Assessment Of Exposure Levels Research Articles

Formaldehyde Exposure of Aquaculture Workers in Korea

ABSTRACT Objectives Korea’s aquaculture sector primarily cultivates aquatic life, with fish seed production as a focus. Formalin, a parasiticide, consists of 37% formaldehyde mixed with yellow No. 4 dye. Formaldehyde vaporization poses cancer risks, classified as a carcinogen. Korea regulates formaldehyde as a hazardous substance, requiring workplace environment measurements. Few aquaculture farms have conducted these checks in recent years. In this study, we investigated actual formaldehyde exposure levels among Korean aquaculture workers, highlighting a critical safety concern. Methods A field survey was conducted to measure formaldehyde exposure at 10 aquaculture farms in areas where Korean aquaculture is concentrated. Short-term and long-term personal samples, local samples, and direct-reading measurements were conducted. Formaldehyde exposure levels were detected in short-term personal samples from six farms and in long-term personal samples from two farms, and formaldehyde was detected in all local samples. In direct-reading measurements, a high concentration of formaldehyde was sustained for short periods. Results Long-term (8-hour) personal samples were mostly non-detectable, except for farms A and D, which had levels of 0.0009 ppm and 0.0017 ppm, respectively. Short-term (15-minute) samples were non-detectable in four farms, with an average of 0.0158 (±0.0130) ppm in the remaining six farms. Local samples from all farms had an average of 0.0384 (±0.0957) ppm of formaldehyde. For farms A and D, where long-term sampling detected formaldehyde, real-time measurements showed a sustained high concentration in farm A for about 48 minutes before decreasing. Farm D had no detectable formaldehyde throughout the monitoring period. Conclusion According to the formaldehyde exposure level assessment, short term exposure to formaldehyde during and immediately after application of formalin nearly exceeded the ACGIH TLV STEL in one farm. However, concentration of long term samples appeared at 10% of ACGIH TLV TWA. Additional study is recommended to determine whether exposure to formaldehyde poses a health risk for aquaculture workers during application of formalin.

Metal concentrations in the whole blood of farmers in southeast Brazil

In this study, we measured Ni, Co, Cd, and Pb concentrations in the whole blood of farmers from southeast Brazil to address the factors influencing human exposure in this population. The factors included smoking, alcohol consumption, aging, body composition, gender, and feeding preferences, which were measured through carbon and nitrogen isotopic composition. We also calculated and compared the reference values (RVs) of the measured elements to evaluate ongoing exposure levels. We observed the influence of lifestyle habits on metal exposure; Cd levels were statistically higher in smokers, and alcohol consumption affected only Pb concentrations, with an association also observed with the frequency of alcohol ingestion. The metal levels were positively associated with both isotope values, indicating that feeding may be the dominant source of these elements in this population. We also observed the effect of endogenous sources measured through age, as increased Pb concentrations in both genders and higher Cd levels in older women, which is related to bone, kidney, and liver accumulation. The body mass index was negatively associated with Ni, Co, and Cd in women and positively in men. The negative associations may indicate that body fat may act as a reservoir for metals, reducing their availability in the blood in individuals with higher body mass and possibly influencing the assessment of exposure levels. The evaluated population presented elevated RVs for all elements: Ni 36, Co 3.3, Cd 16, and Pb 149 μg L−1. These values point to higher exposure in this population compared to other studies in Brazil and worldwide. These results emphasize an urgent need for monitoring programs for toxic substances in Brazil and evaluating possible health effects, given the ongoing environmental exposure associated with endogenous exposure and lifestyle habits that promote higher metal levels in this population.

