Occupational Exposure Health Research Articles

The Knowledge, Perceptions and Attitudes of Seafarers in a Shipping Company on Occupational Hearing Health

ABSTRACT There is a scarcity of information regarding seafarers’ knowledge, perceptions and attitudes (KPAs) on occupational noise exposure and hearing health. This study aimed to determine the baseline KPAs of seafarers in a shipping company on occupational hearing health and noise exposure on board. This is a cross-sectional study, using an online questionnaire disseminated to seafarers in a shipping company. There were a total of 291 respondents, predominantly males. Only 15% of the respondents showed sufficient knowledge regarding occupational hearing health and noise exposure, but the majority know that long time noise exposure can damage hearing but can be prevented. Perceptions and attitudes were heterogeneous concerning their perceived susceptibility to hearing loss and perceived self-efficacy to protect from loud sounds. This study could provide insight into how to initiate awareness and educational modules for this population. Additional investigation will be needed to provide context and a deeper understanding of the perceptions and attitudes of the seafarers that will allow health education advocates continuity in improving their programs.

Micro-characterization of Dust and Materials of Dust Origin at a Cement Industry Located in Bangladesh

Industrial dust generation from material processing is an uninterrupted phenomenon, hence analyzing materials of dust origin with dust particles is important to comprehend the entire scenario of occupational health exposure (OHE). In this study, we investigated the morphological, elemental, and mineralogical characteristics of engendered dust and materials of dust origin in the cement industry (CI) in Bangladesh. The dust samples were accumulated from dust collectors and the internal roadways of the CI to understand the nature of atmospheric dust of the CI. All the materials that could potentially be the sources of the dust of the CI were collected, including clinker, gypsum, limestone, fly ash, slag, and two types of cement products. Scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), x-ray powder diffraction (XRD), and fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were performed for the characterization. SEM micrographs showed the presence of fine (particles ≤ PM2.5) and ultra-fine (particles ≤ PM0.1) particles with diverse morphology in the studied samples. Ca, Si, Al, Mg, Fe, K, Na, Mo, and Ti were found as existing metallic elements in samples through the EDS technique. Several minerals of silicate, oxide, carbonate, and sulfate were detected with major crystalline phases of Portland cement by SEM-EDS, XRD, and FTIR analyses in samples; among which some are well documented as occupational hazards. The trace presence of organic carbon was observed in all FTIR spectra. The most significant outcome of this study is the detection of carcinogenic substances such as crystalline silica (quartz, cristobalite) and asbestoses (anthophyllite, chrysotile, and crocidolite) in samples. For instance, quartz was found in the dust of dust collectors while road dust of the CI showed the existence of both quartz and cristobalite. However, asbestoses were found only in source materials, but they could be released anytime during material handling, thus creating OHE.

Occupationally Acquired Hepatitis C Virus Infection in Health-Care Workers: A Case Report and Review of Literature

Abstract The incidence of occupational health exposures to the risk of blood-borne pathogens is common yet underreported in health-care workers in India. These occur despite necessary precautions and training in often trying real-world circumstances. Indian health community reports very few occupational exposures and national guidelines with regard to postexposure monitoring or detection of acute hepatitis C virus infection are not available. We describe a case where acute hepatitis C infection was detected early due to intensive monitoring postneedlestick injury where prompt initiation of direct-acting antivirals led to a rapid response with no seroconversion.

Additional Payment for Occupational Health Exposure to Heat

Additional Payment for Occupational Health Exposure to Heat

CO2 Levels Behind and in Front of Different Protective Mask Types.

Many individuals have difficulty adapting to face mask use and report symptoms while using masks. Our primary objective was to determine whether continuous mask-wearing causes elevated levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) behind the facemasks. CO2 concentrations were measured behind 3 different types of face masks and were compared to CO2 concentrations at the mask front in 261 subjects who continuously wore masks for at least 5 minutes. These CO2 concentrations were also measured in several randomly selected subjects after a 5-minute walk. There were significantly higher CO2 concentrations behind the mask (3176 ppm) compared to the front (843 ppm) with an average of 49 minutes of continuous mask use. Of all the subjects, 76.6% had a behind-the-mask CO2 concentration of more than 2000 ppm (the threshold for clinical symptoms), and 12.2% had a CO2 concentration of at least 5000 ppm (occupational health exposure limit). The CO2 level behind the N-95 masks was highest (especially after exertion) and was lowest behind cloth masks. The combination of warm ambient temperature, an N-95 mask, exercise, and young age appeared to induce exceedingly high CO2 levels that should be avoided. Although masks might be necessary for healthcare workers or to lessen the spread of airborne disease, we found that elevated CO2 concentrations were present while wearing them. Elevated CO2 concentrations have historically caused symptoms of CO2 toxicity. Periodic mask breaks in designated areas may be needed to avoid adverse effects. The use of masks increased the CO2 concentration in the air behind them to levels historically associated with toxicity.

