Plant Workers Research Articles

A Training Program to Develop Concepts and Skills Related to Occupational Health and Safety Issues for Workers in Photovoltaic Power Plants

A Training Program to Develop Concepts and Skills Related to Occupational Health and Safety Issues for Workers in Photovoltaic Power Plants

Role of MTHFR 677C>T and 1298A>C gene polymorphisms on renal toxicity caused by lead exposure in wastewater treatment plant workers

Environmental and occupational lead (Pb) exposures continue to pose major public health problems. Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) workers proved are exposing to high Pb concentrations in sludge departments. The aim of the work was to investigate the role of MTHFR C677T and MTHFR A1298C gene polymorphisms on alteration of oxidative stress and homocysteine levels in WWTP workers exposed to high Pb concentrations, and study its relations with renal functions. The study included 90 WWTP workers from Abu-Rawash WWTP. Homocysteine, creatinine, urea, malondialdehyde (MDA), and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) were measured. Polymorphisms of MTHFR C677CT and MTHFR A1298C genes were studied using PCR/RFLP. Urine Pb concentrations were also measured. About 32.2% of the workers were with detectable Pb levels. Pb, homocysteine, and MDA levels were significantly higher among workers carrying TT polymorphism compared to other MTHFR C677T gene polymorphisms, while TAC was significantly lower among them compared to other polymorphisms. The same results were found among workers carrying CC compared to other MTHFR A1298C gene polymorphisms. WWTP workers carrying MTHFR 677TT and MTHFR 1298CC are more susceptible to elevation of homocysteine and the urinary Pb compared to the workers with the other polymorphisms. Furthermore, those workers were found to have increase in urea and creatinine. Therefore, MTHFR C677T and MTHFR A1298C gene polymorphisms could be used for prediction of the susceptibility to the risk of kidney impairments among WWTP workers in the sludge departments caused by their exposure to high Pb in their workplace.

Occupational Health Risk Assessment for Wastewater Treatment and Reuse in Kanpur, India.

The treatment and reuse of wastewater for irrigation can lead to occupational health risks for sewage treatment plant (STP) workers and farmers. Sanitation Safety Planning (SSP) is an approach which can be used to measure and mitigate these risks. This paper explores what impact a novel secondary treatment process, consisting of an integrated permeate channel (IPC) membrane combined with a constructed wetland plus, has on the occupational health risks compared with the existing activated sludge wastewater treatment process and reuse system in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. A mixed methodology was used, which included key informant interviews, structured observations, and E. coli analysis. This data was used to undertake semi-quantitative risk assessments following the SSP approach. The novel secondary treatment increased the number of health risks which the STP workers were exposed to, but the severity of the risks was lower. This was due to the differences in treatment processes and infrastructures. The number of health risks for the farmers decreased both in number and severity. For their children, the severity of the health impacts decreased. These changes were due to the increase in the microbiological quality of the irrigation water. This study highlights the potential of using a semi-quantitative risk assessment to assess the occupational health impacts of using novel treatment technologies.

Arthroscopic management of large subchondral talar cyst: a novel treatment strategy

Subchondroplasty is a novel and minimally invasive technique used to treat large subchondral talar cysts. It avoids soft tissue scarring, the need for osteotomies, bone grafting and its associated complications as seen with conventional approaches. Subchondroplasty involves arthroscopically approaching the cyst and injecting it with calcium phosphate paste injection, which undergoes an endothermic process and crystallizes in a manner that resembles cancellous bone to fill the defect. This case series presents two patients who underwent subchondroplasty: a 44-year-old female nurse with atraumatic right ankle pain of 2years with a CT scan revealing a large subchondral cyst over the medial talar dome and a 55-year-old male chemical plant worker with left ankle pain following a biking accident 6years ago whose CT scan too showed a large subchondral cyst in the medial talus. Both tolerated the surgery well, with significant reductions noted in MOXFQ scores at the 1-year follow-up.

Importance of Knife Sharpness during Slaughter: Shariah and Kosher Perspective and Scientific Validation.