Exposure to occupational risk factors is associated with the severity and progression of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) results from a complex interaction between genes and the environment, and occupational exposures are an underappreciated risk factor. Until now, little research attention has been paid to the potential impact of occupational risk factor exposure on the COPD in China. The aim of this retrospective study was to analyze the role of occupational risk factor exposure on the severity and progression of COPD for exploring new prevention strategies for this disease. This study adopted a random cluster-sampling method. Five grade-A tertiary hospitals that met the inclusion criteria were selected as the survey sites, and patients with COPD hospitalized in these hospitals from January 1, 2019, to December 31, 2019, were selected as the research subjects. Data of the patients diagnosed with COPD met the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (2019) criteria and were collected from the computerized medical record databases. Among 4082 investigated COPD patients, 1063 (26%) were found to have occupational risk factor exposure history. The top 3 industries with a large COPD case number and a history of occupational risk factor exposure ranked in the order of agriculture (including farming, forestry, animal husbandry, and fishery), manufacturing, and mining. Further multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that when setting a low exposure level as a reference, medium and high exposure levels were correlated with the severity of COPD (odds ratio values were 2.837 and 6.201, respectively, P < .05). Linear regression analysis showed that cumulative exposure to occupational risk factors was negatively correlated with the forced expiratory volume in 1-second percentage of COPD patients, with a correlation coefficient of 0.68. Our results indicated that occupational risk factor exposure levels were related to the severity of COPD significantly. The incubation period of COPD in the exposure group was significantly shorter than that in the non-exposure group. To prevent worked-related COPD, special attention and control efforts should be taken to reduce the level of occupational risk factors such as organic dust, irritating chemicals, etc in the work environments, especially in the industries of agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry and fishery, manufacturing, and mining.

Human exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) through medical-hospital devices: A systematic review

This systematic review explored the literature pertaining to patient exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) through medical-hospital devices. The acronym PICO: Patient (Medical-hospital devices), Intervention/Exposure (Bisphenol A), Comparison (Different grades of exposure) and Outcome (Assessment of exposure levels) was used. The databases used were LILACS, IBECS, MEDLINE, Capes Journal Portal, Food Science Source, FSTA and CINAHL with Full Text from EBSCO, Embase and Scopus by Elsevier, Web of Science and SCIELO. A total of 9747 references were found. After removing duplicate records, 7129 studies remained. After applying exclusion criteria and qualitative analysis, 12 articles remained. Studies have shown associations between the use of medical-hospital devices and patients’ exposure to BPA. For chronic renal patients, there was an association between plasma BPA and disease severity. This review identifies that exposure to BPA is increased after the use of medical-hospital devices. More studies that address the clinical outcome of patients exposed to medical-hospital materials containing BPA are needed.

Underground Gold Miner Exposure to Noise, Diesel Particulate Matter and Crystalline Silica Dust.

Background.Respirable dust, diesel particulate matter, crystalline silica and noise pollution are the most common causes of health issues experienced by underground mine workers. Assessment of exposure levels in relation to standard regulatory body permissible levels is essential for the safety of mine workers.Objectives.The present study compared exposure levels of diesel particulate matter, crystalline silica dust and noise experienced across different underground mine worker job titles.Methods.Subjective sampling was employed using gravimetric air samplers over an 8-hour time weighted average for two periods designated as period 1 (first half of the year) and period 2 (second half of the year). A comparative analysis of exposure levels between job titles and in relation to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) permissible exposure levels (PELs) was performed.Results.In the present study, 90% of the selected job titles were over-exposed to noise and 80% were over-exposed to diesel particulate matter. The highest exposures for crystalline silica dust and diesel particulate matter were found in the 40–49-year-old age group.Conclusions.The present study of exposure levels of diesel particulate matter, respirable dust, crystalline silica, and noise during underground gold mining demonstrates that better control mechanisms are needed to protect workers.Participant Consent.ObtainedEthics Approval.This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana.Competing Interests.The authors declare no competing financial interests.

Towards Automatic Image Exposure Level Assessment

The quality of acquired images can be surely reduced by improper exposures. Thus, in many vision-related industries, such as imaging sensor manufacturing and video surveillance, an approach that can routinely and accurately evaluate exposure levels of images is in urgent need. Taking an image as input, such a method is expected to output a scalar value, which can represent the overall perceptual exposure level of the examined image, ranging from extremely underexposed to extremely overexposed. However, studies focusing on image exposure level assessment (IELA) are quite sporadic. It should be noted that blind NR-IQA (no-reference image quality assessment) algorithms or metrics used to measure the quality of contrast-distorted images cannot be used for IELA. The root reason is that though these algorithms can quantify quality distortion of images, they do not know whether the distortion is due to underexposure or overexposure. This paper aims to resolve the issue of IELA to some extent and contributes to two aspects. Firstly, an Image Exposure Database (IEpsD) is constructed to facilitate the study of IELA. IEpsD comprises 24,500 images with various exposure levels, and for each image a subjective exposure score is provided, which represents its perceptual exposure level. Secondly, as IELA can be naturally formulated as a regression problem, we thoroughly evaluate the performance of modern deep CNN architectures for solving this specific task. Our evaluation results can serve as a baseline when the other researchers develop even more sophisticated IELA approaches. To facilitate the other researchers to reproduce our results, we have released the dataset and the relevant source code at https://cslinzhang.github.io/imgExpo/.