Occupational Health and Safety of Immigrant Hotel Housekeepers.

The accommodations sector is one of the largest employers of immigrant and minority workers in the United States. Hotel housekeepers represent the industry's largest workforce while facing difficult work conditions, health hazards, and psychological stress. This is one of the few empirical studies that address the working conditions of housekeepers in the United States and their perspective of health challenges they face. A cross-sectional survey study was conducted with hotel housekeepers (N = 140) in Florida and in collaboration with the local labor union as a rapid assessment of occupational health and safety risk exposures, work-related injuries, coping mechanisms, and perceived management responses. Experienced union workers recruited study participants and administered interviewer-administered surveys. The analysis included descriptive statistics and multivariate regression. Sampled hotel housekeepers were found to work under significant time pressures to complete excessive workloads and to experience chemical and biological exposures and physical and psychosocial strains. Poor work equipment/insufficient supplies had a negative impact on hotel housekeepers' health, these include heavy wet towels vacuum cleaners having a significant effect on (p < .001) sprains and strains. Poor cleaning supplies had a significant effect (p < .001) on chemical burns. Other significant findings are provided in the article. While housekeeping work conditions include many challenges, relatively simple changes by hotels' management can provide potential relief and improve workers' health and safety outcomes, such as functional equipment, sufficient inventory, management support, and proper rest breaks-subsequently increasing workers' health and reducing accidents, and thus potentially improving productivity at a relatively low cost.

Environmental and Occupational Health Exposures and Outcomes of Informal Street Food Vendors in South Africa: A Quasi-Systematic Review.

Introduction: Informal street vending is a form of informal employment, and occupational conditions for people within this group have been proven to be detrimental to their health. Two independent reviewers carried out a systematic evaluation of the existing literature in South Africa on environmental and occupational exposures, as well as the health effects faced by informal street food vendors. Methods: 354 published publications were reviewed and 9 were included, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Results: The evidence showed that informal street vendors are exposed to workplace risks that affect their health and wellbeing. Non-enclosed vendor stalls and frequent use of open fires were among the risk concerns. Vendors are vulnerable to gastrointestinal diseases such as salmonellosis and respiratory infections such as influenza and COVID-19 due to inadequate access to water, waste disposal facilities, and basic hygiene awareness and practices. Exposure to air pollutants increased the risk of respiratory and urinary illnesses and an impact on the reproductive health of female street vendors. Conclusions: This investigation demonstrated the difficulties in complying with the requirements of the Regulations Governing General Hygiene Requirements for Food Premises, the Transport of Food, and Related Matters (no. R638 of 22 June 2018) and the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act (no. 85 of 1993). Within South African borders, there is a scarcity of research on occupational exposures and health effects in this occupation. As a result, eliminating or preventing these occupational exposures should be at the top of government and stakeholder agendas. The majority of the research was carried out in KwaZulu Natal and used a quantitative, cross-sectional technique. Other designs, including cohorts, time series, and randomized intervention trials, were underutilized.

Limitations of WBGT Index for Application in Industries: A Systematic Review

The Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) is still widely applied as a preliminary tool for evaluating heat stress. This index faces some limitations not considered yet. This systematic review was conducted aiming at highlighting some limitations for the development of the WBGT index. The present study was organized using more extensive databases, including PubMed, Google Scholar, Scientific Information Databases (SID), Elsevier, Web of Science, Scopus, Irandoc, Magiran, and Iran Medex. The used search terms were WBGT index, Heat stress, Thermal Stress, Heat strain, Wet Bulb Globe Temperature, Hot Condition, Occupational Health, and Occupational Exposure indices. In this study, 69 articles from the years 1950 to December 2021 were assessed. The WBGT index, despite having some advantages, suffers limitations that should be considered for a more accurate estimate of thermal stress. This study was pointed to the new limitations, including the value of WBGT is not clear for persons whose working in a seated posture. The additional problem with the use of this index was that it was used for adapted people who have consumed enough water and salt, while neither water nor salt is always readily available in most hot working environments. Therefore, using this index will cause an error. Also, in heterogeneous environments, if the heat source is near the head or legs, a coefficient will not be applied to these regions. The results of the study demonstrated that, because of the limitations of the WBGT index, it is recommended that this index be used along with other indicators and physiological parameters to assess heat stress until more extensive studies would be conducted in an attempt to improve and remove its limitations.

