Dust Levels Research Articles

Intelligent Dust Monitoring Application in Patient Room

Due to an ongoing epidemic, the number of hospitalized bedridden patients has increased. It is imperative to closely monitor the hospital room and maintain and clean it regularly to avoid harm to the patients. The accommodations may not be within the standards for a bed-bound patient’s room. The patient has a risk of contracting a respiratory disease, or having an asthmatic attack, if exposed to high levels of PM1, PM2.5, or PM10 dust that cannot be seen with bare eyes so the risk factor is not easy to notice. The goal of this study was to develop a dust monitoring system for hospital bedrooms using IoT, so that the caregivers can monitor air quality in the room. By applying the Internet of Things (IoTs) technology to communicate between sensors and mobile phones, the internet serves as the medium for communication. The demonstration system in the room was equipped with 5 sensor cluster, each measuring: temperature, humidity and dust sensors for PM1, PM2.5, and PM10. Decision trees were trained to predict the outcome of cases after collecting data. The final decision tree model reached an overall classification accuracy of 92.8%. The system could alert for housekeeping or turn on or off an automatic dust remover based on the amount of dust in the room. It also supports cleaning and dust removal to ensure that the bed patient’s room is appropriate and reduces the risk of respiratory diseases caused by dust.

Silicosis and the countertop industry

Silicosis and the countertop industry

Gambaran Kadar Debu di Lingkungan Pabrik Kapur Antang Kota Makassar

Dust is one of the air pollutants with a high level of toxicity and plays a significant role in the destruction of ambient air. Dust contains solid particles that can cause various respiratory diseases and can pollute the air. Dust will enter human lungs if a person breathes air that prevents dust, especially dust that has a size of 1 to 3 microns which will then stick to the alveoli. This study aims to determine the level of dust in the environment of the anting limestone factory in Makassar. This type of research uses an analytic survey with a cross-sectional design. Samples were taken by purposive sampling as many as 35 samples. The results of the study obtained in the acting lime factory are the work period> 5 years consisting of 28 workers 80%, while <5 years seven workers 20%, duration of work> 8 hours/day 31 workers 31.3%, while <8 hours/day 24 workers 68.6, 22 people good smoking habits 62.9. Poor 13 people 37.1, 100% use masks, 18 (51.4%) workers using hats and 17 (48.6%) workers not using caps, 34 (97.1%) use of gloves %) workers who do not use gloves are 1 (2.9%) workers, use glasses as many as 7 (20%) workers and do not use glasses as many as 28 (80%) workers. And the dust content of point A is good 5,980, while point B is not good at 0.118. The conclusion of this research is the level of dust level of the antang limestone factory in Makassar city at point A area of ​​the production room at the lime factory where the coordinates obtained are S: 05o 09 '37.9 ", E: 119o 29'09.6" while the air temperature is 33o C with 56% humidity while 0.0 meters/sec' wind speed. With a result of 5,980. Whereas at point B area of ​​the combustion chamber in the lime factory where the coordinates obtained are S: 05o 09 '38.1 ", E: 119o 29'13.2" as for the air temperature is 32o C with 51% humidity while the wind speed is 0.0 meters / second ". With a result of 0.118.

Phthalic acid esters (PAEs) in workplace and house dust from Vietnam: concentrations, profiles, emission sources, and exposure risk.

The occurrence of nine phthalic acid esters (PAEs) were determined in indoor dust samples collected from vehicle repair shops, waste processing workshops, and homes in Vietnam. Concentrations of total PAEs ranged from 585 to 153,000 (median 33,400ng/g), which fall in the lower end of global range. The PAE levels in workplace dust (median 49,100; range 9210-153,000ng/g) were significantly higher than those in house dust (median 23,700; range 585-83,700ng/g), indicating waste processing activities as potential PAE sources. The most predominant compound was di-(2-ethyl)hexyl phthalate (DEHP), accounting for 62 ± 18% of total PAEs. Other major compounds were benzyl butyl phthalate (BzBP) (10 ± 12%), di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP) (9.7 ± 7.7%), di-n-octyl phthalate (DnOP) (7.9 ± 8.1%), and diisobutyl phthalate (DiBP) (6.9 ± 5.0%). Proportions of BzBP and DnBP in some workplace dust samples were markedly greater than in common house dust, suggesting specific emission sources. Daily intake doses of selected PAEs (e.g., DnBP, DiBP, BzBP, and DEHP) through dust ingestion were much lower than reference doses, implying acceptable levels of risk.