Method for protected noise exposure level assessment under an in-ear hearing protection device: a pilot study

Objective To properly measure the effective noise exposure level of workers with hearing protection devices (HPD), the use of in-ear noise dosimeters (IEND) is increasing. Commercial IENDs typically feature one in-ear microphone that captures all noises inside the ear and do not discriminate the residual noise in the earcanal from wearer-induced disturbances (WID) to calculate the in-ear sound pressure levels (SPL). A method to alleviate this particular issue with IENDs and calculate the hearing protection level on-site is therefore proposed. Design The sound captured by an outer-ear microphone is filtered with the modelled HPD transfer function to estimate the in-ear SPL, this way part of the WIDs mostly captured by the in-ear microphone can be rejected from the SPL. The level of protection provided by the earplugs can then be estimated from the difference between in-ear and outer-ear SPLs. The proposed method is validated by comparing the outcome of the proposed WID rejection method to a reference method. Study sample The detailed methods are assessed on audio recordings from 16 industrial workers monitored for up to 4 days. Results The merits of the proposed WID rejection approach are discussed in terms of residual SPL and hearing protection level estimation accuracy. Conclusions Based on the findings, a method to integrate the proposed WID rejection algorithm in future IENDs is suggested.

Assessing the Effect of Reactive Oxygen Species and Volatile Organic Compound Profiles Coming from Certain Types of Chinese Cooking on the Toxicity of Human Bronchial Epithelial Cells.

The International Agency of Research on Cancer identifies high-temperature frying, which features prominently in Chinese cooking, as producing group 2A carcinogens. This study simultaneously characterized particulate and gaseous-phase cooking emissions, monitored their reactive oxygen species (ROS) concentrations, and evaluated their impact on genetic damage and expression in exposed human bronchial epithelial cells. Five types of edible oil, three kinds of seasonings, and two dishes were assessed. Among tested edible oils, heating of soybean oil released the largest particle number concentration (2.09 × 1013 particles/(g cooking material and oil)·h) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emissions (12103.42 μg/(g cooking material and oil)·h). Heating of lard produced the greatest particle mass concentration (0.75 mg/(g cooking material and oil)·h). The main finding was that sunflower and rapeseed oils produced the highest ROS concentrations (80.48 and 71.75 nmol/(g cooking material and oil)·h, respectively). ROS formation most likely occurred during the autoxidation of both polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids. Among all the tested parameters, only ROS concentrations exhibited consistency with cell viability and showed significant correlations with the expression levels of CYP1A1, HIF-1a, and especially with IL-8 (the marker for oxidative stress within the cell). These findings indicate that ROS concentration is potentially a suitable metric for direct assessment of exposure levels and potential toxicity.

Proximate composition, functional properties and quantitative analysis of benzoyl peroxide and benzoic acid in wheat flour samples: effect on wheat flour quality.

BackgroundExtensive milling processes have deprived wheat flour from essential nutrients. The objective of the current study was to assess the nutritive quality of commercial wheat flour (soft flour (SF)) through analyses of proximate composition and functional properties as well as quantification of benzoyl peroxide (BPO; added as bleaching agent in the SF) by comparing the results with whole wheat flour (WF; never received any additives).MethodsThe samples included commercial SF purchased from the local supplier of different flour mills (who use BPO as additive) and a control sample without additives was prepared by grinding the seeds harvested from wheat (Triticum aestivum L.; Inqulab 91) crop grown in the experimental field of University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, under optimized field conditions without any fertilizers and insecticides. Functional properties (including bulk density, water absorption capacity, oil absorption capacity, emulsifying activity, foaming capacity, least gelatinization concentration and gelatinization temperature) and proximate composition (including moisture content, ash contents, crude protein, gluten and starch contents) were determined and compared for all the samples. Benzoyl peroxide (BPO) and Benzoic Acid (BA) quantification was performed through High Performance Liquid Chromatography. Finally dietary intake was estimated for BPO and BA.ResultsResults showed that SF had lesser fiber, protein and ash contents, whereas, higher damaged starch, fat, gluten and bulk density. A parallel experiment under selected conditions (temperature, time and solute concentration) showed dissociation of BPO into BA soon after the exposure. Observed BA range (13.77 mg/g after 16 h) in SF and exposure level assessment (44.3 ± 1.36 mg/kg/BW) showed higher intake of BA on the consumption of SF. The results revealed the superiority of WF over SF in nutritive qualities as well as free of toxicants such as BA.

REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH RISKS FOR FEMALE WORKERS EXPOSED TO HAZARDOUS WORKING CONDITIONS AND MEASURES TO MINIMIZE THEM

Introduction. The problem of women’s health protection and maintaining their reproductive health is a relevant problem of occupational health. Material and methods. The assessment of exposure levels to hazardous occupational factors at workplaces and reproductive health indices of female workers of petrochemistry and mining of the Republic of Bashkortostan has been carried out. Results. Petrochemical female workers have been shown to be exposed to the combined impact of toxicants including saturated, unsaturated, aromatic hydrocarbons and their derivatives, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, etc. at the maximum permissible level or below their concentration, the mining and processing enterprise workers - to the combined impact of hazardous occupational factors (polymetallic ore dust, chemicals, industrial noise). The working conditions of female workers of both industries correspond to hazardous Class I. Most chemicals possess reproductive toxicity. A significantly high prevalence of menstrual disorders, benign neoplasms, obstetric pathology in the form of threatened abortion, gestosis in the second half of pregnancy, chronic placental insufficiency, and as well as newborns’ morbidity have been revealed among female workers of main groups. Conclusion. The labor of women in the modern petrochemical complex, as well as the mining and processing enterprise fails to provide female workers’ reproductive health safety. Studies have shown the need to develop a system of preventive measures which will promote reproductive health of workers.

The Preliminary Application of Faeces Microbiome as Biodosimeters of Intestinal Acute Radiation Injury

Intestine is one of the most sensitive tissues in acute radiation injury(ARI）characterized by infection, diarrhea and lethality. Development of robust biodosimeters based on individual biological response is crucial for accurate assessment of exposure level and important decisions of medical therapy in Intestinal ARI. In our study, with the increase of radiation dosage, faeces flora constitute revealed corresponding variation tendency in accord with Intestinal radiotoxicity ,including diarrhea and weight decline, intestinal proliferation inhibition and DNA damage, apoptosis and inflamation induction. Because of the feasibility in dosage prediction and evaluation of intestinal ARI, such results supported the preliminary application of faeces microbiome as biodosimeters of intestinal ARI. A total of 120 adult SD rats (SPF) were randomly divided into four groups and received respectively whole-body exposure of 6MeV electron beam, namely 0, 4, 8 and 12Gy. The rats were sacrificed at 24h post-radiation. Faeces flora constitution was analyzed with 16SRNA gene sequencing. We evaluated the rats’ general condition by diarrhea and weight, lethality observation. Intestinal proliferation and DNA damage, morphology were respectively examined with Brdu staining, γ-H2AX staining and HE staining. Protein expression was judged by Western blot. Endotoxemia was tested by serum lipopolysaccharide (LPS) with limulus chromogenic assay. A P-value＜0.05 was considered statistically significant. Faeces flora constitution varied corresponding to the radiation dosage of 0, 4, 8 and 12Gy. The decreased rate of faeces flora proportion was as follows: Prevotella (36%,53%,76%), Ruminococcus (24%,33%,81%), Bifidobacterium (61%,89%,95%), Lactobacillus (54%,88%,92%), versus control group. The increased proportion of Bacteroides and Enterubacterium was 0.4%, 1.2%, 3.1 %and 0.7%, 2.8%, 3.6%, versus control group. The ratio of Enterubacterium to Bifidobacterium ranged from 0.26 to 1.6,15,41. With the variation tendency of radiation dosage and faeces flora constitute, intestinal radiotoxicity involving diarrhea and weight decrease, lethality exacerbated rapidly. More and more significant inhibition of intestinal proliferation and obvious DNA damage were observed, accompanied by increasing expression of apoptosis protein caspase3 and inflammatory factors like IL-1β,IL-6,TNFα (p < 0.05). Radiation caused the most dramatic morphology destruction and endotoxemia in the last group than others (p < 0.05). Our study demonstrate that faeces microbiome as biodosimeters is relatively stable and convenient for sample collection compared with conditional technologies ,which may bring about fast and accurate dosage prediction and radiotoxicity evaluation for intestinal ARI .This will provide a proof of principal for future precision medicine of ARI.

