Dust Levels Research Articles

RELATIONSHIP OF WORKERS’ CHARACTERISTICS AND THE USE OF PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT AGAINST THE ENHANCEMENT OF C-REACTIVE PROTEIN SERUM ON KAPOK-PROCESSING INDUSTRY WORKERS AT BANDREK, PASURUAN

Introduction: The cotton processing industry is an industry that produces cotton dust during the production process. Workers are at risk of exposure to cotton dust, if inhaled and accumulated in the body will cause inflammation that causes an increase in C-Reactive Protein (CRP) serum. The purpose of this research was to determine the relationship between the use of personal protective equipment and worker characteristics that can cause an increase in serum CRP of workers before and after work in the cotton processing industry. Methods: This was observational research with a prospective longitudinal design. Respondents in this study were 11 workers in Bandrek village, Mojotengah, Pasuruan. Data collection of worker characteristics was done by interview and observation. Personal dust content data was collected using a personal dust sampler (PDS) with gravimetric calculation methods. increase in CRP data collection using blood specimen collection before and after and conducted laboratory testing using i-chroma reader. Measurement of average dust levels of 5.49 mg / m3. Result: There was no significant correlation between personal dust level (p = 0.324) and the use of PPE (p= 0,925) with the increase in CRP serum levels. There was a significant correlation between the ages of workers (p = 0.005), years of service (p = 0.006), and length of work (p = 0.004) with the increase in CRP serum level. Conclusion: The older the workers, the longer the working period and the longer the working hour, the higher the increase of CRP serum level would be.

Exploring the Association Between Air Pollutant Exposure and Krebs von den Lungen-6 (KL 6) Serum Levels in Outdoor and Indoor Workers in Banyumas District, Central Java

Introduction: Indonesia ranks 8th globally in the air pollution index, with poor air quality causing premature deaths from lung ailments such as interstitial lung diseases. Krebs von den Lungen-6 (KL 6) can be used to detect lung disease caused by air pollution. However, the number of studies investigating the link between air pollutant exposure and KL-6 levels is inadequate. The present study explores the association between air pollutant exposure and KL-6 levels in workers in different settings. Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited 70 individuals who were divided into two groups. Dust levels were measured using a particle counter as a proxy for air pollutant levels. KL-6 levels were measured with ELISA. The Spearman correlation test, Mann-Whitney test, and generalized linear model were used in statistical analyses. Results and Discussion: Air pollutant exposure differed significantly between outdoor and indoor settings (p = 0.000). A significant difference was found in KL-6 serum levels between outdoor and indoor workers (p = 0.000). Air pollutant levels were inversely associated with KL-6 serum levels in outdoor (r = -0.557, p < 0.05) and indoor workers (r = -0.360, p < 0.05). Working duration did not significantly correlate with KL-6 serum levels in either group. A tendency of linear association among air pollutant exposure, overall working duration, and KL-6 serum levels was found in the multivariable model. Conclusion: Work settings were associated with varying exposures to air pollutants and KL-6 serum levels. Higher exposure to pollutants may be associated with an increase in KL-6 serum levels.

Comprehensive insight into heavy metal(loid)s in road dust from industrial and urban areas in northern Vietnam: concentrations, fractionation characteristics, and risk assessment

ABSTRACT Road dust samples were collected from 6 cities and provinces in northern Vietnam to evaluate contamination levels and distribution characteristics of 5 toxic elements, including Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd, and As. Total concentrations of 5 elements in road dust samples ranged from 18.4 to 470 (median 96.4) mg/kg, in declining order of Zn > Cu > Pb > As > Cd. Pollution levels in urban road dust from Hanoi (median 266; range 205–366 mg/kg) were generally higher than those measured in samples taken from other industrial areas (median 91.1; range 18.4–470 mg/kg). Our results showed that the emission of some heavy metals from urban areas with high population density and heavy traffic was comparable to or even higher than in manufacturing areas of electronic components, construction materials, and mining. The chemical fractions of heavy metals in road dust were also evaluated. More than 60% of heavy metals are present in the potential mobile phases, indicating that the anthropogenic metals are still in a relatively weakly bound form. These metals can be mobile and bioaccumulative, affecting ecosystems and humans. The geological accumulation indexes indicate moderate contamination of heavy metals in many locations of this study. Cd poses an ecological threat in several urban and industrial sites. There were no serious human health risks associated with heavy metals in road dust. However, relatively high levels of Cu and Pb in road dust imply a health risk for children living in some urban and industrial areas. Further monitoring and risk assessment studies on toxic elements in road dust should be conducted, especially in developing countries’ highly urbanised and industrialised areas.