Identifying Citric Acid Esters, a Class of Phthalate Substitute Plasticizers, in Indoor Dust via an Integrated Target, Suspect, and Characteristic Fragment-Dependent Screening Strategy.

Citrate acid esters (CAEs) have been proposed as a class of phthalate substitute plasticizers; however, information on their occurrence in indoor environments is rare. By using liquid chromatography coupled with a quadrupole-Orbitrap mass spectrometer, we developed an integrated strategy that can be applied for target, suspect, and characteristic fragment-dependent screening of CAEs. In n = 50 indoor dust samples collected from Nanjing City (China), three CAEs, namely, acetyl tributyl citrate (ATBC; mean: 412,000 ng/g), tributyl citrate (TBC, 11,600 ng/g), and triethyl citrate (TEC, 10,900 ng/g), exhibited the greatest contamination levels. Total concentrations of CAEs (∑8CAEs) were statistically significantly (p < 0.01) greater than those of common organophosphate triesters (OPTEs), a class of ubiquitous contaminants in dust. Suspect and characteristic fragment-dependent screening (m/z 111.0078 ([C5H3O3]+) and m/z 129.0181 ([C5H5O4]+)) of CAEs were further conducted for the same batch of samples. We tentatively identified six novel CAEs, and the most frequent and abundant CAE was fully identified as tributyl aconitate (TBA). Statistically significant correlation relationships were observed on dust levels between TBA vs ATBC (r = 0.650; p < 0.01) and TBA vs TBC (r = 0.384; p < 0.01), suggesting their similar sources in dust samples.

Emerging and legacy flame retardants in indoor air and dust samples of Tarragona Province (Catalonia, Spain)

Flame retardants (FRs) are widely used in consumer products including furniture foam and electronic equipment such as computers, monitors and TVs. Over time, FRs can easily migrate into the surrounding environments. Since brominated FRs (BFRs) has been determined of high concern due to their environmental persistence, bioaccumulation and potential toxicity, novel FRs have emerged. The present study was aimed at identifying and quantifying the indoor levels of 41 legacy and novel FRs, which include 20 OPFRs and 21 HFRs (8 PBDEs, 3 HBCDDs, 5 NBFRs and 5 DECs) in Tarragona Province (Catalonia, Spain). The results have confirmed the presence of both legacy and novel FRs in air and dust of homes, schools and offices. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first European study measuring OPFRs at office environments and also confirming the presence of the following OPFRs: TEP, TCIPP, T2IPPP, TPPO, DCP, TMCP and B4IPPPP in indoor air, even some of them at high levels. OPFRs in general and TCIPP in particular showed high concentrations in air (94,599 pg/m3 and 72,281 pg/m3, respectively) and dust (32,084 ng/g and 13,496 ng/g, respectively) samples collected in indoor environments. HBCDDs were found at high levels in dust (32,185 ng/g), whereas the presence of PBDEs and DECs were low in both matrices (<160 pg/m3 in air and <832 ng/g in dust). NBFRs showed higher levels than the two legacy FRs groups, which is supported by the current restrictions of these FRs (640 pg/m3 in air and 1291 ng/g in dust). Samples of schools had significantly lower levels of NBFRs, but significantly higher concentrations of HFRs in air than in home samples, while dust levels of HFRs were significantly lower than those in samples of offices. Regarding human health risks, the current assessment suggests that those derived from exposure to FRs were lower -although close- to assumable risks, evidencing the potential of FRs for non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks, mainly due to the exposure to TCIPP, which was the main contributor together with ΣHBCDDs and also EHDPP.

Dust Exposure and Respiratory Health Among Workers in Primary Coffee Processing Factories in Tanzania and Ethiopia.