Occupational exposures in the operating room: Are surgeons well-equipped?

BackgroundOccupational health hazards are ubiquitously found in the operating room, guaranteeing an inevitable risk of exposure to the surgeon. Although provisions on occupational health and safety in healthcare exist, they do not address non-traditional hazards found in the operating room. In order to determine whether surgeons or trainees receive any form of occupational health training, we examine the associations between occupational health training and exposure rate.Study designA cross-sectional survey was distributed. Respondent characteristics included academic level, race/ethnicity, and gender. The survey evaluated seven surgical disciplines and 13 occupational hazards. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine the association between academic level, surgical specialty, and exposure rate.ResultsOur cohort of 183 respondents (33.1% response rate) consisted of attendings (n = 72, 39.3%) and trainees (n = 111, 60.7%). Surgical trainees were less likely to have been trained in cytotoxic drugs (OR 0.22, p<0.001), methylmethacrylate (OR 0.15, p<0.001), patient lifting (OR 0.43, p = 0.009), radiation (OR 0.40, p = 0.007), and surgical smoke (OR 0.41, p = 0.041) than attending surgeons. Additionally, trainees were more likely to experience frequent exposure to bloodborne pathogens (OR 5.26, p<0.001), methylmethacrylate (OR 2.86, p<0.001), cytotoxic drugs (OR 3.03, p<0.001), and formaldehyde (2.08, p = 0.011), to name a few.ConclusionAlthough surgeon safety is not a domain in residency training, standardized efforts to educate and change the culture of safety in residency programs is warranted. Our study demonstrates a disparity between trainees and attendings with a recommendation to provide formal training to trainees independent of their anticipated risk of exposure.

Moral Injury in Vietnam Veterans: what Community Providers need to know

Vietnam veterans have some unique risk factors that are important to be aware of that she worked with them in hospice settings. All of this risk factors could affect both physical and mental health, and potentially complicate any work that you might do related to moral injury. Some of the unique risk factors of Vietnam veterans include: Social burden of reintegration producing a code of silence and suppressed memories: Vietnam veterans were most often draftees, living in an era where their family members were most likely involved in World War II, a war that focused on the honor and valor of being a hero, and rescuing others from world war. However, Vietnam Veterans returned from their service with the significantly negative social reiteration that was highly influenced by the negative feelings of civilians about the Vietnam war. The social burden produced a code of silence and repressed memories about any atrocities or killing that occurred in Vietnam. There were a number of unique occupational health exposures that have an impact on the aging process including: • Agent orange • Immunizations • Prophylaxis for tropical disease • Above average alcohol and substance abuse • Stress loaded occupations and social behaviors • Refusal to engage the Veteran's Administration even if they have service connected disability. Vietnam veterans may have service connected disability but because of potentially negative past experiences with the Veterans administration as well as their own mixed feelings about their service and their identity as a as a veteran, many have refused to engage in seeking healthcare at the veterans administration.

P.R.I.D.E.—preventing respiratory infectious disease exposures: An improvement project in a Northern Californian emergency room

Preventing respiratory infectious disease exposures is a performance improvement project to reduce the incidence of occupational health exposures among health care workers. This project encouraged registered nurses to quickly identify and isolate potentially infectious patients in the emergency room, to prevent exposures to airborne and droplet transmitted communicable diseases, including meningitis, tuberculosis, and measles. This pre- and postintervention model implemented a quasi-experimental designed project in the emergency room (ER). The Centers for Disease Control's empiric transmission-based isolation precautions were implemented to prevent occupational health exposures. Eighty registered nurses (RN's) received education on the new intervention. The assumption of this project was, the new process will decrease occupational health exposures. Eight ER RNs reported an occupational health exposure, preintervention in quarter 2 of 2019, compared to zero occupational health exposures, postintervention in quarter 3 of 2019. A χ² independence test was used to determine if the categorical variables of the capstone intervention and disease exposure were related in the same RN population. An association between the capstone intervention and disease exposure was observed, X2 (1) = 8.421, P = .004, indicating the result is statistically significant. The preventing respiratory infectious disease exposures project effectively reduced occupational health exposures to airborne and droplet transmitted diseases in the emergency room by 100%. These results should encourage Infection Preventionists to adapt the Centers for Disease Control's empiric transmission isolation precautions in their emergency rooms and urgent cares to prevent airborne and droplet transmitted disease exposures.