Occupational Exposure to Dust and the Relationship with the Respiratory Symptoms, Lung Function among Construction Workers of the University of Malaysia Sabah

BACKGROUND: The respiratory tract often becomes the site of injury from occupational exposure. All construction sites generate high levels of dust, typically from concrete, silica, asbestos, cement, wood, and stone, sand, and therefore, the workers are exposed to this airborne dust and increased their risk of developing respiratory disorders. Limited studies have been conducted to assess the relationship between respiratory symptoms, lung function, and occupational dust exposure among construction workers in Sabah. AIM: The objectives of this study are to determine the occupational exposure to dust and the relationship with the respiratory symptoms as well as lung function among construction workers in UMS Teaching Hospital. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study consisted of construction workers working in all sections in the development of UMS Teaching Hospital. A standard respiratory questionnaire was distributed to construction workers and lung function measurement was performed using Spirometry and the results of their respiratory status were compared between workers who were exposed and unexposed to dust. Occupational dust exposure was determined by the gravimetric method using an air sampler. The total duration of the collection was 8 h and the filters with the dust samples were analyzed in the laboratory. RESULTS: The result showed three parameters that were significantly associated with respiratory symptoms, namely, age, marital status, and smoking status. Male workers had a higher prevalence (42.7%) of having respiratory symptoms compared to female workers (21.4%). Widow/widower/divorced (50.0%) had a higher prevalence of having respiratory symptoms compared to married (45.8%) or single workers (25.0%). Workers who smoke had a higher prevalence (51.2%) of having respiratory symptoms compared to non-smoker’s workers (22.7%). CONCLUSION: The highest dust exposure is the piping workstation, followed by the cement and plastering workstations. These warrant the compulsory use of personal protective equipment by construction workers during work, improving the quality of dust masks, and standardizing their usage. Effective engineering controls should also be promoted on construction sites.

Descriptive Study of Respirable Dust Levels By Furniture Industry Workers in Nanggalo District, Padang City in 2020

Rapid development, especially in the field of industry and technology, causes changes in the composition of the air beyond the carrying capacity of the environment, this has a negative impact on humans, namely air pollution and pollution that can affect the degree of human health, especially the furniture industry in Padang City, precisely in Nanggalo District. This study aims to determine the levels of inhaled dust (Respirable) by workers in the furniture industry in Nanggalo District. The design of this research is descriptive, which describes the levels of inhaled dust (Respirable) by furniture industry workers in Nangalo District, Padang City in 2020. The population in this study was 48 workers, a sample of 21 workers was taken based on the number of workers in the furniture industry who worked in the production section. The data obtained were analyzed univariately. The results of the study using the Personal Dust Sampler tool used for each worker showed that the levels of inhaled dust (Resprable) by 15 furniture industry workers in Nanggalo District were found to meet the requirements, namely < 3 mg/m3 and 6 workers did not meet the requirements, namely > 3 mg/m3. It can be concluded that the levels of dust inhaled by furniture industry workers in Nanggalo District are those who meet the requirements and some do not. It is recommended for companies or the management of the furniture industry in Nanggalo District, namely providing and supervising the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) for workers, and the need for renovation of production sites, especially the provision of insulation and arrangement of safe and comfortable work spaces between workers.

Relationship Between Exposure Levels of Dust Polymethyl Methacrylate And Characteristics of Workers With Subjective Respiratory Complaints in Dental Engineering Laboratory, Dki Jakarta Region in 2021

The manufacture of dentures, especially from polymethyl methacrylate affects the health of workers, especially those related to breathing. The manufacture produces dust of various sizes. The effects of exposure to dust cause discomfort at work and have a negative impact on health. This research objective was to determine the relationship between exposure to polymethyl methacrylate and subjective respiratory complaints. The method used was analytical quantitative research with a cross-sectional with a sample of 5 objects and a sample of 30 workers.dust content polymethyl methacrylate with a Portable High Volume Air Sampler and measurement of subjective respiratory Complaints with a questionnaire. There is a relationship between exposure to dust levels of polymethyl methacrylate on subjective respiratory complaints with p value = 0.006. The dust content of polymethyl methacrylate exceeds the threshold value at 2 sites (40% of the samples). There is a relationship between exposure to dust levels of polymethyl methacrylate on subjective respiratory complaints, p value 0.006 (p <0.05).