Introduction: In primary coffee factories the coffee beans are cleaned and sorted. Studies from the 80- and 90-ties indicated respiratory health effects among the workers, but these results may not represent the present status. Our aim was to review recent studies on dust exposure and respiratory health among coffee factory workers in Tanzania and Ethiopia, two major coffee producing countries in Africa.Methods: This study merged data from cross-sectional studies from 2010 to 2019 in 4 and 12 factories in Tanzania and Ethiopia, respectively. Personal samples of “total” dust and endotoxin were taken in the breathing zone. Chronic respiratory symptoms were assessed using the American Thoracic Society (ATS) questionnaire. Lung function was measured by a spirometer in accordance with ATS guidelines.Results: Dust exposure among male production workers was higher in Ethiopia (GM 12 mg/m3; range 1.1–81) than in Tanzania (2.5; 0.24–36). Exposure to endotoxins was high (3,500; 42–75,083) compared to the Dutch OEL of 90 EU/m3. The male workers had higher prevalence of respiratory symptoms than controls. The highest symptom prevalence and odds ratio were found for cough (48.4%; OR = 11.3), while for breathlessness and wheezing the odds ratios were 3.2 and 2.4, respectively. There was a significant difference between the male coffee workers and controls in the adjusted FEV1 (0.26 l/s) and FVC (0.21 l) and in the prevalence of airflow limitation (FEV1/FVC < 0.7) (6.3 vs. 0.9%). Among the male coffee workers, there was a significant association between cumulative dust exposure and the lung function variables FEV1 and FVC, respectively.Conclusions: The results suggest that coffee production workers are at risk of developing chronic respiratory symptoms and reduced lung function, and that the findings are related to high dust levels. Measures to reduce dust exposure should be targeted to factors identified as significant determinants of exposure.

Exposure Assessment at a Pullet Barn - A Case Study

ABSTRACT Poultry production is an integral part of agriculture and of the U.S. economy, accounting for millions of eggs and chicken products consumed annually. Most ubiquitous to the poultry industry from farm production to research are broiler and layer poultry operations, with pullet operations at the forefront. Although essential to the cycles of production, there is a dearth of evidence regarding the occupational exposure risks of pullet production. The aim of this case study was to measure total dust and ammonia levels during the growth cycle of pullets. Ammonia and total dust concentrations were measured as single day measurements at three different points of time during the 16.5-week growth cycle of pullet flocks using two fixed sampling stations configured to represent the breathing zone height of poultry workers. As birds grew from chicks to hens, concentrations of total dust and ammonia increased. Notably, from 3 weeks-of-age to 9 weeks-of-age concentrations of total dust increased from 1.1–1.2 mg/m3 to 16.0–18.0 mg/m3; and from 9 weeks-of-age to 15 weeks-of-age, dust concentrations reached 43.0–50.0 mg/m3. Concentrations of ammonia also increased from 9 weeks to 15 weeks from 1.1–2.7 ppm to 22.0–30.0 ppm. Both levels of ammonia and total dust reached levels that have the potential to induce adverse health effects among farmers raising pullets.

Exploring Methods for Surveillance of Occupational Exposure from Additive Manufacturing in Four Different Industrial Facilities.

3D printing, a type of additive manufacturing (AM), is a rapidly expanding field. Some adverse health effects have been associated with exposure to printing emissions, which makes occupational exposure studies important. There is a lack of exposure studies, particularly from printing methods other than material extrusion (ME). The presented study aimed to evaluate measurement methods for exposure assessment in AM environments and to measure exposure and emissions from four different printing methods [powder bed fusion (PBF), material extrusion (ME), material jetting (MJ), and vat photopolymerization] in industry. Structured exposure diaries and volatile organic compound (VOC) sensors were used over a 5-day working week. Personal and stationary VOC samples and real-time particle measurements were taken for 1 day per facility. Personal inhalable and respirable dust samples were taken during PBF and MJ AM. The use of structured exposure diaries in combination with measurement data revealed that comparatively little time is spent on actual printing and the main exposure comes from post-processing tasks. VOC and particle instruments that log for a longer period are a useful tool as they facilitate the identification of work tasks with high emissions, highlight the importance of ventilation and give a more gathered view of variations in exposure. No alarming levels of VOCs or dust were detected during print nor post-processing in these facilities as adequate preventive measures were installed. As there are a few studies reporting negative health effects, it is still important to keep the exposure as low as reasonable.

