Chemical Health Risk Research Articles

Penilaian Risiko Kesehatan Kerja Akibat Pajanan Bahan Kimia Pada Laboratorium PT X

Laboratory workers have potential health and safety risks, health risks in laboratories are potential health and safety risks, and health risks in laboratories are related to exposure to hazardous chemicals. Chemicals often used in laboratory testing are organic solvents such as benzene, toluene, and xylene which have risks to workers' health. Chemical health risk assessments are important for assessing the potential health and safety hazards of workers using the approach cross-sectional which refers to the method Chemical Health Risk Assessment DOSH, Malaysia. Data collection was carried out qualitatively starting with identifying dangerous chemicals, then observing the use of chemicals, followed by assessing the level of health risks, and determining the adequacy of control action priority for inhalation and dermal exposures respectively. The research results at the PT show that the risk level for inhalation exposure is 12 (moderate risk) and the risk level for dermal exposure is 2 (moderate), but still requires improvement in existing risk controls.

P-802 Exploring the effects of phthalate mixtures on human endometrial organoids: Insights into transcriptomic and proteomic profiles throughout the menstrual cycle

Abstract Study question Does the exposure of human endometrial organoids (hEOs) to phthalates influence their transcriptomic and proteomic profiles, particularly during the window of implantation? Summary answer The mixture of phthalates altered the expression of several genes which are essential during the window of implantation. What is known already hEOs display a robust responsiveness to steroid hormones and accurately reproduce essential morphological features observed in the receptive endometrium in vivo. The conventional approach to evaluating chemical health risks has predominantly been centered on the assessment of individual substances, overlooking the reality that individuals are regularly exposed to diverse mixtures of phthalates, a class of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs). There is a limited number of studies indicating that phthalates and their combinations can have a negative impact on the endometrium. To this purpose, we explore the effect of this mixture on endometrial receptivity during the Window Of Implantation (WOI). Study design, size, duration Endometrial tissues (n = 6) used for this study were obtained, with written informed consent from all participants. The endometrial organoids were generated from the biopsies and treated with hormones to mimic the WOI. Samples were then exposed with a mixture of phthalates in order to study the transcriptomic and proteomic changes on these cells throughout the menstrual cycle, especially the WOI. Participants/materials, setting, methods hEOs were generated from endometrial biopsies of healthy volunteers (n = 6). Organoids were cultured for 4 days and then divided into: untreated without any hormonal treatment; stimulated with 10 nM estrogen (E2); treated with 10 nM estrogen, 1μM progesterone (P4) and 1μM cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP). EOs were further on exposed to the phthalate mixture. Proteomic profiling was performed using 2-D electrophoresis and Mass spectrometry. Samples were also subject to transcriptomic analysis, by RNA sequencing. Main results and the role of chance hEOs present a suitable in vitro model for the screening of the impact of phthalate mixtures on the endometrium throughout the menstrual cycle. Cytotoxicity test confirmed that the chosen concentration (100x of the value referring to the geometrical means in urine) of the mixture is not toxic for the cells. The transcriptomic and proteomic analyses revealed several up-regulated or down-regulated genes which are involved into pivotal pathways implicated to the WOI. Limitations, reasons for caution This study represents a preliminary experiment. All results need to be validated on an enlarged number of samples to provide more statistical strength. Wider implications of the findings hEOs offer a robust in vitro model to simulate and gain a more profound comprehension of the consequences arising from the combinatory effects of EDCs, on the endometrium. This model proves valuable in examining the impact of various EDCs across different phases of the menstrual cycle. Trial registration number not applicable

Engineered lignocellulosic based biochar to remove endocrine-disrupting chemicals: Assessment of binding mechanism