Occupational exposure to particles and biomarkers of cardiovascular disease—during work and after vacation

ObjectiveAmbient particle matter is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, little is known about associations between particles in occupational settings and risk of CVD. We investigated associations between occupational dust exposure and biomarkers of CVD, and potential recovery effects after vacation.MethodsPersonal dust exposure measurements (respirable silica, respirable dust < 4 µm, and particles of 0.1–10 µm (PM 0.1–10) were conducted once, and biological sampling were performed twice on non-smoking, male construction workers in Stockholm county, Sweden; during work and immediately after summer vacation. Linear regressions with adjustments for confounders and covariates were performed evaluating associations between occupational dust exposure and biomarkers. Paired t tests were performed evaluating changes before and after vacation.ResultsSixty-five workers participated. Homocysteine concentrations were significantly higher with increasing concentrations (mg/m3) of respirable silica, respirable dust, and PM 0.1–10, and pulse rate with higher levels of respirable dust and dust of PM 0.1–10. Homocysteine levels were also positively correlated to number of years of dust exposure, as were low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels. A clear recovery effect was present for LDL after vacation, but not for homocysteine.ConclusionsOccupational dust exposure was associated with some CVD risk markers, even at mean exposure concentrations below the Swedish occupational exposure limits for respirable silica and respirable dust, respectively. Vacation resulted in recovery for some risk markers. However, the change of the homocysteine and LDL levels suggest a long-term effect. Reduction of occupational exposure to dust may decrease the risk of CVD among exposed workers.

Assessment of Indoor Air Quality for Group-Housed Macaques (Macaca spp.)

Simple SummaryIndoor air quality is strongly associated with animal health and wellbeing. Therefore, animal enclosures must be consistently and sufficiently ventilated to provide for the health and well-being of animals and caretakers. Although there are several publications concerning assessments and effects of suboptimal air quality on rodents, no publications are available on group-housed non-human primates and the exposure of caretakers to inhalable dust and endotoxins. The indoor air quality of group-housed macaques at the Biomedical Primate Research Center (Rijswijk, the Netherlands) was assessed to identify possible problems regarding air circulation and the concentrations of inhalable dust, endotoxin, ammonia, fungi, temperature and relative humidity in the indoor environment. In addition, the exposure to inhalable dust and endotoxins of caretakers was evaluated. The observed values for these air quality parameters, measured at fixed locations in the animal enclosures, did not exceed the proposed human threshold limit values (TLV). However, caretakers were exposed to higher levels than the animals likely due to nature of their tasks. This study provides practical tools that can be used to improve the indoor air quality in group-housed macaques. Moreover, the results show that the exposure of caretakers to inhalable dust and endotoxins during daily work routines should be reduced.Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) is strongly associated with animal health and wellbeing. To identify possible problems of the indoor environment of macaques (Macaca spp.), we assessed the IAQ. The temperature (°C), relative humidity (%) and concentrations of inhalable dust (mg/m3), endotoxins (EU/m3), ammonia (ppm) and fungal aerosols were measured at stationary fixed locations in indoor enclosures of group-housed rhesus (Macaca mulatta) and cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis). In addition, the personal exposure of caretakers to inhalable dust and endotoxins was measured and evaluated. Furthermore, the air circulation was assessed with non-toxic smoke, and the number of times the macaques sneezed was recorded. The indoor temperature and relative humidity for both species were within comfortable ranges. The geometric mean (GM) ammonia, dust and endotoxin concentrations were 1.84 and 0.58 ppm, 0.07 and 0.07 mg/m3, and 24.8 and 6.44 EU/m3 in the rhesus and cynomolgus macaque units, respectively. The GM dust concentrations were significantly higher during the daytime than during the nighttime. Airborne fungi ranged between 425 and 1877 CFU/m3. Personal measurements on the caretakers showed GM dust and endotoxin concentrations of 4.2 mg/m3 and 439.0 EU/m3, respectively. The number of sneezes and the IAQ parameters were not correlated. The smoke test revealed a suboptimal air flow pattern. Although the dust, endotoxins and ammonia were revealed to be within accepted human threshold limit values (TLV), caretakers were exposed to dust and endotoxin levels exceeding existing occupational reference values.