Association between house dust mites sensitization and level of asthma control and severity in children attending Mansoura University Children\u2019s Hospital

BackgroundHouse dust mites (HDM) are considered as a major source of indoor aeroallergen all over the world that precipitate allergic reactions including rhinoconjunctivitis, food allergy, atopic dermatitis, and allergic asthma. In this study, we aimed to assess the clinical and laboratory profile of some Egyptian asthmatic children who are sensitized to house dust mites and determine the association of HDM sensitization and severity of asthma according to recent GINA guidelines.ResultsThe most frequent clinical phenotype among the HDM-positive group was a cough (96.7%), while the clinical phenotypic wheeze was frequent in HDM negative group (96.7%). There is a statistically significant difference between studied cases classified according to sensitivity to HDM regarding level of asthma control (50.0% were uncontrolled among cases sensitive to HDM and 56.7% of cases non-sensitive to HDM were controlled (p = 0.001*). Severity according to treatment results was significantly higher among cases sensitive to HDM (26.7% of cases sensitive to HDM versus 3.3% of cases non-sensitive to HDM), p = 0.017.ConclusionsHDM sensitization is associated mainly with cough asthma phenotype and allergic rhinitis in our studied cases. HDM sensitization increases asthma severity and decreases the ability to control asthma symptoms.Trial registrationClinicalTrial.gov, NCT04958616.

Contributions of nearby agricultural insecticide applications to indoor residential exposures

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Pesticide exposure has been associated with adverse health effects; individuals may be exposed to pesticide drift from nearby agricultural fields. We evaluated relationships between agricultural insecticide applications and insecticide levels in carpet dust. METHODS: We measured concentrations (ng/g) of allethrin, azinphos-methyl, carbaryl, chlorpyrifos, cyfluthrin, cypermethrin, deltamethrin, diazinon, malathion, permethrin, phosmet, propoxur, tetramethrin in carpet-dust samples collected from 558 California homes. After using the California Pesticide Use Reporting database (reporting unit: ~2.59km2) to estimate agricultural insecticide use within buffers with radii of 0.5-, 1-, 2-, 3-, and 4km around each home, we calculated the density of use (kg/km2) during 30-, 60-, 180-, and 365-day periods prior to dust collection and evaluated relationships between insecticide density and concentrations in dust. We modeled natural-log transformed dust concentrations using Tobit regression for insecticides with 40% detection. For insecticides detected ≤40%, odds of detection were modeled with logistic regression. Models were adjusted for season, year, occupation, and home/garden uses. RESULTS:Detection frequencies ranged from 10% for allethrin, azinphos-methyl, and malathion to 80% for diazinon, chlorpyrifos, and permethrin. Chlorpyrifos applications within 1-4km of the residence during all time periods were associated with higher dust concentrations compared to homes without nearby applications. Carbaryl applications within 2-4km of homes 30- and 60-days prior to dust collection were associated with higher concentrations (30-days/2km, β any applications vs. none=8.2, 95%CI 1.8-37.6; 60-days/4km, β median density vs. none=4.2, 95%CI 1.1-15.7). Cyfluthrin and phosmet applications 180- and 365-days prior to dust collection were associated with higher odds of detection (365-days/4km, highest density vs. none: OR=2.2, 95%CI 1.2-4.0 and 6.2, 95%CI 3.3-12.0, respectively) compared to homes with no nearby use. CONCLUSIONS:Agricultural insecticide use within 4km of a home could be an important determinant of indoor contamination. Our findings provide valuable information for the development of exposure metrics for epidemiologic health studies. KEYWORDS: Pesticides, Exposures, Exposure assessment, Environmental epidemiology, Children's environmental health