MORAL INJURY IN VIETNAM VETERANS: WHAT COMMUNITY PROVIDERS NEED TO KNOW

Vietnam veterans have some unique risk factors that are important to be aware of that she worked with them in hospice settings. All of this risk factors could affect both physical and mental health, and potentially complicate any work that you might do related to moral injury. Some of the unique risk factors of Vietnam veterans include: Social burden of reintegration producing a code of silence and suppressed memories: Vietnam veterans were most often draftees, living in an era where their family members were most likely involved in World War II, a war that focused on the honor and valor of being a hero, and rescuing others from world war. However, Vietnam Veterans returned from their service with the significantly negative social reiteration that was highly influenced by the negative feelings of civilians about the Vietnam war. The social burden produced a code of silence and repressed memories about any atrocities or killing that occurred in Vietnam. There were a number of unique occupational health exposures that have an impact on the aging process including: •Agent orange •Immunizations •Prophylaxis for tropical disease •Above average alcohol and substance abuse •Stress loaded occupations and social behaviors • Refusal to engage the Veteran's Administration even if they have service connected disability. Vietnam veterans may have service connected disability but because of potentially negative past experiences with the Veterans administration as well as their own mixed feelings about their service and their identity as a as a veteran, many have refused to engage in seeking healthcare at the veterans administration.

Occupational Health Exposure and Perceived Effects of Portland Cement Dust Pollution on Cement Factory Workers

The perceived occupational and environmental health challenges arising from the exposure of cement dust pollution on Bua cement factory workers were investigated in this study to establish if there is any significance of cement dust exposure on workers’ health. The study was designed as a cross-sectional type of research that adopted a purposive group based strategy for sampling. 110 cement factory workers with a minimum of two years’ work experience were selected for the study. 90 respondents were randomly selected from a community situated at about 21km away from the factory and used as control. Structured questionnaire was used for data collection and SPSS statistical package was used to analyze the data. Inferential statistics was used to test the hypotheses at p &lt;0.05, ascertain correlation of the variables and authenticate the analysed results. The result revealed that 15 types of ailment were reported among the sampled respondents with factory workers recording higher percentage occurrence of ailments than respondents from the control. Factory workers were more susceptible to the itemized ailments recorded when compared to respondents from control. Significant difference in the prevalence of perceived health ailments between factory workers and control was established. Workers from storage and transportation section were revealed to have higher percentage (77.3%) compliance level on the use of safety gadgets during work hours than workers from other sections. Also, a significant relationship between the perceived health risks associated with cement dust exposure and the health of factory workers was established. The researchers made reasonable recommendations to forestall further health complications that might arise from working on a cement production factory.

Analysis and Evaluation of Contamination Status of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Settled House and Road Dust Samples from Hanoi

Analysis and Evaluation of Contamination Status of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Settled House and Road Dust Samples from Hanoi

Use of artificial neural networks to rescue agrochemical-based health hazards: A resource optimisation method for cleaner crop production

Abstract The main aim of the study was to estimate the target values of agrochemical use, and its impact on crop productivity, and human health. Adoptions of protective measures and their impacts on human health during pesticide application were also evaluated. To fulfil the study objectives, using a standardised questionnaire, cross-sectional data of 480 rice growers were collected from September to October, 2017 from the Hafizabad and Sheikhupura districts of Punjab, Pakistan. Various econometric methods were used for data analysis. The artificial neural network (ANN) found an indiscriminate use of agrochemicals in the study area and suggested reducing the applied quantity of Pure N and pesticides by 43.6 and 52.6%, respectively, at a given level of rice yield, while the quantity of Pure P, Pure K, and farmyard manure (FYM) need to increase by 67.6, 15, and 21%, respectively, to obtain an efficient production level. The Cobb-Douglas (CD) production function estimated a positive and significant impact of Pure P, Pure K, FYM, education, and farming experience on rice yield. Results also showed that an indiscriminate use of pesticide not only compromised rice efficiency, it impinged on field worker health. Poisson regression found that occurrence of eye irritation, dizziness, cough, and nausea were significantly related with chemical application. Logistic regression found that education, farming experience, and extension services significantly increased in the adoption of various protective measures. Furthermore, cases of primary health exposures were significantly less among those who were used protective measures during pesticide application. Results of Poison regression function also confirmed that use of protective clothing, goggles, mask, gloves and boots during pesticide spraying significantly reduced human health exposures. It is recommended to apply the quantity of nutrients and chemicals suggested by ANN method. Use of biochemicals is a more sustainable and environmentally friendly strategy. Provision of educational programs and trainings to farmers on safe use of pesticides is required to avert occupational health exposures. Furthermore, governmental actions such as restriction and/or interdiction on use of highly toxic pesticides and enforcement to adopt safety measures during pesticide application, are needed to reduce pesticide exposures.