Plantwide Decentralized Controller Design for Hybrid Solar Thermal Power Plant

Solar Thermal Power (STP) plants are promising avenues for solar energy assisted power generation. However, they face operational challenges due to diurnal and seasonal variations in available solar radiation, and varying atmospheric conditions in terms of cloud cover, dust levels, etc. Thus, to operate an STP plant at high efficiency and to meet the electricity demand, optimization and control strategies are critical. This paper focuses on designing decentralized controllers to ensure the safe and efficient operation of a hybrid STP which was designed and commissioned a few years ago (Nayak et al., Current Science, 2015, 109, 1445–1457). The STP is hybrid as it uses two different technologies for solar power collection, namely Parabolic Trough Collector (PTC) for heating oil and a Linear Fresnel Reflector (LFR) for generating direct steam. Superheated steam, generated using heat exchangers, subsequently drives the turbine generator block to generate electricity. In the current work, we develop decentralized controllers which ensure safe operation while meeting the production target of the hybrid STP. Towards this end, key control loops in the plant are identified. Continuous transfer function models are identified for these control loops using step tests. PID controllers are then obtained for these loops based on the resulting transfer function models. Wherever relevant, the feedback action of PID controllers is supplemented by a feedforward control action that reacts to the disturbances. Override control action is also implemented to ensure safe operation. The utility of the proposed plantwide decentralized control scheme is demonstrated via simulation studies by comparing the performance of the hybrid STP under open-loop and closed-loop in presence of disturbances and significant dynamic variability in the plant operation via two case studies. Results indicate significantly superior performance of closed-loop operation across various performance metrics.

Characterization of Particulate Matter Generated at a Nickel Smelter Using Quantitative Mineralogy

Activities performed at mineral processing operations are capable of producing significant quantities of dust. To ensure that regulatory compliance is maintained throughout operation, dust levels are monitored by routine analysis of air filter samples. Determining the quantity and type of particulate matter present in dust allows for the operation to identify the sources of dust and where warranted, implement a dust suppressant strategy. Conventional methods of analysis, such as chemical assay, are unable to rigorously differentiate between phases containing the same elements and may result in ambiguity related to the identification of dust sources. By incorporating Quantitative Evaluation of Materials by Scanning Electron Microscope (QEMSCAN) into their routine monitoring programs, the Sudbury INO smelter has greatly improved characterization of the Ni and Co dust emissions generated at the operation. To determine specific activities responsible for emissions, bulk particulate matter was sampled from several key locations at the smelter that regularly produce dust. QEMSCAN was able to distinguish between critical subspecies of Ni and Co and mineralogical, and chemical signatures in the dust that are representative of locational activity were established. An apportionment of elements contributed by each source was calculated based on this information. The results of the characterization study assisted personnel in developing strategies to mitigate dust emissions that originate from the Smelter operations, and have general implications to occupational hygiene and environmental risk assessment.

MATHEMATICAL MODELING OF THE AEROION MODE IN A CAR

In this study, a mathematical method is proposed for calculating the concentration field of air ions of different polarities and dust levels in the passenger compartment, taking into account the geometry of the passenger compartment and seats, shelves, and other internal elements of the passenger compartment. The method also takes into account changes in the rate of the air flow ventilation, the location and number of ionizers, and sources of positive ions and dust, taking into account their different intensities and locations. On the basis of a numerical model for this method, software has been developed that allows users to carry out computational experiments without requiring much time for calculation. Based on the results, the optimal location of the ionizer in the passenger compartment of the car was determined to ensure comfortable conditions for the stay of passengers, which favorably affects their health. It has been found that the presence of two ionizers is optimal for creating comfort in the car with an ionization intensity of Q = n . 0 × 21 10 11 Q = n . 0 × 47 10 10 ions/s located at the top of the car. If there is one ionizer located on the dashboard or at the top of the car with a higher ionization rate than ions/s, it is not possible to simultaneously provide optimal ionization parameters for passengers in the front and rear seats of the car.

