risk of symptoms and changed levels of immunologic markers in relation to these levels.

Methods: Using adsorption tubes, we collected samples of N-nitrosamines in the breathing zone of 96 rubber workers and analyzed them with liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Of these 96 workers, 66 were included in a medical examination and blood analysis together with an additional 106 rubber workers and 118 unexposed subjects.

Levels of 1-hydroxypyrene, symptoms and immunologic markers in vulcanization workers in the southern Sweden rubber industries.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine urinary 1-hydroxypyrene (1-HP) levels in contemporary Swedish vulcanization workers and in controls. These levels were used as an index substance for vulcanization fumes, as well as a biomarker for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The risk of symptoms and changed levels of immunologic markers were investigated in relation to the 1-HP levels.

Levels of 2-thiothiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid (TTCA) and effect modification of polymorphisms of glutathione-related genes in vulcanization workers in the southern Sweden rubber industries.

Objectives: Workers in the rubber industry are exposed to a complex mixture of hazardous substances and have increased risk of developing several diseases. However, there is no up to date survey examining the exposure in the Swedish rubber industry. One of the toxic compounds in the industry is carbon disulfide (CS(2)), which is biotransformed to 2-thiothiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid (TTCA).

Annoyance and performance during the experimental chemical challenge of subjects with multiple chemical sensitivity.

Objectives: This study explored the subjective reactions and psychological test performance of smell-intolerant subjects during consecutive challenges to chemicals with contrasting neurotoxic properties.

Methods: Women with symptoms compatible with multiple chemical sensitivity (N=10) and healthy referents (N=20) were individually challenged in an exposure chamber. All the subjects attended two separate 2-hour sessions of exposure to n-butyl acetate and toluene, in counterbalanced sequence.