Profile occurrences and in vitro effects of toxic organic pollutants in metal shredding facilities in Wallonia (Belgium)

End-of-life vehicles and e-waste contain several hazardous substances that can contaminate the environment during treatment processes. Occurrences and adverse effects of toxic organic pollutants emitted from 3 shredder plants located in Wallonia, Belgium, were investigated by chemical and biological analyses of fluff, dust, and scrubbing sludge sampled in 2019. Site 1 showed the highest concentrations of chlorinated compounds in sludge with 7.5 ng/g polychlorinated dibenzo-dioxins/furans and 84.5 µg/g estimated total polychlorinated biphenyls, while site 3 led the brominated flame retardant levels in dust (53.4 µg/g). The level of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons was highest in the sludge samples, 78 and 71 µg/g for sites 2 and 3, respectively. The samples induced significant dioxin-like activities in murine and human cells at concentrations of around 0.01–0.1 and 0.5–1 ng (sample) per ml (medium), respectively, with the efficacy similar to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzodioxin and EC50 values of around 1 and 10 ng/ml. The samples also displayed high estrogenic activities, already at 1 ng/ml, and several induced a response as efficient as 17β-estradiol, albeit a low androgenic activity. Shredder workers were estimated to be highly exposed to dioxin-like compounds through dust ingestion and dermal absorption, which is of concern.

Correlation of Ceramic Dust Content in Workplace with Lung Function in Ceramics Industry Workers of X Company, Mabar, Medan

Background: Workers in the ceramics industry are often exposed to silica content which is unwittingly inhaled and deposited in the lungs. Macrophages will release Interleukin 8 (IL-8), a chemoattractant that causes neutrophil recruitment to the alveoli and releases proteolytic enzymes that damage the lung parenchyma and cause a decrease in lung function. This study aimed to determine whether dust level correlate with IL-8 serum in ceramic industry workers. Method: This research is an analytic study with a cross-sectional design conducted in March–June 2019 in the X Ceramic Industry in Mabar, Medan. Personal Dust Sampler was used to measure dust level of the study subjects at work sites. Lung function was measured by spirometry. Statistical analysis was performed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software. Results: A total of 35 male workers were divided into 3 working sections, 11 (31.4%) in the pre-compression section, 13 (37.1%) in the compression section and 11 (31.4%) in the sintering section. Dust levels at each working section were 24.8, 29.2, and 6.11, respectively. The lung function examination showed restrictive impairment in 21 subjects (60%). Statistical analysis showed that the higher the level of dust in the workplace, the lower the value of Forced Expiratory Volume 1 (FEV1) and Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) values, although this correlation was not statistically significant (r = -0.03 and -0.22 respectively; p&gt; 0.05). Conclusion: There was no significant relationship between workplace dust levels and lung function in ceramic workers.

The Incidence of Sick Building Syndrome and Its Causes on Employees at the Governor’s Office of West Sulawesi Province

Introduction: Indoor air quality greatly affects human health because almost 90% of human life is indoors. Some symptoms that are often felt by employees in a building with Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) are fatigue; headaches; symptoms of eye, nose and throat irritation; skin irritation; dry cough, increased irritability and difficulty in concentration; nausea; drowsiness; and hypersensitivity to odor. This research aims to determine the relationship of air quality in space to the incidence of Sick Building Syndrome. Methods: This research was an analytic survey research with cross sectional approach. The samples in this study were employees who were in the Building D of the Provincial Governor's Office, West Sulawesi totalling 82 people. This research was carried out by measuring indoor air quality and giving questionnaires to find out the SBS events. Results: The results of room temperature measurements ranged from 26.14 - 41.46°C, humidity measurement was ≥ 60%, light intensity was ≤ 100 lux, the chemical quality of CO in the air was ≤ 29 mg/m3, CO2 levelin the air was ≤ 1000 ppm, and dust level was ≥ 0.15 mg/m3. Besides, there was a significant relationship between air temperature and dust levels on the incidence of Sick Building Syndrome (SBS), with p value of 0.006. Conclusion: It can be concluded that factors that influenced the occurrence of SBS were air temperature and dust concentration in the room.Keywords: indoor air quality, office, sick building syndrome