Analysis of Increasing Case of Acute Respiratory Infections (ARI) in Nickel Mining Environment in Pomalaa District, Kolaka Regency, Southeast Sulawesi

Introduction: The mining process that has been carried out for a long time in large quantities often ignores environmental sustainability which in the end can result in various negative impacts that are felt in the short and long term. The purpose of the study was to determine the level of air pollution by Nickel dust and to analyze the relationship between exposure to Nickel dust and ARI disease in people living around the Nickel mining industry in Pomalaa District.&#x0D; Method: This study uses a cross-sectional design using a non-interventional type of research conducted in residential areas around the mining area of ​​PT Aneka Tambang Tbk, Kolaka Regency, Southeast Sulawesi Province as a mining designation area, namely in Pomalaa District.&#x0D; Result: The results showed that the average outdoor air quality for the S02 parameter in the designated area was higher than in the non-designated area, as well as for the N02 parameter, for the H2S parameter in both areas the average value was the same, but for the PM10 value in the designated area is higher than in the non-designated area, while the temperature, humidity, and wind speed in the two areas are almost the same.&#x0D; Conclusion: This is in line with the results of research conducted by Qomariyatus S (in 2007) conducted around the coal mine of PT Aneka Tambang,Southeast Sulawesi showed that the level of respirable dust in the field slightly exceeded the normal threshold value of 2.19 mg/m3.

Effect of refloated soil dust on oxidative stress and apoptosis in rat lung

Little study has illustrated the associations between inhalation of refloated soil dust and the morbidity of respiratory disease in animals. In this study, soil dust samples in arid and semiarid areas of China were collected for investigating the underlying biotoxicity and mechanisms of oxidative stress and apoptosis in rat lung induced by inhalation of refloated soil dust. The soil dust samples were collected from the arid and semiarid areas in Zhangjiakou city, located close to Inner Mongolia Plateau, China. After intratracheal instillation of soil dust, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) activities in rat lung were declined in a dose-dependent relationship, and pathology changes in lung tissue were also enhanced along with increased levels of soil dust. Meanwhile, apoptotic cells were scattered in the pulmonary epithelial and distributed in the mesenchyma, and the apoptotic index was significantly increased in rat lung instilled by soil dust. Besides, soil dust promoted Bax expression and inhibited Bcl2 expression, i.e., increased Bax/Bcl2 ratio in a concentration-dependent manner. In summary, short-term exposure to soil dust caused oxidative damage and induced apoptosis in rat lung through the regulation of Bax and Bcl2 expression.

ASSESSING HEAVY METAL CONTAMINATION IMPACT IN MAIZE GROWING ALONG THE ROADSIDE

Now a days heavy metal contamination along the roadside is a matter of concern especially in industrial areas of developing countries. The non-degradable nature of heavy metals makes them injurious to all living beings. Soil, dust, and plants are the main media for the entry of these metals into our food chain. Thereby, a survey was conducted to assess the nickel (Ni), copper (Cu) and manganese (Mn) levels in roadside dust, soil and maize crop growing along the roadside. Moreover, the effects of these metals were also assessed on the growth and physiology of maize. Plant, soil, and dust sample were collected from Millat road Faisalabad. Samples were collected from four sites at three different distances (10m, 30m, 60m) from the road. Each site had a distance of 5 km from the other site. As result, metal concentration in soil, dust and maize decreased with increasing distance from the road. Maximum metal concentration in dust, soil and plant was noted at the distance of 10m (Cu 40.1, Mn 189.66 and Ni 5.6 mg kg-1 in soil; Cu 11.3, Mn 179.7 and Ni 9.37 mg kg-1 in dust; Cu 11.8, Mn 23.01 and Ni 3.75 mg kg-1 in plant) from the roadside. Likewise, maize plants near the roadside showed more metal concentration with retarded growth and physiology.

