High Exposure Areas Research Articles

RISK FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH RESPIRATORY SYMPTOMS AMONG CEMENT WORKERS

SESSION TITLE: Wednesday Abstract Posters SESSION TYPE: Original Investigation Posters PRESENTED ON: 10/23/2019 09:45 AM - 10:45 AM PURPOSE: To study the predictors of respiratory diseases in workers in high and low exposure areas in cement factories. METHODS: Cross sectional study was done including 86 workers recruited from main 4 departments: 32 technicians, 23 workers,17 supervisors , 10 engineers and 4 drivers. All subjects filled a structured questionnaire (including occupational history, allergic and respiratory symptoms, physical activity and job stress scores and nutritional habits) and anthropometric measurements, pulmonary function test results were recorded. RESULTS: Although 97% of workers used personal protective equipments, nearly half of workers (47.7%) were complaining of chest symptoms (26% had of cough, 31.5% had sputum and 20% had dyspnea). Chronic bronchitis was recorded in 19.8% of workers, asthma in 15.1% and 12.2 % of respiratory symptoms were related to work. Allergic conjunctivitis was most common among workers (26.7%) followed by allergic rhinitis (20.9%). The most important risk factors as predictors of chronic respiratory symptoms in multivariate logistic regression were age, smoking and areas of high dust exposure. Also, years of experience had negative correlation with FEV1 and FVC% (r= -0.3 ,p= < 0.001), as well as low fruits and vegetables intake and high esinophilic count (r=-0.24, p=0.02) CONCLUSIONS: Age, smoking, high exposure to dust and high eosinophilic count are predictors of chronic respiratory symptoms in cement factory workers. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Smoking cessation programs, frequent work shift from high to low exposure ares and adding fruits and vegetables in their meals must applied to industrial workers in cement factories to reduce the hazard of chronic respiratory illnesses. DISCLOSURES: no disclosure on file for Mariam Elkhayat; no disclosure on file for Hussein Elzayet; no disclosure on file for Azza Ezzeldin; no disclosure on file for Ahmed Khair; No relevant relationships by Aliae Mohamed-Hussein, source=Web Response

The impact of urban environment and physical activity on middle-aged and older adults’ hypertension

PDS 70: Green space, Johan Friso Foyer, Floor 1, August 28, 2019, 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM Background and aims. There is some evidence that physical activity in urban green spaces reduces stress level and improve cardiovascular health. The aim of this study was to examine the associations between green spaces exposure, physical activity, residence distance from major roads, and the arterial hypertension in permanent Kaunas citizens. Methods. In this population-based study, we analysed data from 896 adult Kaunas city residents. We measured the surrounding greenness exposure level of each home address as NDVI, the residence distance to the nearest city park, and distance from major roads. Questionnaire information provided data on physical activity and other health indices. We used logistic regression models to assess associations as adjusted odds ratios (OR). Results. Doctor diagnosed hypertension was defined (blood pressure ≥140 or ≥90 mmHg) in 51.0% of total participants. The recommended physical activity in green areas (150 min per week) reported only 15.6% participants. The hypertension prevalence was higher among participants residing in low green exposure area (NDVI-300m≤median) and in a shorter distance (≤300 m) from a major road. We found increased OR for hypertension women below 65 living in low green exposure area as compared to those living in high green exposure area and ≥300 m from major roads, OR = 2.03 (95% CI 1.04-3.96). However, the highest hypertension risk was for men of 65 and older for those residing in low green exposure area and ≤300 m from major roads, OR = 2.19 (95% CI 1.09-4.40). Conclusions. Higher risk of arterial hypertension was associated with low green spaces exposure in a residential setting and a shorter distance to a major road. The findings highlight the crucial need to increase physical activity in green areas to enhance citizens’ health.

Pterygium in adults from the Brazilian Amazon Region: prevalence, visual status and refractive errors

AimsTo determine prevalence of pterygium, its role as main cause of unilateral and bilateral visual impairment and blindness and its impact on refractive errors from adults living in a high...

Clostridioides difficile contamination in a clinical microbiology laboratory?