Analysis of occupational health surveillance for workers on offshore platforms

Objective: To understand the status of occupational health surveillance for workers on offshore platforms. Methods: The research period was from 2014 to 2016. From 2014 to 2016, a cross-sectional survey method was adopted to select 429 people for offshore oil production, drilling and operation platforms and their first-line workers to conduct workplace occupational hygiene. Investigation, occupational hazard factor testing, occupational health check of workers, collation and statistical analysis of surveys and test data, and comparison of occupational health surveillance among workers of different types of offshore platforms. Results: From 2014 to 2016, the results of chemical harmful factors detection of occupational diseases in the offshore platform were in line with the national occupational health exposure limit requirements. The noise of some platform posts exceeded the standard, such as: oil platform oil, oil and oil and gas processing workers, diesel engines for drilling and working platforms. Worker noise exceeds national occupational health limits p[L(ex, 8 h)>85 dB(A)].There was a statistically significant difference in the occupational health of workers on the same platform with the age and length of service (P<0.05). Conclusion: Workers on different platforms at sea may be subject to different levels of occupational health damage, and the occupational hazards brought by noise to platform workers are particularly prominent.

Agricultural intensification and damages to human health in relation to agrochemicals: Application of artificial intelligence

The indiscriminate use of agrochemicals for the maximization of the crop yield has adverse effects on the air, water, soil, non-target organisms, and human health. Reducing the impacts of agrochemicals on the environment and human health is instrumental for agricultural sustainability and cleaner production. To date, limited studies have focused on the issues of rice intensification, realistic agrochemical-saving targets, human health concerns associated with agrochemical use, and protective measures that may help to reduce occupational exposure during pesticide application. Cross-sectional data of 360 rice growers were collected from September to October 2017 from 9 districts of Punjab, Pakistan using multistage sampling technique. A combination of descriptive statistics and econometric methods was used in this study. The results found a 60% rice efficiency, which is evidence that farm resources were not utilized at the optimal level. An artificial neural network method (ANN) was suggested to reduce the quantity of pesticides and pure N by 45.2 and 37.2%, respectively, at a given level of rice yield. However, pure P, pure K, zinc, and farm yard manure (FYM) were recommended to increase by 490.9, 18.4, 64.7, and 32.6%, respectively than existing level. The results of the Cobb-Douglas (CD) production function found positive significant impacts of pure P, pure K, zinc, and FYM on the rice yield. According to a Tobit regression model, the rice efficiency significantly increased with education and farming experience, while it decreased with increasing crop area under rice cultivation and the distance among rice plots. Pesticide application caused skin irritation, eye irritation, cough, dizziness, nausea, and diarrhoea in 33, 41.7, 38, 30.5, 27.5, and 12% of the population, respectively. A few cases of death (3%) and serious illness (10%) due to drinking pesticides intentionally or unintentionally were also discovered. A Poisson regression model confirmed that pesticide poisoning significantly increased the incidence of eye irritation, skin irritation, dizziness, cough, and nausea during pesticide application. Moreover, cases of occupational health exposure were significantly higher among those who did not adopt protective measures. A negative binomial regression suggested that the use of protective measures, such as protective clothes, goggles, mask, gloves and boots, during chemical application significantly reduced the risk to human health. A lack of education and awareness about the appropriate and safe use of agrochemicals are the main reasons for the overutilization of pesticides and for the negative consequences on human health. This study stresses the importance of using agrochemicals at the recommended level and instead using bio-chemicals for agricultural sustainability and to protect human health. Moreover, the use of pesticide protective measures is highly recommended to avoid respiratory and dermal exposure to pesticides.