Respirable Dust Levels, Years of Service, and Pulmonary Physiological Disorders in Marble Home Industry Workers

Highlights: The strength of the relationship between respiratory dust levels and pulmonary function disorders could not be obtained. The weakness level of correlation between years of service and pulmonary function disorders. Abstract: Environmental dust in the workplace exposes the workers as they are breathing. The dust is inhaled into the respiratory tract and causes occupational diseases in the form of pulmonary function disorders. Workers in the marble industry are also prone to dust exposure. This study aimed to analyze the correlation between years of service, respiratory dust levels, and pulmonary function disorders in marble home industry workers in Tulungagung Regency, Indonesia. This study was a descriptive observational study with data from a cross-sectional technique. The population was 18 workers taken as respondents. The independent variables in this study were years of service and the level of respirable dust, while the dependent variable was the pulmonary function disorders experienced by the workers. The data were analyzed using the Correlation Contingency test. There was a close correlation between years of service and pulmonary function disorders by 0.196, indicating that the relationship between those variables was weak. The strength of the relationship between respiratory dust levels and pulmonary function disorders could not be obtained because the constant results met the threshold value. The correlation between years of service and pulmonary function disorders was weak, and the relationship between respiratory dust level and pulmonary function disorders could not be obtained.

Antecedent Soil Moisture Conditions Influenced Vertical Dust Flux: A Case Study in Iran Using WRF-Chem Model

Soil moisture is one of the most important parameters affecting dust emission flux. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of soil moisture on vertical dust flux in the central plateau region of Iran. In this study, the WRF-Chem (Weather Research and Forecast with Chemistry) model, with the GOCART (Global Ozone Chemistry Aerosol Radiation and Transport) scheme, was used to estimate the dust emission flux during a major storm from 19 to 21 July 2015, and to discriminate between dust sources. The results showed that the Kyrgyz deserts in Turkmenistan, the Arabian deserts in Saudi Arabia, the deserts of Iraq, and the Helmand region in Afghanistan are sources of foreign dust. Additionally, the central desert plain was identified as an internal dust source, where the dust level reached 7000 µg m−2 s−1. The results of WRF-Chem simulation were verified with reanalysis data from MERRA2 and AERONET data from Natanz station, which showed good agreement with the simulation. Based on the GLDAS reanalysis, soil moisture content varied between 2.6% and 34%. Linear and nonlinear regression of vertical dust flux values and soil moisture showed nonlinear behavior following the exponential function, with a correlation coefficient of 0.8 and a strong negative association between soil moisture and vertical dust flux.

Improving the Efficiency of Photovoltaic Panels Using Machine Learning Approach

Photovoltaic (PV) solar panels account for a major portion of the smart grid capacity. On the other hand, the accumulation of solar panels dust is a significant challenge for PV-based systems. The accumulation of solar panels dust results in a significant reduction in the amount of energy produced. Because of the country’s low wind velocity and rainfall, frequent cleaning of solar panels is necessary either by manual or automated means. Cleaning activities should only be initiated when absolutely essential to reduce maintenance costs and increase the power output of solar panels that have been projected to be affected by dust accumulation. In this paper, we develop a deep belief network model to detect the dust particles in the solar panels installed as a large unit. The study takes into account various input metrics that includes solar irradiance, temperature level, and dust level on the panels. These metrics are used for the estimation of the level of dust present in the atmosphere and how often the panels can be cleaned at regular intervals. The simulation is conducted to test the efficacy of the model in cleaning the panels. The results are estimated in terms of accuracy, precision, recall, and F-measure. The results of the simulation show that the proposed model achieves higher accuracy rate of more than 99% than other methods.

Assessment of localized and resuspended 137 Cs due to decontamination and demolition in the difficult-to-return zone of Tomioka town, Fukushima Prefecture.

As the next step that occurred more than one decade after the accident at the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Station (FDNPS), decontamination and demolition have been carried out in the Specified Reconstruction and Revitalization Base (SRRB) of the difficult-to-return zone around the FDNPS. However, the risk of internal exposure among workers due to airborne dust inhalation after building demolition operations has not been sufficiently evaluated. To evaluate the working environment and internal exposure risk due to inhalation in the SRRB of Tomioka town, Fukushima Prefecture, the cesium-137 (137 Cs) radioactivity levels in the airborne dust at building demolition sites were analyzed using gamma spectrometry. The 137 Cs radioactivity levels and resuspension factors of the airborne dust at the subject building sites in the difficult-to-return zone remained at high levels compared with those of the control, which was located in the evacuation order-lifted area in Tomioka town. However, the 137 Cs radioactivity levels did not increase significantly, despite demolition operations that used heavy machinery. In this case, no substantial increases in accident-derived 137 Cs levels due to decontamination and demolition in the SRRB of Tomioka town, Fukushima Prefecture, were observed in the airborne dust samples, which suggests that the 137 Cs radioactivity in the airborne dust is primarily associated with particles that are resuspended by localized winds accompanied by the transfer of construction vehicles as opposed to the decontamination and demolition operations. However, the internal exposure doses due to aspirating airborne dust containing 137 Cs were extremely low compared with the estimated annual effective doses of decontamination workers or the limits recommended by the Japanese government. Additionally, countermeasures such as wearing protective masks could help reduce the on-site inhalation of soil-derived radionuclides. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2022;18:1555-1563. © 2022 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC).