ObjectivesClostridioides difficile infection has traditionally been considered to be transmitted predominantly within health-care settings. It is not recognized as a pathogen that presents a risk of laboratory acquisition. Data on laboratory contamination and acquisition by laboratory personnel are lacking. Our objective was to assess environmental contamination by C. difficile and its potential for transmission in a clinical microbiology laboratory. MethodsLaboratory surfaces were screened for C. difficile. Samples were taken in areas that handle C. difficile isolates (high-exposure (HE) areas), areas adjacent to HE areas or those processing faecal samples (medium-exposure (ME) areas), and areas that do not process faecal samples or C. difficile isolates (low-exposure (LE) areas). We examined C. difficile carriage (hands/rectal samples) of laboratory workers. ResultsA total of 140 environmental samples were collected from two HE areas (n = 56), two ME areas (n = 56) and two LE areas (n = 28). Overall, 37.8% (37/98) of surfaces were contaminated with C. difficile, and 17.3% (17/98) with toxigenic C. difficile (TCD). HE areas were significantly more contaminated with TCD than LE areas (38.1% (16/42) versus 0.0% (0/14), p 0.005) and ME areas (38.1% (16/42) versus 2.4% (1/42), p <0.001). Hands were colonized with TCD in 11.8% (4/34) of cases. We found no rectal carriage of C. difficile. ConclusionsWe found a significant proportion of laboratory surfaces to be contaminated with toxigenic C. difficile, as well as hand colonization of laboratory personnel. We recommend specific control measures for high-risk areas and laboratory personnel working in these areas.

Concurrent 2018 Hot Extremes Across Northern Hemisphere Due to Human-Induced Climate Change.

Extremely high temperatures pose an immediate threat to humans and ecosystems. In recent years, many regions on land and in the ocean experienced heat waves with devastating impacts that would have been highly unlikely without human‐induced climate change. Impacts are particularly severe when heat waves occur in regions with high exposure of people or crops. The recent 2018 spring‐to‐summer season was characterized by several major heat and dry extremes. On daily average between May and July 2018 about 22% of the populated and agricultural areas north of 30° latitude experienced concurrent hot temperature extremes. Events of this type were unprecedented prior to 2010, while similar conditions were experienced in the 2010 and 2012 boreal summers. Earth System Model simulations of present‐day climate, that is, at around +1 °C global warming, also display an increase of concurrent heat extremes. Based on Earth System Model simulations, we show that it is virtually certain (using Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change calibrated uncertainty language) that the 2018 north hemispheric concurrent heat events would not have occurred without human‐induced climate change. Our results further reveal that the average high‐exposure area projected to experience concurrent warm and hot spells in the Northern Hemisphere increases by about 16% per additional +1 °C of global warming. A strong reduction in fossil fuel emissions is paramount to reduce the risks of unprecedented global‐scale heat wave impacts.

Prevalence of Diabetes Mellitus and Exposure to Suspended Particulate Matter.

Evidence from various epidemiological studies has shown an association between particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) and diabetes mellitus. A prospective study from the United States reported that exposure to PM2.5 alters endothelial function, and leads to insulin resistance and reduction in peripheral glucose uptake. There is a paucity of data on the relation between air pollution and diabetes in low- and middle-income countries. To estimate the prevalence of type 2 diabetes among people living in areas with higher exposures of suspended PM2.5 compared to people living in areas with lower exposures in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. A cross-sectional study was carried out in two areas of Chennai city. The PM2.5 affecting vulnerable areas were stratified from a list of air quality monitoring stations in Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board and Central Pollution Control Board. The highest and lowest areas of exposure were selected from the list. Households were randomly selected for the study. A total of 201 (67 male, 134 female) individuals from a high exposure area (HEA) and 209 (76 male 133 female) individuals from a low exposure area (LEA) were recruited for the study. Adults over 18 years of age were screened for random capillary blood glucose (RCBG) by glucometer (OneTouch Ultra). The prevalence of diabetes (34.8% vs 19.6% p =0.001) was 77.5% higher among people living in areas of high particulate matter exposure compared to people living in less exposed areas. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that age, gender, residential area, and family history of diabetes were significantly associated with the prevalence of diabetes (p<0.05). The present study indicates a link between high levels of exposure to PM2.5 and diabetes mellitus. Further prospective studies on populations exposed to elevated pollution are needed to establish whether this association has a causative link. Obtained. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Prof. M Viswanathan Diabetes Research Centre, Chennai, India. The authors declare no competing financial interests.