The safety and health of aquatic organisms and humans are threatened by the increasing presence of pollutants in the environment. Endocrine disrupting chemicals are common pollutants which affect the function of endocrine and causes adverse effects on human health. These chemicals can disrupt metabolic processes by interacting with hormone receptors upon consumptions by humans or aquatic species. Several studies have reported the presence of endocrine disrupting chemicals in waterbodies, food, air and soil. These chemicals are associated with increasing occurrence of obesity, metabolic disorders, reproductive abnormalities, autism, cancer, epigenetic variation and cardiovascular risk. Conventional treatment processes are expensive, not environment friendly and unable to achieve complete removal of these harmful chemicals. In recent years, biochar from different sources has gained a considerable interest due to their adsorption efficiency with porous structure and large surface areas. biochar derived from lignocellulosic biomass are widely used as sustainable catalysts in soil remediation, carbon sequestration, removal of organic and inorganic pollutants and wastewater treatment. This review conceptualizes the production techniques of biochar from lignocellulosic biomass and explores the functionalization and interaction of biochar with endocrine-disrupting chemicals. This review also identifies the further needs of research. Overall, the environmental and health risks of endocrine-disrupting chemicals can be dealt with by biochar produced from lignocellulosic biomass as a sustainable and prominent approach.

Chemical Health Risk Assessment of Exposure to Metal Fumes among Employed Workers in a Metal Manufactory with an Electric Arc Furnace

Chemical Health Risk Assessment of Exposure to Metal Fumes among Employed Workers in a Metal Manufactory with an Electric Arc Furnace

Human Biomonitoring of Environmental Chemicals among Elderly in Wuhan, China: Prioritizing Risks Using EPA's ToxCast Database.

In line with the "healthy aging" principle, we aim to assess the exposure map and health risks of environmental chemicals in the elderly. Blood samples from 918 elderly individuals in Wuhan, China, were analyzed using the combined gas/liquid-mass spectrometry technology to detect levels of 118 environmental chemicals. Cluster analysis identified exposure profiles, while risk indexes and bioanalytical equivalence percentages were calculated using EPA's ToxCast database. The detection rates for 87 compounds exceeded 70%. DEHP, DiBP, naphthalene, phenanthrene, DnBP, pyrene, anthracene, permethrin, fluoranthene, and PFOS showed the highest concentrations. Fat-soluble pollutants varied across lifestyles. In cluster 2, which was characterized by higher concentrations of fat-soluble substances, the proportion of smokers or drinkers was higher than that of nonsmokers or nondrinkers. Pesticides emerged as the most active environmental chemicals in peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma antagonist, thyroid hormone receptor (TR) antagonist, TR agonist, and androgen receptor (AR) agonist activity assays. Additionally, PAEs and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons played significant roles as active contaminants for the corresponding targets of AR antagonists and estrogen receptor alpha. We proposed a list of priority pollutants linked to endocrine-disrupting toxic effects in the elderly, which may provide the groundwork for further research into environmental etiology.

Bioassay predictive values for chemical health risks in drinking water

Bioanalytical tools can be used for assessment of the chemical quality of drinking water and its sources. For water managers it is important to know the probability that a bioassay response above an established health-based ‘effect-based trigger value’ (EBT) indeed implies a harmful chemical (mixture) concentration. This study presents and applies a framework, based on Bayes’ theorem, to derive such risk probabilities for bioassay responses. These were evaluated under varying (in silico) chemical mixture concentrations relevant to drinking water (sources), with toxicity data for six in vitro assays from the ToxCast database. For single chemicals and in silico mixtures, the negative predictive value (NPV) was 100 % for all assays. For water managers, this means that when a bioassay response is below the EBT, a chemical risk is reliably absent, and no further action is required. The positive predictive value (PPV) increased with increasing chemical concentrations (2 µg/L) up to 40–80 %, depending on the assay. For in silico mixtures of increasing numbers of chemicals, the PPV did not increase until higher sum concentrations (>2–10 µg/L). Hence, the ability to accurately signal a harmful chemical (mixture) using bioassays will be lowest for highly diverse, low-concentration chemical mixtures. For water managers, this means in practice that further investigations after an EBT exceedance will, in many cases, not reveal chemicals at harmful concentrations. A solution offered is to increase the trigger value for positive responses to achieve a higher PPV and maintain the EBT for negative responses to ensure an optimal NPV.

Transcriptomic point of departure determination: a comparison of distribution-based and gene set-based approaches.