Diverging trends of plasticizers (phthalates and non-phthalates) in indoor and freshwater environments—why?

BackgroundEuropean chemicals management aims to protect human health and the environment from legacy and emerging contaminants. The plasticizer market changed in response to the restriction of low molecular weight (LMW) phthalate plasticizers such as Di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) due to their hazardous properties. We investigated patterns and trends of 19 regulated and emerging plasticizers in house dust from German homes and in suspended particulate matter (SPM) from major German rivers. The samples were used from the mid-2000s and late 2010s from two governmental long-term monitoring programs in Germany.ResultsWhile the sum of the respective plasticizer levels hardly changed over the study period, we observed a significant decrease of LMW phthalates in both house dust (2003/06, 80% of the ∑plasticizer concentration; 2014/17, 31%) and SPM (2005, 48%; 2017, 28%). This was accompanied by their substitution with high molecular weight (HMW) phthalates and non-phthalates. HMW phthalates increased from 19% of the ∑plasticizer concentration to 46% between the mid-2000s and the late 2010s in house dust, and from 50% to 63% in SPM samples. Diisononyl phthalate (DINP) replaced DEHP as the dominant plasticizer in both compartments. A significant tenfold increase (p < 0.05) was observed in SPM samples for Di (2-propylheptyl) phthalate (DPHP) (1–13%), compared to low levels in house dust (2014/17, 1%). Non-phthalates increased to 23% of the ∑plasticizer concentration in house dust but only to 9% in SPM (mid-2000s: house dust, < 1%; SPM, 1.5%). In recent house dust samples, Di (2-ethylhexyl) terephthalate (DEHT) had the third highest concentration of all plasticizers and contributed 18% to the total load, whereas Tris (2-ethylhexyl) trimellitate (TOTM) was one of the major non-phthalates in SPM samples.ConclusionsUnlike in the indoor environment, the substitution of LMW phthalates in the aquatic environment was characterized by a significant shift towards plasticizers with potentially hazardous properties. DPHP and TOTM were identified by European chemical regulation as potentially endocrine disrupting compounds and persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic compounds. Our data document the need for integrated chemicals management to safeguard the transition to a non-toxic environment.

Phthalate levels in prenatal and postnatal bedroom dust in the SELMA study

Phthalates are common in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastics and numerous consumer goods in our homes from which they can migrate and adhere to indoor dust particles. It is known that indoor dust exposure contribute to human phthalate intake; however, there is a lack of large studies with a repeated-measure design investigating how phthalate levels in indoor dust may vary over time in people's homes.This study investigated levels of seven phthalates and one alternative plasticiser di-iso-nonyl-cyclohexane-di-carboxylate (DiNCH) in bedroom dust collected prenatally around week 25 during pregnancy and postnatally at six months after birth, from 496 Swedish homes. Prenatal and postnatal phthalate levels were compared using correlation and season-adjusted general linear regression models.Over the nine-month period, levels of six out of seven phthalates were associated as indicated by a positive Pearson correlation (0.18 < r < 0.50, P < .001) and Lin's concordance correlation between matched prenatal and postnatal dust samples. Compared to prenatal levels, the season-adjusted postnatal levels decreased for five phthalates, whilst di-ethyl-hexyl phthalate (DEHP), di-2-propylheptyl phthalate (DPHP) and DiNCH increased.The results suggest that families with higher phthalate levels in bedroom dust during pregnancy are likely to remain among those with higher levels in the infancy period. However, all average phthalate levels changed over this specific nine-month period suggesting that available phthalate sources or their use were altered between the dust collections. Changes in home characteristics, family lifestyle, and phthalate replacement trends may contribute to explain the differences.