Characteristics of Dust Events in China from 2015 to 2020

As the main source of dust in Asia, China often suffers from dust events. The temporal and spatial characteristics of dust events change with the variations of geography, climate and human activities. Based on the criteria of selecting dust events proposed recently by the China Environmental Monitoring Station, the hourly concentration of PM10 and PM2.5 of 336 cities in China from 2015 to 2020 were used to study the temporal and spatial characteristics of dust events more accurately and objectively. The results showed that all of the dust events in China clearly decreased, but the strong dust events did not decrease. There were 334 cities that had dust events except Shenzhen and Dongguan, 299 cities were seriously polluted due to dust events, 134 cities encountered dust level III and 56 cities encountered dust level IV. The high frequencies of dust events were mainly distributed in Northern China, especially in Northwest China. The dust contribution of PM10 to the cities in Northwest China was more than 10% and about 5–10% for PM2.5. The most likely month for dust was May. The starting time of dust was bimodally distributed, and the most common starting time was 10:00–11:00 BJT, followed by 22:00–23:00 BJT. According to the PSCF (Potential Source Contribution Function) results, the dust potential source contribution of different cities mainly came from the northwest, and was mainly affected by Mongolia in addition to the local dust in China. In addition, Beijing was obviously affected by dust recirculation. This study is of great significance to the improvement of the forecast of dust weather and the warning of heavy pollution caused by dust events.

Risk factors associated with pinkeye in Australian cattle

Pinkeye is the most important bovine ocular disease worldwide and a major welfare and economic concern to the Australian cattle industry. Pinkeye can occur in epidemic proportions, but severity and susceptibility vary within and between herds, indicating that the disease is multifactorial. This study was conducted to identify the on-farm risk factors associated with pinkeye disease in Australian cattle. Data were gathered from cattle farmers using a custom designed online questionnaire. Farmer responses suitable for assessment (n = 999) were analysed with descriptive, univariable and multivariable logistic regression to evaluate the association of 26 explanatory variables with pinkeye within-herd prevalence. Results revealed that farm location, farm grazing area, farmer-reported dust levels, fly levels, rain levels, animal zebu content and cattle age were significantly associated with pinkeye prevalence. More specifically, having a farm located in southern Australia, of smaller grazing area with cattle ≤ 2 years of age, was associated with a higher pinkeye prevalence. Pinkeye prevalence was also greater if respondents ranked their farms as having high fly levels compared to moderate and low fly levels, respectively and on farms ranked low for rainfall compared to moderate and high rainfall, respectively. Those that ranked their farms as having high dust levels had more pinkeye compared to moderate and low dust levels, but moderate dust levels were protective compared to low dust levels. The results confirm that pinkeye disease is multifactorial and is associated with a range of host and environmental factors. These findings should be used to assist in the control of the disease and improve pinkeye outcomes in Australian cattle.

A Review of Metal Levels in Urban Dust, Their Methods of Determination, and Risk Assessment

This review gives insights into the levels of metals in urban dust, their determination methods, and risk assessment. Urban dust harbors a number of pollutants, including heavy metals. There are various methods used for the sampling of urban dust for heavy-metal analysis and source-apportionment purposes, with the predominant one being the use of plastic sampling materials to avoid prior contamination. There are also various methods for the determination of metals, which include: atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), among others. Studies have shown that pollutants in urban dust are mainly derived from industrial activities and coal combustion, whereas traffic emissions are also an important, but not a predominant source of pollution. The varying particle-size distribution of urban dust and its large surface area makes it easier for the deposition and transport of heavy metals. Risk-assessment studies have shown that metals in urban dust could cause such problems as human pulmonary toxicity and reduction of invertebrate populations. The risk levels seem to be higher in children than adults, as some studies have shown. It is therefore important that studies on metals in urban dust should always incorporate risk assessment as one of the main issues.

Characterization of Airborne Particulates and Worker Exposures in Electro-static Powder Coating Operations.