Modeling residential coastal flood vulnerability using finished-floor elevations and socio-economic characteristics

Densely populated coastal regions are vulnerable to threats associated with climate change and variability, especially storms. In the United States, millions of people are repeatedly at risk of flooding and because this number will only continue to grow, the identification of the intersection of social vulnerability and physical risk to flood inundation is essential for both coastal planning and adaptation purposes. Although a key tool to identify vulnerable populations, most vulnerability models are built at the county or coarser scales, thereby hindering the effectiveness of mitigation and adaptation planning at community scales, which are more socially and physically diverse than what county-scale analyses can reveal. We present an integrated social and physical model of vulnerability at the block-group level of geography using census data to measure social variability based population and housing data and physical exposure based on the intersection of finished floor elevation of all buildings in coastal North Carolina, USA with flood hazards maps. We identify, in a spatially-explicit manner and at multiple levels of governance, areas of high social vulnerability and their intersection with areas of high physical exposure to inundation. We found that in the 28 coastal counties of North Carolina, 45.3% of the structures within the 100-year floodplain were structurally exposed to potential damage from inundation. Supporting our hypothesized patterns of vulnerability to inundation, a significant clustering of highly vulnerable block-groups were located in Albemarle and Eastern Carolina coastal regions, yet high vulnerability outliers were also located at significant distance away from the highly physically-exposed coastline. Our findings suggest that the high-resolution block-group level analysis identified multiple levels of vulnerability to inundation at the sub-county scale and provide essential information for effective hazard mitigation within scales ranging from the community to transboundary governing bodies.

Deep X-ray lithography system with a uniform and high-accuracy fabrication area established in beamline BL11 at NewSUBARU.

A new lithography system to fabricate high-aspect-ratio 3D microstructures was developed at the NewSUBARU synchrotron radiation facility (University of Hyogo, Japan). The X-ray beam generated by this system has high parallelism (horizontal and vertical divergence angles of 278 µrad and 14 µrad, respectively) and high photon flux (31 mW mm-2 at a beam current of 300 mA). The high photon flux and exposure area of the system were validated and a beam-scan method for a large exposure area with a uniform dose distribution has been proposed. In addition, the deep X-ray lithography performance was characterized using a conventional photosensitive material and the synchrotron-radiation-induced direct etching of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) was demonstrated. An enlargement of the microfabrication area up to 100 mm × 100 mm while contemporarily ensuring high uniformity was achieved.

Mapping heat-related health risks of elderly citizens in mountainous area: A case study of Chongqing, China

Heat wave becomes a leading cause of weather-related illness and death across the world under the background of climate change, urban heat island, and population ageing. Heat health risk assessment is an important starting point for heat-related morbidity and mortality reduction within the risk governance framework. Chongqing, a mountainous municipality with a fast rate of population ageing in China, was selected as a case study for mapping the heat health risk of the elderly population at a raster scale. The results indicated that the high heat hazard and human exposure areas were mainly distributed in the metropolitan areas, which largely resulted in high heat health risk in the urban areas. However, the high heat vulnerability pixels were mainly concentrated at the remote mountainous regions which have broken terrains and low socioeconomic statuses. Compared with traditional general heat risk indicator, this new model can provide more targeted spatial information to decision makers, and is helpful to improve the flexibility and comparability of heat risk assessment tool. Furthermore, this new model is particularly valuable for quantifying heat health risk in developing countries with limited open access data.

Measurement of hazardous personal noise exposure in spice manufacturing industry

There are many sources of hazardous noise that contributed to the hearing impairment, that resultant from over exposure noise level from workplace. This study examined the contribution of machine that used in the spice manufacturing towards to the employee. Initially, the background noise of each workstation needed to be measured using a sound level meter. Then, monitoring levels including machine noise levels and daily self-reported duration noise exposure to workers was elucidated. A total of 30 workers were identified as having workplace noise exposures. The average noise levels were between 81 and 97 dBA in high and low noise exposure areas, respectively. The average self-reported workplace noise measure time was 8 hours/day. The estimated mean daily noise exposures were calculated from machine noise were found to be higher than the Factories And Machinery (Noise Exposure) Regulations, specifically 90 dBA eight-hour time weighted average (TWA). In addition, 750% of production workers had estimated greater than TWA value exposures. It is therefore recommended that industries either limit workplace use among the production workers or require device and technological advanced to prevent occupational noise-induced hearing loss

Assessment of heat exposure in cities: Combining the dynamics of temperature and population