EVALUATION OF HUMAN HEALTH RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH PESTICIDE DIETARY INTAKE - AN OVERVIEW ON QUANTITATIVE UNCERTAINTY ANALYSIS

The probabilistic estimation and the risk analysis of the exposure to pesticides through the ingestion of plants and food products is an important task for ensuring informed decision making and appropriate consumer protection. Monte Carlo-based methods are powerful tools in this regard, allowing for the empirical estimation of the distribution of exposure values, as well as for carrying out a corresponding uncertainty analysis. Such findings are important for assessing the exposure risk for multiple categories of the general population, divided by age groups, body weight, food consumption etc. The general model used for determining the exposure allows for a detailed assessment and analysis of the distribution of exposure values along a determined range, and of the probabilities of occurrence for acute and chronic exposure levels, while also accounting for potential uncertainties in the input parameters. Researchers in the related fields propose various probabilistic approaches using several distribution shapes to estimate each parameter of the model. Furthermore, the related literature contains a series of guidelines for carrying out the aforementioned tasks, for various types of data with a wide assortment of distributions. Consequently, this study presents a general framework and characterization of exposure as a result of food consumption, as well as common practices for carrying out an assessment of exposure levels, with an emphasis on significant related work from the state-of-the-art in the field. The findings of the present study indicate that probabilistic approaches are powerful tools for aiding the regulatory decision-making process in the case of acute or chronic dietary exposure.

Evaluation of gluten in gluten-free-labeled foods and assessment of exposure level to gluten among celiac patients in Lebanon

The aim of the study was to evaluate gluten contamination in all the gluten-free (GF)-labeled food products sold in Lebanon. Over a 2-year period, a total of 173 food samples collected from 135 brand names were analyzed. Gluten contamination was detected in 33 of 173 (19%) samples, and its content ranged between 2.5 and >80 mg kg−1. In 10 of the 173 samples (6%), the quantity of gluten exceeded the upper limit of 20 mg kg−1. Out of the 10 contaminated products, eight (80%) were locally manufactured. Among these 10 products, eight (80%) were wheat-starch-based foods. Of the 40 brand names tested twice in 2014 and 2015, 15 (38%) showed significantly (p < .05) different gluten content between the 2 years. Using a food frequency questionnaire, exposure level to gluten through the contaminated products was evaluated among 15 celiac patients. Two patients reported consuming these products more than twice per week.

Work related musculo-skeletal disorders (WMDSs) of the workers engaged in tailoring units

Work related musculo-skeletal disorders (WMSDs) are common health problem throughout the world. Assessment of exposure levels to WMSDs risk factors can be an appropriate base for planning and implementing interventional ergonomics programmes in the workplace. The presents study is focused on posture analysis of the workers working in tailoring units. For the purpose OWAS (Ovaku work posture analysis) method was used to assess specific body postures of the workers and recommend the changes to be made in the body postures while working. The prevalence of WMSDs was studied by using NMQ. The study was conducted on 100 workers engaged in various process of tailoring activities of Jorhat district of Assam, India. The photographs of different sections like measuring, marking, cutting, stitching garments and running wheel etc. showing different movements of the workers during performance of activities was observed. Postural analysis of workers found that 100 per cent workers have some harmful effect on musculo-skeletal system. Light stress, no immediate action is necessary, but changes should be considered in future working in acceptable posture and requires no corrective measures. All the respondents perceived moderate type of joint pain in the body during performances of different sub-activities. Cent per cent of the respondent experienced very severe pain in eye, neck, shoulders, legs, knees, calf muscle and feet. For increasing efficiency and reducing disorders of the workers their working posture should be changed.

Calculation of Low-Frequency Magnetic Field Distribution of a Transformer Station in Stationary State

This paper describes one way of assessment of exposure level to electromagnetic fields of secondary electronic equipment or personnel in or close to high-voltage facilities. Assessment of fulfilling criteria regarding allowable values of magnetic flux, according regulations, was gained by numerical calculation and experimental measurement, considering geometrical configuration of high-voltage facility elements. Correct identification of electromagnetic disturbances of transmission lines has for a result optimal geometrical disposition of electronic equipment inside a high-voltage facility. Comparing a calculation results and results of experimental measuring on particular example of high-voltage facility, can lead to a conclusion that expensive measuring can be avoided, through standardization of a mathematical model and through numerical calculation of low-frequency magnetic field distribution even in conditions of the most complex geometry. Having in mind a number of locations where interaction between high-voltage facility and electronic equipment and personnel exists, a clear intention of authors, for reducing expenses of recording interaction level, is visible.