A key step in assessing the potential human and environmental health risks of industrial and agricultural chemicals is to determine the toxicity point of departure (POD), which is the highest dose level that causes no adverse effect. Transcriptomic POD (tPOD) values have been suggested to accurately estimate toxicity POD values. One step in the most common approach for tPOD determination involves mapping genes to annotated gene sets, a process that might lead to substantial information loss particularly in species with poor gene annotation. Alternatively, methods that calculate tPOD values directly from the distribution of individual gene POD values omit this mapping step. Using rat transcriptome data for 79 molecules obtained from Open TG-GATEs (Toxicogenomics Project Genomics Assisted Toxicity Evaluation System), the hypothesis was tested that methods based on the distribution of all individual gene POD values will give a similar tPOD value to that obtained via the gene set-based method. Gene set-based tPOD values using four different gene set structures were compared to tPOD values from five different individual gene distribution methods. Results revealed a high tPOD concordance for all methods tested, especially for molecules with at least 300 dose-responsive probesets: for 90% of those molecules, the tPOD values from all methods were within 4-fold of each other. In addition, random gene sets based upon the structure of biological knowledge-derived gene sets produced tPOD values with a median absolute fold change of 1.3-1.4 when compared to the original biological knowledge-derived gene set counterparts, suggesting that little biological information is used in the gene set-based tPOD generation approach. These findings indicate using individual gene distributions to calculate a tPOD is a viable and parsimonious alternative to using gene sets. Importantly, individual gene distribution-based tPOD methods do not require knowledge of biological organization and can be applied to any species including those with poorly annotated gene sets.

Isomer of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and red blood cell indices in adults: The Isomers of C8 Health Project in China

This study aimed to explore the isomer-specific, sex-specific, and joint associations of PFAS and red blood cell indices. We used data of 1,238 adults from the Isomers of C8 Health Project in China. Associations of PFAS isomers and red blood cell indices were explored using multiple linear regression models, Bayesian Kernel Machine Regression models and subgroup analysis across sex. We found that serum concentration of linear (n-) and branched (Br-) isomers of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS) were significantly associated with red blood cell indices in single-pollutant models, with stronger associations observed for n-PFHxS than Br-PFHxS, in women than in men. For instance, the estimated percentage change in hemoglobin concentration for n-PFHxS (3.65%; 95% CI: 2.95%, 4.34%) was larger than that for Br-PFHxS (0.96%; 95% CI: 0.52%, 1.40%). The estimated percentage change in red blood cell count for n-PFHxS in women (2.55%; 95% CI: 1.81%, 3.28%) was significantly higher than that in men (0.12%; 95% CI: −1.04%, 1.29%) (Pinter < 0.001). Similarly, sex-specific positive association of PFAS mixture and outcomes was observed. Therefore, the structure, susceptive population, and joint effect of PFAS isomers should be taken into consideration when evaluating the health risk of chemicals.

Distribution, migration patterns, and food chain human health risks of endocrine-disrupting chemicals in water, sediments, and fish in the Xiangjiang River

Exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in freshwater systems has garnered increasing attention. A comprehensive analysis of the migration patterns, bioaccumulation, and consumer health risk of EDCs along the Xiangjiang River due to fish consumption from the river ecosystem was provided. Twenty natural and synthetic target EDCs were detected and analyzed from the water, sediments, and fish samples collected along the Xiangjiang River. There were significant correlations between the EDC concentrations in fish and the sediments. This revealed that EDCs in sediments play a dominant role in the uptake of EDCs by fish. The bioaccumulation factor and biota-sediment accumulation factor were calculated, with the highest values observed for nonylphenol. Pearson's correlation analysis showed that bisphenol A is the most reliable biological indicator of EDC contamination in fish. Furthermore, based on the threshold of toxicological concerns and the health risk with dietary intake, crucian carp and catfish from the Xiangjiang River pose a certain risk for children and pregnant women compared to grass carp. The Monte Carlo simulation results indicated a certain risk of cumulative ∑EDC exposure for local residents due to fish consumption.