Urban populations are typically subject to higher outdoor heat exposure than nearby rural areas due to the urban heat island (UHI) effect. Excessive Heat Events (EHEs) further amplify heat stress imposed on city dwellers. Heat exposure largely depends on the spatial and temporal distribution of temperature and population, however, few studies considered their concurrent variations. To better characterize exposure to heat in the context of long-term urban climatology and during excessive heat events, this study focuses on the dynamics of ambient temperature and population and proposes an open-data-based approach for spatiotemporal analysis of urban exposure to heat by using air temperature estimated from satellite observations and commute-adjusted diurnal population calculated primarily on the Census Transportation Planning Products. We use the metropolitan area of Chicago, U.S.A. as a case study to analyze the urban heat pattern changes during EHEs and their influence on population heat exposure diurnally. The intra-urban spatiotemporal analysis reveals that the population's exposure to heat changes fast as the nighttime temperature increases and the EHEs increase the spatial exposure impact due to the ubiquitous higher nocturnal temperature over the Chicago metropolitan area. “Hotspots” associated with a higher temperature and greater number of urban residents are identified in the heat exposure map. Meanwhile, the spatial extent of high ambient exposure areas varies diurnally. Our study contributes to a better understanding of the dynamic heat exposure patterns in urban areas. The approaches presented in this article can be used for informing heat mitigation as well as emergency response strategies at specific times and locations.

Are perceptions of community safety associated with respiratory illness among a low-income, minority adult population?

BackgroundGrowing evidence suggests social disadvantage magnifies the harmful health effects of environmental hazards; however, there is limited research related to perceptions of risk among individuals who live near such environmental hazard sites. We explored the association between individual-level perception of community safety and respiratory illness among low-income, minority adults who live in a region with routine poor air quality exacerbated by the emissions of a nearby freight railyard.MethodsInterview-administered household surveys were collected (87% response rate; n = 965) in English/Spanish from varying distances surrounding a freight railyard (analytic total n = 792: nearest region n = 215, middle n = 289, farthest n = 288). Illness outcome was an affirmative response to doctor-diagnosed asthma, bronchial condition, emphysema, COPD, or prescribed-inhaler usage. Respiratory symptoms outcome was an affirmative response to chronic cough, chronic mucus, or wheezing. The independent variable was perceived community safety.ResultsOutcome prevalences were similar across environmental hazard regions; 205 (25.9%) were diagnosed-illness cases and 166 (21.0%) diagnosis-free participants reported symptoms. Nearly half (47.5%) of participants reported lack of perceived community safety, which was associated with environmental hazard region (p < 0.0001). In multivariable log-binomial regression models adjusting for covariables (age, gender, race/ethnicity, smoking status, smoke exposure, residential duration, and distance from the railyard) respiratory illness diagnosis was associated with lack of perceived community safety (PR = 1.39; 95% CI 1.09, 1.76). Sensitivity analyses showed a non-significant but increasing trend in the strength of association between safety perceptions and illness diagnoses with closer proximity to the railyard.ConclusionsOur findings contribute to the literature that individuals’ perceptions of community safety are associated with adverse respiratory health among a population living in high air pollution exposure areas.

Association between environmental exposure to pesticides and epilepsy

There is increasing evidence of an association between long-term environmental exposure to pesticides and neurodegenerative disorders; however, the relationship with epilepsy has not been addressed thus far. This study was aimed at determining the prevalence and risk of developing epilepsy among people from South-East Spain living in areas of high vs. low exposure to pesticides based on agronomic data. The study population consisted of 4007 subjects with a diagnosis of epilepsy and 580,077 control subjects adjusted for age, sex and geographical area. Data were collected from hospital records of the Spanish health care system (basic minimum dataset) between the years 1998 and 2010. The prevalence of epilepsy was significantly higher in areas of greater pesticide use relative to areas of lesser use. Overall, an increased risk of epilepsy was observed in the population living in areas of high vs. low use of pesticides (OR: 1.65; p < 0.001). Although this study was exploratory in nature, the results suggest that environmental exposure to pesticides might increase the risk of having epilepsy.