Occupational Health Risk Assessment in the Electronics Industry in China Based on the Occupational Classification Method and EPA Model.

The awareness of occupational health risk management in the electronics industry is weak in China, and many Chinese occupational health management regulations have not been effectively implemented. China’s current occupational hazards classification method and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) inhalation risk assessment model recognized internationally were used to perform health risk assessments for a chip manufacturing company in the electronics industry in order to determine the existing problems and put forward the optimization proposals of the occupational hazards classification method in China. The results showed that the detected concentrations of toxic and harmful chemicals in all testing points did not exceed the occupational health exposure limits in China. According to the EPA inhalation risk assessment model, the highest values of non-carcinogenic risks of ammonia, chlorine, fluoride, sulfuric acid, hydrogen chloride, ethylene glycol, phosphine, boron trifluoride, isopropanol, benzene, and xylene were 5.10, 67.12, 1.71, 45.98, 1.83, 1.43, 160.35, 46.56, 2.52, 5.55, and 5.37, respectively, which means workers in electronic chip manufacturing companies exposed to these chemicals have higher occupational health risks. However, on the basis of the occupational hazards classification method, the occupational health risks of exposure to the toxic and hazardous chemicals are relatively harmless operations. The evaluation results of the EPA inhalation risk assessment model are generally higher than those of the occupational hazards classification method. It’s recommended to refine the value of occupational exposure limit B, taking more characteristics of the hazard factors into account and fuzzifying the parameters to optimize the occupational hazards classification method. At the same time, it is suggested that the electronic chip manufacturing company should conduct anti-virus risk management covering in three aspects: increasing the awareness of occupational hazards, enhancing system ventilation, and improving personal health management measures.

Assessment of occupational health exposure to particulate matter around opencast coal mines, India: a case study

Particulate matter concentrations in terms of occupational health, namely inhalable, thoracic, and alveolic, were measured using GRIMM aerosol spectrometer in Basundhara Grajanbahal Area, Sundergarh, India. At mining sites, average inhalable, thoracic, and alveolic particle concentrations were found to be 1.8 to 2, 1.8, and 1.2 to 1.6 times the concentrations at residential sites, respectively. Ratio of thoracic/inhalable, alveolic/inhalable, and alveolic/thoracic varied in the range 73–91%, 42–73%, and 55–80% at residential sites and 69–84%, 37–52%, and 49–63% at mining sites, respectively. From correlation analysis, significant positive correlations among particulate matter concentrations, positive correlation of particulate matter concentrations with relative humidity, and negative correlation with temperature and wind speed were obtained.

Multihierarchically Profiling the Biological Effects of Various Metal-Based Nanoparticles in Macrophages under Low Exposure Doses

Thus far, tremendous efforts have been made to understand the biosafety of metal-based nanoparticles (MNPs). Nevertheless, most previous studies focused on specific adverse outcomes of MNPs at unrealistically high concentrations with little relevance to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) exposure thresholds, and failed to comprehensively evaluate their toxicity profiles. To address these challenges, we here endeavored to multihierarchically profile the hazard effects of various popularly used MNPs in macrophages under low exposure doses. At these doses, no remarkable cell viability drop and cell death were induced. However, a cellular antioxidant defense system was seen to be initiated in cells by all MNPs even at these low concentrations, albeit to a differential extent and through different pathways, as reflected by differential induction of the antioxidant enzymes and Nrf2 signaling. Regarding inflammation, rare earth oxide nanomaterials (REOs) except nCeO2 greatly increased IL-1β secretion in a NLRP3 inflammasome-dependent manner. By contrast, six REOs, AgNP-5nm, nFe2O3, nFe3O4, and nZnO were found to elevate TNF-α concentration through post-transcriptional regulation. Moreover, all MNPs except nCeO2 drastically altered cellular membrane/cytoskeleton meshwork, but leading to different outcomes, with condensed cellular size and reduced numbers of protrusions by REOs and elongated protrusions by other MNPs. Consequently, REOs (e.g., nDy2O3 and nSm2O3) impaired phagocytosis of macrophages, and other MNPs (such as AgNP-25nm and nZnO) reversely enhanced macrophagic phagocytosis. Alterations of membrane and cytoskeleton meshwork induced by these MNPs also caused disordered membrane potential and calcium ion flux. Collectively, our data profiled the biological effects of different MNPs in macrophages under low exposure doses, and deciphered a complex network that links multiparallel pathways and processes to differential adverse outcomes.