Metals and metalloid in eight fish species consumed by citizens of Bogota D.C., Colombia, and potential risk to humans

ABSTRACTThe risk imposed upon society by consumption of foods contaminated with metals and metalloids is an environmental problem attributed to the increasing number of mining extraction activities currently underway in Colombia. The aim of the current study was to determine concentrations of mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and a metalloid arsenic (As) found in the species of most consumed fish species by citizens of Bogota D.C. (Colombia), and the consequent potential risk to human health was also calculated. Muscle samples of 8 fish species were obtained from 203 individuals collected through 2014. The highest metal concentrations detected were as follows: Pb in Oncorhynchus sp. (0.0595 mg/kg), Cd and Hg in Pimelodus sp. (0.0072 and 0.0579 mg/kg, respectively), and As in Scomberomorus sp (0.0471 mg/kg). Further, the levels of metal accumulation from consumption of fish were calculated utilizing the metal pollution index (MPI), with elevated values noted in Pseudoplatystoma sp (0.06 mg/kg), followed by Scomberomorus sp. and Centropomus sp. (0.05 and 0.04 mg/kg, respectively). The multiple species exposure index (Em.j) denotes the level of exposure associated with consumption of various contaminated fish species, and this level occurred in decreasing order as follows: As > Pb > Cd > Hg. The multiple chemical exposure index (Ej.m), which accounts for exposure to multiple metals, identified Prochilodus sp. as the species displaying the highest level of exposure per consumption (8 × 10−6 mg/kg-d). The target hazard quotient (THQ) for human health indicated high levels for Hg and Cd in Prochilodus sp. (0.026 and 0.005, respectively), Pb in Oncorhynchus sp (0.025), and As in Pseudoplatistoma sp. and Centropomus sp. (0.023). Data emphasize the need for adequate nationwide public policies that promote assessment of exposure levels and potential adverse health risks associated with dietary consumption of different fish species in Colombia.

Development and Evaluation of a Questionnaire to Document Worker Exposures to Mechanical Loading at a Workplace Level

OCCUPATIONAL APPLICATIONS Despite many biomechanical risk factors being clearly linked to the development of musculoskeletal disorders, little measurement of the prevalence of physical loads in workplaces is being conducted. Through a collaborative partnership with unions, a health and safety organization, and researchers, this project developed and tested a questionnaire to document exposures to physical workloads in workplaces. Surveys were first completed independently by two members of each organization's joint health and safety committee. The same survey was later completed collectively to arrive at a consensus between the two members. Results of the surveys were then compared to findings from a walk-through conducted by an ergonomist. Substantial to excellent agreement was found between the identification and assessment of exposure levels to 26 types of physical loading by the ergonomist and workplace. Such a survey could be an efficient technique to characterize the loads to which workers are exposed. Such data could have value for targeting prevention activities at a workplace or jurisdictional level.TECHNICAL ABSTRACT Background: The presence and level of exposure to mechanical risk factors can be considered leading indicators in the development of musculoskeletal disorders. Although there are multiple methods for musculoskeletal disorder risk assessment, most of these methods record data related to an individual person performing a specific task. Rather in this questionnaire, we are collecting the exposure data at the workplace level (i.e., for all people experiencing this type of load). Purpose: The aim of this study was to develop and test a survey to document the presence and levels of multiple types of physical loading in a workplace. Methods: A survey requesting information on exposure to 26 types of loading was developed. It was distributed to management and worker representatives for their individual and then their consensus ratings. The same survey was completed by an ergonomist during a site visit. Results: Complete data sets were obtained from 30 workplaces across a variety of sectors. The most prevalent loads reported were sitting, neck bent or twisted, computer use, and carrying loads. For the presence or absence of specific loads, the consensus and ergonomist's ratings agreed well with over 90% for nine of 26 load types and over 70% agreement for 10 other load types. For a calculated exposure index, only four load types differed significantly across the two types of raters. Conclusions: The study demonstrates that a survey completed by individuals familiar with the workplace could be used to document exposure to physical loading at a workplace level in an efficient manner. Such a survey may be useful in understanding the nature and prevalence of such exposures and targeting prevention activities at a workplace or jurisdictional level.