Spatial prediction of traffic accidents with critical driving events – Insights from a nationwide field study

Despite the fact that semi-autonomous vehicles will become more and more prevalent in the coming decades, recent studies have highlighted that traffic accidents will persist as a core issue for road users, insurers, and policy makers alike. Researchers and industry players see potential in the technology embedded in semi-autonomous vehicles to combat this challenge by reliably predicting locations with a high likelihood of traffic accidents. This technology can be leveraged to detect accidents and ‘near miss incidents’, such as heavy braking and evasive manoeuvres, otherwise known as Critical Driving Events (CDEs). The locations of CDEs could identify areas of high accident exposure, offering automotive insurers a unique opportunity to reduce traffic accidents through the adoption of active loss prevention business models, such as providing safe-routing services and in-vehicle warnings. To date, there is limited empirical evidence on whether the Crash Frequency and Crash Rate of locations can be accurately identified through CDEs. To address this research gap, an 18-week naturalistic driving field study of 72 vehicles was conducted in Switzerland, covering over 690,000 km. Data collected from the CAN Bus of these vehicles indicate that there is a proportional relationship between the CDEs of the fleet, and the Crash Frequency and Crash Rate of a location. Furthermore, a nationwide spatial regression analysis was applied to determine Crash Frequency across the majority of the Swiss road network. We identify the relationship between Crash Frequency, and the CDEs and Trip Frequency of the fleet, along with additional explanatory variables for urban and highway locations. These insights provide first evidence that insurance companies and other industry players with access to a nationwide semi-autonomous fleet can determine existing and emerging locations of high accident probability, enabling more proactive business models and safety focused services.

Profilin-mediated food-induced allergic reactions are associated with oral epithelial remodeling

In areas of high exposure to grass pollen, allergic patients are frequently sensitized to profilin, and some experience severe profilin-mediated food-induced reactions. This specific population of patients is ideal to study the relationship between respiratory and food allergies. We sought to determine the role of oral mucosal epithelial barrier integrity in profilin-mediated allergic reactions. Thirty-eight patients with profilin allergy stratified into mild or severe according to their clinical history and response to a profilin challenge test and 6 nonallergic subjects were recruited. Oral mucosal biopsies were used for measurement of CD11c, CD3, CD4, tryptase, claudin-1, occludin, E-cadherin, and vascular endothelial growth factor Alevels; Masson trichrome staining; and POSTN, IL33, TPSAB, TPSB, and CMA gene expression analysis by using quantitative RT-PCR. Blood samples were used for basophil activation tests. Distinct features of the group with severe allergy included the following: (1) impaired epithelial integrity with reduced expression of claudin-1, occludin, and E-cadherin and decreased numbers of epithelial cells, which is indicative of acanthosis, higher collagen deposition, and angiogenesis; (2) inflammatory immune response in the mucosa, with an increased number of CD11c+ and CD4+ infiltrates and increased expression of the cytokine genes POSTN and IL33; and (3) a 10-fold increased sensitivity of basophils to profilin. Patients with profilin allergy present with significant damage to the oral mucosal epithelial barrier, which might allow profilin penetration into the oral mucosa and induction of local inflammation. Additionally, severely allergic patients presented with increased sensitivity of effector cells.

Studies on the allergens of peach pollen in an area of high exposure to peach trees cultivars

Studies on the allergens of peach pollen in an area of high exposure to peach trees cultivars

Benzene exposure among tanker worker during unloading of petrol

This paper provides an overview on the exposure of benzene to human at petrol tanker worker. The studies on the exposure of benzene on a high exposure area have been made throughout the years. Benzene exposures data are compared with the current legislation form Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Tanker worker are being expose to benzene at 0.167 ppm to 0.833 ppm at a period of 45 minutes to 95 minutes at one unload session. The data shows that all mean Short-Term Exposure Limit (STEL) benzene exposure still within the range appointed by OSHA and NIOSH of 5 ppm and 1 ppm. Both likelihood and posterior decision in Bayesian Decision analysis gave a rating of 3 (very high) on benzene exposure to the tanker worker.

Analysis of the Relationship of Noise Exposure and Hearing Loss in PPSU Workers in North Jakarta

Hearing loss is one of the many health problems experienced by workers in high noise exposure areas. The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationship between noise intensity and hearing loss in PPSU workers in North Jakarta. This type of research is quantitative analytic using cross-sectional design involving 45 PPSU workers in North Jakarta. Hearing loss was identified by audiometric examination with air conditioning (AC), while noise intensity in the worker's area was measured using a sound level meter. The results of this study showed that 60% of respondents experienced hearing loss, and 51.1% of the areas had noise intensity ≥ 75 dB. The results of categorical analysis showed that there is a relationship between noise intensity and hearing loss with prevalence of ratio was 5.2. Logistic regression analysis showed that respondents who work in areas with noise intensity ≥ 75 dB had the opportunity 7 times to experience hearing loss after being controlled by variable smoking behavior, and hobbies towards noise. Exposure to high noise is something that cannot be avoided by PPSU workers, therefore to reduce or prevent the occurrence of hearing loss, the workers should use earplugs while working, and should reduce smoking and listening music with earphones. In addition, the workers should conduct regular audiometric examinations and attend health counseling at the workplace.