Parabens promotes invasive properties of multiple human cells: A potential cancer-associated adverse outcome pathway

Parabens are esters of p-hydroxybenzoic acid, which have been used as preservatives and considered safe for nearly a century, until the last two decades when concerns began to be raised about their association with cancers. Knowledge of the mode of action of parabens on the metastatic properties of different cancer cells is still very limited. In the present study, we investigated the effects of methylparaben (MP) and propylparaben (PP) on cell invasion and/or migration in multiple human cancerous and noncancerous cells, including hepatocellular carcinoma cells (HepG2), cervical carcinoma cells (HeLa), breast carcinoma cells (MCF-7), and human placental trophoblasts (HTR-8/SVneo). MP and PP at concentrations in a range of 5–500 μg/L significantly promoted the invasion of four cell lines, with a minimum effective concentration of 5 μg/L. MP and PP up-regulated the expression levels and enzymatic activities of matrix metalloproteinase 2 and 9 (MMP2 and MMP9), as well as altered the expression of the tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase 1 and 2 (TIMP1 and TIMP2) in four cell lines, suggesting MMPs/TIMPs as potential key events (KEs) for paraben-induced cell invasion. Activation of the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) and c-Jun N-terminal protein kinases 1/2 (JNK1/2) signaling pathways was required for MP- and PP-promoted invasion of four cell lines, suggesting MAPK signaling pathways as candidates for KEs in cancer or noncancerous cells response to paraben exposure. This study showed for the first time that the two widely used parabens, MP and PP, promoted invasive capacity of multiple human cells through a common mode of action. This study provides evidence for the establishment of a potential cancer-associated AOP for parabens based on pathway-specific mechanism(s), which contributes towards assessing the health risks of these environmental chemicals.

Chemical Health Risk Assessment and Evaluation of Risk toward Ototoxicants among Workers at Palm Oil Mills

Chemical Health Risk Assessment and Evaluation of Risk toward Ototoxicants among Workers at Palm Oil Mills

Assessing the health risks of chemicals in a company supplying chemicals to drilling rigs in Southern Iran using COSHH, SHEM-SAM, and SQRA methods.

Chemical industries are among the process industries and cause many risks. The present research aimed to analyze the health risks of a chemical warehouse of drilling rigs chemical Supply Company based on COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health), CHEM-SAM (Chemical Risk Management Self-Assessment Model), and SQRA (Subjective Quantified Risk Assessment) methods in 2021. The information was collected based on document review, MSDS of chemicals, processes, employees, and chemical exposure. Flammability, toxicity, allergy-causing, corrosivity, reactivity, LD50, and permissible thresholds of chemicals were also collected. The present research results showed that out of 59 main chemicals in the operational processes of the chemical warehouse of drilling rigs, 14 chemicals are flammable, 22 cause allergy responses, and three can cause death if inhaled. According to the results of the CHEM-SAM method, the employees and people outside the organization are at medium and low chemical risk based on the current management of the chemical warehouse, respectively. The results of the COSHH health assessment showed that chemicals had low, medium, high, and very high risk in 31, 13, 12, and 3 cases, respectively. The high-risk cases consisted of Ammonium Nitrate، Caustic Soda, and Poly.Aluminum.Chloride. Health risk assessment was also performed using the SQRA method, and results showed that chemicals have a very low, low, medium, high, and very high risk in 27, 12, 8, 9, and 3 cases, respectively. The results showed that the adverse health effects of chemical exposure in the drilling industry are alarming. Employees of different sectors of oil and gas industries are exposed to chemicals.

Designing Solar Still and Study it's Operating Parameters for Avoiding Chemical Health Risk: A Review

Designing Solar Still and Study it's Operating Parameters for Avoiding Chemical Health Risk: A Review

Risk Assessment of Inhalation Exposure to the Use of Chemicals in the Mineral Processing