Risk Assessment of Repetitive Movements in Olive Growing: Analysis of Annual Exposure Level Assessment Models with the OCRA Checklist.

In Italy, one of the main agricultural crops is represented by the cultivation of olive trees. Olive cultivation characterizes the Italian agricultural landscape and national agricultural economics. Italy is the world's second largest producer of olive oil. Because olive cultivation requires the largest labor force in southern Italy, the aim of this research was to assess the risk of biomechanical overload of the workers' upper limbs. The objective, therefore, was to determine the level of risk that workers are exposed to in each phase of the production process. In Calabria, the second most important region in Italy for both the production of olive oil and cultivated area, there are 113,907 olive farms (83% of all farms) and 250,000 workers. To evaluate the risk of repetitive movements, all of the work tasks performed by workers on 100 farms in Calabria were analyzed. A total of 430 workers were interviewed over the four-year research period. To evaluate the level of exposure to repetitive movements, the OCRA (occupational repetitive actions) checklist was adopted. This checklist was the primary analytical tool during the preliminary risk assessment and in a given working situation. The analysis suggested by the OCRA checklist starts with pre-assigned scores (increasing in value with intensification of risk) for each of four main risk factors and additional factors. Between 2010 and 2013, surveys were conducted using the OCRA checklist with the aim of verifying musculoskeletal risks. The results obtained from the study of 430 workers allowed us to identify the level of exposure to risk. This analysis was conducted in the workplace to examine in detail the repetitive movements performed by the workers. The research was divided into two phases: first to provide preliminary information on the different tasks performed in olive growing, and second to assign a percentage to each task of the total hours worked in a year. Based on the results, this method could well become a tool for implementing prevention measures for all workers involved in farming, not just those in olive production. Exposure to work-related musculoskeletal risks (extreme posture, repetition, high muscle loads) appears to be significant for workers in olive production. In the cultivation of olive trees, many tasks require prolonged and intense physical efforts that can increase risk. The most problematic work tasks were pruning and harvesting, while fertilization showed the lowest risk. The survey showed the need for a suitable study of olive growing to adapt prevention measures to specific aspects of agriculture as compared to other employment sectors.

Exposure levels due to WLAN devices in indoor environments corrected by a time-amplitude factor of distribution of the quasi-stochastic signals

With the development of radiofrequency technology, radiating quasi-stochastic signals like the wireless local area networks (WLAN), a proper procedure of exposure level assessment is needed. No standardised procedure exists at the moment. While channel power measurement proved to overestimate the field strength, weighting techniques were proposed. The paper compares the exposure levels determined by three different procedures, two of them correcting the field level by weighting. Twenty-three experimental cases of WLAN traffic load are analysed in an indoor environment in controlled conditions. The results show the differences obtained when the duty cycle (DC) method is applied comparatively with the application of weighting based on an amplitude-time correction. Significant exposure level reductions of 52.6-79.2 % from the field determined by frequency domain method and of 36.5-72.8 % from the field determined by the DC weighting method were obtained by time-amplitude method. Specificities of weighting factors probability density functions were investigated and regression analysis was applied for a detailed characterisation of this procedure.

Common musculoskeletal problem experienced by fishing industry workers.

Introduction:Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are a common health problem throughout the world and a major cause of disability in the workplace. Awkward working posture is a main risk factor for developing WMSDs. Assessment of exposure level to WMSDs risks can be an appropriate base for planning and implementing interventional ergonomics program in the workplace. Fihing in India is a major industry in the coastal states employing over 14 million people. The job demand of fishermen make them vulnerable for various musculoskeletal problems This study was conducted among workers of fishing industry in Mumbai, India with the objective to determine WMSDs prevalence in fishing industry.Materials and Methods:In this cross-sectional study, 110 randomly selected workers from fishing industry, India, Mumbai, Anonymous questionnaire was used to study prevalence of WMSDs.visual analogue scale used to assess intensity of pain.Results:The results of NMQ revealed that WMSDs occurrence was high. The highest rates of WMSDs prevalence were reported in Low back(92.4%), Shoulder (64.8%) and Knee(31%) and Hand (25%).Conclusion:This study showed that maximum of the fishermen have musculoskeletal problem with the most common joint involved is low back and then followed by shoulder, knee, and hand. Ergonomic risk factor involved were found to be repeated pulling and throwing of the net as well as repeated bending forward action to lift heavy load and transfer that heavy load.