This study was to examine the airborne particulates/dusts and worker exposures in electro-static powder coating operations. Temporal variation and size distribution of dusts were assessed using direct-reading instrument, while the worker task-specific dust exposures (n = 41) were measured in three factories using conventional filter method. Additionally, toxic metal levels in the coating powder (n = 27) were analyzed to assess hazard potentials. Continuous monitoring of airborne respirable dust levels indicated large temporal variation across a normal working day. The particulate levels outside spraying booths were generally low (below 0.10 mg m-3) during normal spraying operation, but short-term level may reach as high as 21.8 mg m-3 (averaged at 4-5 mg m-3) when specific task such as cleaning the pipelines and spraying booth, was performed. Exploratory assessment on particle size distribution at four major working zones, administration, uploading, spraying, and baking, indicated no major difference among the zones, and between factories. The particle count median aerodynamic diameter was 0.88-1.69 µm, while the mean number concentrations were 10.97, 15.17, 18.49, and 27.03 (# cm-3) for zones administration, uploading, spraying, and baking, respectively. The worker task-specific dust exposures were found low during normal spraying, with the mean short-term total and respirable dust concentrations being 0.88 and 0.41 mg m-3, respectively. Both levels increased to 3.48 and 5.19 mg m-3, respectively (P < 0.05), if powder changing and system cleaning were done. Short-term total and respirable dust concentrations were 94.2 and 56.1 mg m-3, respectively, when complete cleaning process was performed inside spraying booth. Both levels exceeded the short-term exposure limits. The mean concentration of metals in the powder samples were 6.78, 9.52, 10 717, 2805, 1020, and 1361 µg g-1 for Pb, Cr (total), Al, Fe, Cu, and Sr, respectively. This study demonstrated that cleaning of spraying booth resulted in high dust exposures well exceeding the exposure limit. Toxic metals, particularly Pb, Cd, and Cr (total), levels measured in the powder samples were found low, and the resulting exposures were below the exposure limits, indicating relative low risks associated with the exposure at current dust levels.

Touch-free operated Face shield-cum-mask for multifaceted applications – Vaktram Kavacham

There are various situations where face shields and mask play an important role such as for doctors in operation theatres, healthcare workers diagnosing/treating patients with infectious disease, traffic police and construction workers working in environments with high levels of dust and air pollution, welders working at high temperatures, bike, bicycle riders and many others. A face shield-cum-mask can be useful to protect from infectious bacteria, virus, parasites, debris, hazardous chemicals, sparks etc. Knowing the potential need and importance of face shield and mask, its usability can be further enhanced by operating them based on sensors. We have built a prototype of 3D printed visor attached with face shield-cum-mask integrated with proximity sensors, battery and circuitry which is used to move the visor above or in front of the face as and when required by movement of hand close to the sensor.

Determinan Gangguan Fungsi Paru Pekerja Terpapar Silika: Systematic Review

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is the third leading cause of death in the world. At least 10-20% of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease cases are found in the work environment. One of the causes of lung function disorder suffered by workers is due to inhalation of silica dust.&#x0D; Objectives:To identify the determinants of lung function disorder in workers exposed to silica dust.&#x0D; Research Metodes: Systematic quantitative review that was implemented through a meta-analysis study with initial search results for articles matched to the title and abstract was 44 articles and it was eliminated by using inclusion criteria resulting 20 articles. The publication year of the articles was 2007-2020 and has been indexed by Garuda Dikti, SINTA, DOAJ and Scopus.&#x0D; Results: The number of samples from the combined study of 20 articles was 2.561 workers that 33% of the sample had lung function disorder. The p value for each variable included age p= 0,001, sex p= 0,854, nutritional status p= 0,033, inhaled dust level p= 0,007, working period p= 0,000, length of exposure p= 0,027, history of lung disease p= 0,880, exercise habit p= 0,098, PPE use p= 0,004, and smoking habit p= 0,014.&#x0D; Conclusion: The variables as determinant with the greatest risk of pulmonary function disorder were individual smoking habit and work environment factors.