Chemical exposure known as chemical hazards and toxic substances (CHTS), which occur through inhalation, ingestion, and skin contact, causes serious illness, irritation, corrosion, injury, and even death. The chemicals analyzed are limited to the reagents used in the mineral ore production process, in addition to dermal exposure. Data on hazard identification and exposure evaluation were collected. The utilization of CHTS will continue to increase in the coming years, thereby leading to health impacts on workers. Global data released by ILO showed a 270 million (62.8%) and 160 million (37.2%) rise in work accidents and illnesses, culminating in 430 million per year. Data on the number of workers who received benefits from the Work Accident Insurance program of the National Social Security Agency for Employment (known as BPJSTK), showed that 210,789 people (4,007 fatal) 221,740 people (3,410 fatal), and 234,370 people (6,552 fatal) experienced work-related accidents and illnesses in Indonesia. Therefore, this qualitative study aims to examine and analyze the health risks of mining workers exposed to CHTS through inhalation- using the observation method. The Chemical Health Risk Assessment (CHRA) method issued by the Malaysian Department of Safety and Health in 2018 was used to assess the inhalation exposure rate. The analyzed chemicals were limited to reagents used in production with data collected through the semi-quantitative method. The results showed that the inhalation exposure risk level is categorized as moderate and capable of causing health defects related to acute toxicity and specific target organ toxicity-single exposure (STOT-SE). Furthermore, 4 (four) out of 6 (six) reagents were identified as having significant inhalation exposure risk, hence, controls related to Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) in the mineral ore processing process must be increased.

Journal of Chemical Health Risks

Journal of Chemical Health Risks

Pregnancy-related maternal physiological adaptations and fetal chemical exposure

Prenatal life represents a susceptible window of development during which chemical exposures can permanently alter fetal development, leading to an increased likelihood of disease later in life. Therefore, it is essential to assess exposure in the fetus. However, direct assessment in human fetuses is challenging, so most research measures maternal exposure. Pregnancy induces a range of significant physiological changes in women that may affect chemical metabolism and responses. Moreover, placental function, fetal sex, and pregnancy complications may further modify these exposures. The purpose of this narrative review is to give an overview of major pregnancy-related physiological changes, including placental function and impacts of pregnancy complications, to summarize existing studies assessing chemical exposure in human fetal organs, and to discuss possible interactions between physiological changes and exposures. Our review reveals major knowledge gaps in factors affecting fetal chemical exposure, highlighting the need to develop more sophisticated tools for chemical health risk assessment in fetuses.

Assessment of Chemical Health Risks, Fire - Explosion Risks and Environmental Impact at Cluj Wastewater Treatment Station within Someș S.A. Water Company

Abstract Noticing the increase in attention given by legislation and national practice to the assessment of occupational health and safety risks of a chemical nature, the article summarizes and explains the results of the research carried out from this perspective in a waste water treatment/purification station. By resorting to a well-established method, especially on the European level, the risks for the safety and health of workers (from the perspective of inhalation and skin risks), fire-explosion risks and environmental risks were evaluated. Based on the results obtained, a preliminary, but extremely necessary and useful, diagnosis of the magnitude of these specific risks was made and - on this basis - prevention/protection measures were proposed which, once implemented, can lead to the minimization of the risk levels associated with the identified hazards specific to the three analysed vectors. Beyond the concrete results of an applied nature, the growth of which the synthesis is systematized can serve as a good practice guide for numerous practitioners in the field of safety and health at work in Romania, in order to increase the efficiency of chemical risk assessments and - implicitly - the effectiveness of mitigation measures for this risk so widespread in industrial activities, processes and operations.

Chemical and radiological human health risk assessment from uranium and fluoride concentrations in tap water samples collected from Shiraz, Iran; Monte-Carlo simulation and sensitivity analysis

ABSTRACT Uranium is one of the most critical components in the nuclear field due to its chemical and radiological properties. Since few studies were conducted on uranium concentration in drinking water in Iranian cities, this study aimed to determine the concentration of uranium and flouridein the samples of drinking water collected from tap water in Shiraz, Fars province. Fifty samples were examined for uranium and fluoride presence using the ICP-MS and spectrophotometry methods. Hazard Quotient (HQ) and sensitivity analysis (SA) using the Monte Carlo Simulation technique with 10,000 iterations were applied to determine the human carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic effects of Uranium and Fluoride in three different groups (children, teenagers, and adults). The results showed that uranium and fluoride concentrations varied between 0.18–1.12 μg/L and 0.06–0.56 mg/L, respectively, which is less than the EPA recommendation for both elements. pH, EC, and TDS values were in accordance with the standard, and a positive correlation was observed between fluoride and total dissolved solids (TDS). The highest risk of carcinogenicity was found in the adult group with a value of 3.24E-9, lower than the allowable limit (1E-6). The highest hazard quotient (HQ) for uranium and fluoride was obtained in children with 0.13 and 0.66. Monte Carlo simulation results showed that the hazard quotient (HQ) for both elements in all groups was less than one and consistent with the values of the deterministic method. Also, water swallowing rate and contaminant concentration were the most influential parameters in the sensitivity analysis.

