Occupational Solar Radiation Exposure Research Articles

Occupational Exposure to Solar UV Radiation of a Group of Fishermen Working in the Italian North Adriatic Sea.

Occupational solar radiation exposure is a relevant heath risk in the fishing sector. Our aim was to provide a detailed evaluation of individual UV exposure in three different fishing activities in Italy, with personal UV dosimeters and a simple formula to calculate the fraction of ambient erythemal UV dose received by the workers. The potential individual UV exposure of the fishermen was between 65 and 542 Joules/m2. The percentages of the ambient exposure were estimated between 2.5% and 65.3%. Workers’ UV exposure was mainly influenced by the characteristics of the work activity, the postures adopted, and the type of boats. Overall, our data showed that 43% of the daily measurements could result largely above the occupational limits of 1–1.3 standard erythemal dose (i.e., 100 Joules/m2) per day, in case of exposure of uncovered skin areas. Measurements of individual UV exposure are important not only to assess the risk but also to increase workers’ perception and stimulate the adoption of preventive measures to reduce solar UV risk. Furthermore, the simple method proposed, linking ambient erythemal UV dose to the workers’ exposure, can be a promising tool for a reliable assessment of the UV risk, as time series of environmental UV dose are widely available.

The economic burden of occupational non-melanoma skin cancer due to solar radiation

ABSTRACTSolar ultraviolet (UV) radiation is the second most prevalent carcinogenic exposure in Canada and is similarly important in other countries with large Caucasian populations. The objective of this article was to estimate the economic burden associated with newly diagnosed non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSCs) attributable to occupational solar radiation exposure. Key cost categories considered were direct costs (healthcare costs, out-of-pocket costs (OOPCs), and informal caregiver costs); indirect costs (productivity/output costs and home production costs); and intangible costs (monetary value of the loss of health-related quality of life (HRQoL)). To generate the burden estimates, we used secondary data from multiple sources applied to computational methods developed from an extensive review of the literature. An estimated 2,846 (5.3%) of the 53,696 newly diagnosed cases of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and 1,710 (9.2%) of the 18,549 newly diagnosed cases of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in 2011 in Canada were attributable to occupational solar radiation exposure. The combined total for direct and indirect costs of occupational NMSC cases is $28.9 million ($15.9 million for BCC and $13.0 million for SCC), and for intangible costs is $5.7 million ($0.6 million for BCC and $5.1 million for SCC). On a per-case basis, the total costs are $5,670 for BCC and $10,555 for SCC. The higher per-case cost for SCC is largely a result of a lower survival rate, and hence higher indirect and intangible costs. Our estimates can be used to raise awareness of occupational solar UV exposure as an important causal factor in NMSCs and can highlight the importance of occupational BCC and SCC among other occupational cancers.

Cataract frequency and subtypes involved in workers assessed for their solar radiation exposure: a systematic review.

Cataract is currently the primary cause of blindness worldwide, and one of its main risk factors is solar ultraviolet radiation exposure. According to the localization of lens opacities, three main subtypes of cataract are recognized: nuclear, cortical and posterior subcapsular cataract. One of the main determinants of individual long‐term solar radiation exposure is outdoor work. We systematically reviewed scientific literature from the last 20 years to update the recent development of research on the risk of cataract in outdoor workers and on the specific subtypes involved, also investigating the methods applied to evaluate the occupational risk. A total of 15 studies were included in the review, of which 12 showed a positive association. The studies confirm the relationship of long‐term occupational solar radiation exposure with cortical cataract and give new support for nuclear cataract, although no substantial new data were available to support a relation with the posterior subcapsular subtype. In most of the studies, the exposure assessment was not adequate to support a representative evaluation of the ocular risk; however, outdoor work is clearly a relevant risk factor for cataract. Further research providing a better evaluation of the relation between solar radiation exposure levels and lens damage in workers is needed and aimed to establish adequate occupational exposure limits and better preventive measures, studying also their effectiveness.

Preventing Melanoma with the Help of Occupational Physicians

Melanoma incidence is increasing constantly worldwide in recent years: 132,000 melanoma skin cancers occur globally each year (WHO-INTERSUN). Despite this, no adequate evidence regarding the role of cumulative solar UV exposure in inducing the skin cancer has been provided. Recently, some studies appear to indicate that, also in patients with melanoma history, the habit of completely avoiding sun exposure is not a positive prognostic factor. According to IARC monograph published in 2012, evidences regarding UV risk factors for melanoma are the intermittent UV exposure with recurrent sunburns, especially in childhood and adolescence. According to these findings, various studies on occupational exposure to solar radiation (SR) failed to find an association between the performance of an outdoor job and the risk of melanoma. Recently, in Italy melanoma due to SR exposure has been erased from the national list of occupational diseases (D.P.R. 1124/65, last modification in 2014). But, in Europe an occupational health surveillance is needed for workers exposed to Artificial UV radiation according to EU Directive 2006/25/CE, and a skin examination for these workers is suggested, but quite paradoxically there are not similar indications for workers exposed to natural UV radiation. Considering the great number of outdoor workers employed in Europe, at least 14 million according to OSHA, and worldwide, the consideration of occupational solar radiation exposure as a specific professional risk requiring the health surveillance of exposed workers will be very helpful in order to prevent melanoma and other UV related diseases.

Spatial analysis of incidence of cutaneous melanoma in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region in the period 1995-2005.

Incidence distribution of cutaneous melanoma depends on phenotypic characteristics of population and geographic location. In Italy, in the period 1999-2003 Friuli Venezia Giulia (FVG) region had the second highest incidence rates for males and the third for females. We analysed melanoma and lip cancer incidence data of the FVG cancer registry for the period 1995-2005. We used Bayesian hierarchical spatial models to describe the spatial pattern by gender. We decomposed the geographical distribution of the risk in two parts: a component linked to chronic exposure and a component related to intermittent exposure. In order to model the chronic component we considered the geographical distribution of incidence cases of lip cancer, for which chronic occupational solar radiation exposure is a documented risk factor. We also analysed the distribution by site and we calculated standardised rates for body surface area. This study documents a significant gradient in the incidence of cutaneous melanoma in FVG. High-standardized incidence rates are present in the area of Trieste and in the coastal area. The descriptive analysis by age group and by site, showed risks associated with intermittent exposures in both genders. For the coastal area the risk is especially high for sites traditionally linked to high cumulative exposures (face and neck), especially among men. The results suggest diagnostic preventive interventions in the populations living in the area of Trieste, given the high rates observed in the young age groups.