Burden of disease attributed to ambient air pollution in Thailand: A GIS-based approach.

BackgroundGrowing urbanisation and population requiring enhanced electricity generation as well as the increasing numbers of fossil fuel in Thailand pose important challenges to air quality management which impacts on the health of the population. Mortality attributed to ambient air pollution is one of the sustainable development goals (SDGs). We estimated the spatial pattern of mortality burden attributable to selected ambient air pollution in 2009 based on the empirical evidence in Thailand.MethodsWe estimated the burden of disease attributable to ambient air pollution based on the comparative risk assessment (CRA) framework developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Global Burden of Disease study (GBD). We integrated geographical information systems (GIS)-based exposure assessments into spatial interpolation models to estimate ambient air pollutant concentrations, the population distribution of exposure and the concentration-response (CR) relationship to quantify ambient air pollution exposure and associated mortality. We obtained air quality data from the Pollution Control Department (PCD) of Thailand surface air pollution monitoring network sources and estimated the CR relationship between relative risk (RR) and concentration of air pollutants from the epidemiological literature.ResultsWe estimated 650–38,410 ambient air pollution-related fatalities and 160–5,982 fatalities that could have been avoided with a 20 reduction in ambient air pollutant concentrations. The summation of population-attributable fraction (PAF) of the disease burden for all-causes mortality in adults due to NO2 and PM2.5 were the highest among all air pollutants at 10% and 7.5%, respectively. The PAF summation of PM2.5 for lung cancer and cardiovascular disease were 16.8% and 14.6% respectively and the PAF summations of mortality attributable to PM10 was 3.4% for all-causes mortality, 1.7% for respiratory and 3.8% for cardiovascular mortality, while the PAF summation of mortality attributable to NO2 was 7.8% for respiratory mortality in Thailand.ConclusionMortality due to ambient air pollution in Thailand varies across the country. Geographical distribution estimates can identify high exposure areas for planners and policy-makers. Our results suggest that the benefits of a 20% reduction in ambient air pollution concentration could prevent up to 25% of avoidable fatalities each year in all-causes, respiratory and cardiovascular categories. Furthermore, our findings can provide guidelines for future epidemiological investigations and policy decisions to achieve the SDGs.

The utility of monitoring trimellitic anhydride (TMA)-specific IgG to predict IgE-mediated sensitization in an immunosurveillance program.

Workplace exposure to trimellitic anhydride (TMA) can elicit TMA-specific IgE (sIgE), which may lead to occupational asthma (OA). An occupational immunosurveillance program (OISP) has been implemented to monitor TMA exposure and immunologic outcomes. The purpose of this study was to determine whether TMA-specific IgG (sIgG) responses can discriminate between TMA-exposed workers with and without sIgE responses. Serum TMA-specific antibody (IgG, IgG4, and IgE) levels were estimated longitudinally (years 2006 to 2014) in TMA-exposed workers recruited in low, medium, and high exposure areas. sIgG and sIgE titers plotted against exposure duration were compared between workers with (a) sIgG only and (b) with sIgG who developed sIgE. Among 92 TMA-exposed workers continuously monitored for sIgG and sIgE, 38 developed sIgG; 11 developed a sIgE response 342.38 ± 186.03 days posthire and were removed from exposure. The average detection time of sIgG in removed workers (159 ± 92 days) was significantly shorter than for actively exposed workers with only sIgG (346 ± 187 days). Workers with earlier sIgG responses of higher titer (mean value 42.25 μg/mL) compared to delayed responders with lower sIgG titers (mean value 14.79 μg/mL) more frequently developed sIgE responses. Hierarchical clustering showed the initial magnitude and exposure time required for detectable sIgG production discriminated between workers with only sIgG from workers who subsequently produced sIgE. This study demonstrates the utility of longitudinally monitoring TMA-specific antibodies in an OISP as exposed workers with early sIgG responses and of higher magnitude are more likely to develop TMA sIgE sensitization.