Environmentally relevant exposure to cypermethrin aggravates diet-induced diabetic symptoms in mice: The interaction between environmental chemicals and diet

Pyrethroids, a class of widely used insecticides, have been linked to diabetes. However, it remains unclear whether and how environmentally relevant exposure to pyrethroids aggravates diet-induced diabetic symptoms. In this study, we investigated the diabetogenic effects of exposure to environmentally relevant doses of cypermethrin (CP), one of the most commonly used pyrethroids, and a high calorie diet (HCD) in adult male mice. Notably, HCD consumption significantly facilitated the bioaccumulation of CP in the liver. CP exposure at the lowest dose in the range of human daily intake exacerbated HCD-induced insulin resistance. In HCD-fed mice, CP treatment significantly decreased hepatic glucose uptake by impairing the translocation of glucose transporter GLUT2. CP exposure regulated hepatic AKT2/GSK3β/GYS2 pathway, thereby reducing glycogenesis and stimulating gluconeogenesis in the livers of HCD-fed mice. Hepatic transcriptome data showed that CP exposure of HCD-fed mice increased hepatic expression of thioredoxin-interacting protein (Txnip) and vanin-1 (VnnI) genes, which were involved in regulating GLUT2 translocation and AKT2/GSK3β/GYS2 pathway activity, respectively. CP treatment significantly decreased hepatic glucose uptake in HCD-fed mice by impairing the translocation of glucose transporter GLUT2, which was modulated by upregulation of TXNIP. CP exposure regulated hepatic AKT2/GSK3β/GYS2 pathway through upregulation of VNNI, thereby reducing glycogenesis and stimulating gluconeogenesis in the livers of HCD-fed mice. This is the first study to show that HCD led to an enrichment of lipophilic CP in the liver, which significantly disrupted glucose homeostasis and caused prediabetic phenotype. Our findings suggest that when assessing the health risks of lipophilic environmental chemicals, especially for metabolism-related outcomes, the interaction between contaminants and diet factors should be considered, otherwise the health risks may be underestimated.

Research Status and Trend Analysis of Environmental and Health Risk and Control of Persistent, Mobile, and Toxic Chemicals

Persistent, mobile, and toxic or very persistent and very mobile (PMT/vPvM) chemicals have been widely detected in surface water, groundwater, and drinking water around the world and are important emerging contaminants that may significantly affect human health and the environment in the future. According to the identification criteria proposed by the European Union, there are thousands of PMT/vPvM substances in existing chemicals, covering a wide range of applications, including dozens of high-yield industrial chemicals such as melamine. PMT/vPvM chemicals can be discharged into the environment through farmland runoff, industrial wastewater, and domestic sewage, and sewage treatment plants are currently considered to be their main discharge route. It is difficult to effectively remove PMT/vPvM chemicals through the current conventional water treatment technology; they can exist in the water circulation system of the urban human settlement environment for a long time, endangering the safety of drinking water and the ecosystem. The European Union has taken the lead in introducing PMT/vPvM chemicals specifically into the priority areas of the current chemical risk management system. At present, there are still many potential PMT/vPvM chemicals in the environment, and their monitoring methods need to be further improved. It will take time for the identification of substances, the scope of categories, and the establishment of lists. Studies on the environmental fate and exposure of PMT/vPvM in various regions of the world are still very limited, and research on the potential, long-term ecotoxicity, and human health hazard effects remains scarce. At the same time, the research and development of substitute or alternative technologies, as well as environmental engineering treatment technologies such as sewage treatment and contaminated site remediation, will become an urgent need for future PMT/vPvM risk scientific research and management decisions.