Comparison of biological markers in aerosol-weighed workplaces

Ilona Pavlovska,Anna Ramata-Stunda,Anita Seile,Inese Mārtiņsone,Ivars Vanadziņš,Žanna Martinsone

doi:10.1007/s11051-019-4578-2

Abstract

Airborne particulates present a potential hazard to health in a variety of indoor workplaces, from offices to the manufacturing floor. Dust and aerosols are two of the most common occupational risk factors in the workplace worldwide. It is very important to understand when it is sufficient to describe dust exposure only by given mass concentration that dust particles could be in the nanosized range in the workplace air even for brief exposures, such as welding aerosols. The main objective was to assess total dust and nanoparticle concentrations in the selected workplaces and to evaluate their impact on workers’ health.This project describes nanoparticle concentrations and their potential impact on workers’ health considering the exposure levels in three workplaces. Industrial and non-industrial environments have been included in the project. The office environment was used as an indicator for the background level of comparison with the metalworking and woodworking industries for measurements of dust particles including the nanoscale particles (> 100 nm). Fraction size of the samples according to a dispersity of > 10 μm, 0.25–10 μm, < 0.25 μm, and 1–100 nm was analysed in order to describe the particles’ chemical composition at the different stages.The worst working conditions (the smallest particles, 12 nm), the highest total dust concentrations, and the lowest difference between total inhalable particle and nanoparticle concentrations were detected among woodworkers. These findings provide a basis on how to evaluate nanoparticle exposure and its impact on workers’ health because the highest immune cell counts and relatively high IL-6 expression were observed among woodworkers compared with the other groups.The data show a negative tendency of nanoparticle exposure concentrations on workers’ health based on the increase of inflammatory processes and damage to airway epithelial cell functionality.

Highlights

There are limited data about airborne particulates in occupational environment as described by dust particle size, number, surface area, chemical composition, and their impact on workers’ health, especially nanoparticle exposure (O’Shaughnessy 2013; Gao and Lowry 2018; Oomena et al 2018).According to previous environmental and occupational air pollution research, nanoparticle exposure negatively influences respiratory, vascular, immune, neural, and other systems
The worst working conditions, the highest total dust concentrations, and the lowest difference between total inhalable particle and nanoparticle concentrations were detected among woodworkers. These findings provide a basis on how to evaluate nanoparticle exposure and its impact on workers’ health because the highest immune cell counts and relatively high interleukin 6 (IL-6) expression were observed among woodworkers compared with the other groups
Nasal smears are a good material for the indicative check-up of nanoparticle influences on health status by assessing inflammatory indicators (Glück et al 2003) in the upper airways and at the cellular level

Summary

Introduction

There are limited data about airborne particulates in occupational environment as described by dust particle size, number, surface area, chemical composition, and their impact on workers’ health, especially nanoparticle exposure (O’Shaughnessy 2013; Gao and Lowry 2018; Oomena et al 2018).According to previous environmental and occupational air pollution research, nanoparticle exposure negatively influences respiratory, vascular, immune, neural, and other systems. There are limited data about airborne particulates in occupational environment as described by dust particle size, number, surface area, chemical composition, and their impact on workers’ health, especially nanoparticle exposure (O’Shaughnessy 2013; Gao and Lowry 2018; Oomena et al 2018). There is an assumption that nanoparticles could be an important part of total dust mass, number, and surface area concentration in workplaces involving wood and metal industries during material grinding, polishing, and metal welding processes (at construction sites as well). Nasal smears are a good material for the indicative check-up of nanoparticle influences on health status by assessing inflammatory indicators (Glück et al 2003) in the upper airways (variety of immune cell types and counts) and at the cellular level (epithelial cell and DNA functional damage)

Methods

Results

Conclusion