Halal and kosher slaughter have given the utmost importance to the sharpness of knives during the slaughter of animals. A sharp knife of appropriate dimension (blade length) makes slaughter less painful during neck severance and facilitates desirable bleeding. The role of knife sharpness has not been given due credit from an animal welfare perspective and is likely ignored by the people involved in slaughterhouses. A neat, clean, and efficient neck cut by an extremely sharp knife reduces the pain. It improves the bleeding out, thus making animals unconscious early without undergoing unnecessary pain and stress. It also helps in improving meat quality and food safety. A slight incremental improvement in knife sharpness could significantly improve the animal welfare, productivity, efficiency, and safety of meat plant workers. The present review critically analyzed the significance of knife sharpness in religious slaughter by reducing stress and pain and improving meat quality and food safety. The objective quantification of knife sharpness, proper regular training of slaughterers, and slow slaughter rate are the challenges faced by the meat industry.

Experimental Investigation of Cobalt Deposition on 304 Stainless Steel in Borated and Lithiated High-Temperature Water.

The radioactive corrosion products 58Co and 60Co in the primary loops of pressurized water reactors (PWRs) are the main sources of radiation doses to which workers in nuclear power plants are exposed. To understand cobalt deposition on 304 stainless steel (304SS), which is the main structural material used in the primary loop, the microstructural characteristics and chemical composition of a 304SS surface layer immersed for 240 h in borated and lithiated high-temperature water containing cobalt were investigated with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), laser Raman spectroscopy (LRS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), glow discharge optical emission spectrometry (GD-OES), and inductively coupled plasma emission mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The results showed that two distinct cobalt deposition layers (an outer layer of CoFe2O4 and an inner layer of CoCr2O4) were formed on the 304SS after 240 h of immersion. Further research showed that CoFe2O4 was formed on the metal surface by coprecipitation of the iron preferentially dissolved from the 304SS surface with cobalt ions from the solution. The CoCr2O4 was formed by ion exchange between the cobalt ions entering the metal inner oxide layer and (Fe, Ni) Cr2O4. These results are useful in understanding cobalt deposition on 304SS and have a certain reference value for exploring the deposition behavior and mechanism of radionuclide cobalt on 304SS in the PWR primary loop water environment.

Simulation Analysis of High Radiant Heat Plant Cooling and Endothermic Screen Waste Heat Recovery Performance Based on FLUENT

In this article, we propose the endothermic screen model. The aim is to reduce the problems of the high temperature and low utilization of waste heat in industrial plants with high radiant heat. In this paper, the Rhino software is used to establish the model and import it into the FLUENT software, divide the mesh, set the boundary conditions and analyze the transient temperature field. Finally, the temperature change law in the plant and the waste heat recovery efficiency of the endothermic screen are obtained. The flow of cooling water in the endothermic screen is used to transform and transfer the high-radiation heat inside the plant to the outside. The simulation results show that after adding the endothermic screen, the average indoor temperature drops from 313.33 K to 305.66 K, which has a cooling effect. The waste heat recovery efficiency reaches up to 56%, and the waste heat recovery effect is obvious. The research results can provide a reference for the application of an endothermic screen in actual high radiant heat plants and provide a more comfortable working environment for the plant workers.

Monte Carlo-based probabilistic risk assessment for cement workers exposed to heavy metals in cement dust.

This study assessed the carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health risks of cement plant workers exposed to chromium (Cr), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), and lead (Pb) in cement dust using a probabilistic approach. Air samples were collected according to NIOSH 7900 and OSHA ID-121 methods and analyzed by an graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometer. The EPA inhalation risk assessment model and Monte Carlo simulation were utilized to assess the health risks. Sensitivity analysis was used to determine the influencing parameters on health risk. The average concentrations of As and Pb exceeded the occupational exposure limit (OEL), reaching a maximum of 3.4 and 1.7 times the OEL, respectively, in the cement mill. Individual metals' cancer risk exceeded the 1E-4 threshold in ascending order of Cd < As < Cr. The mean cancer risk of Cr ranged from 835E-4 (in raw mill) to 2870E-4 (in pre-heater and kiln). Except for Cd, the non-cancer risk of metals exceeded the standard (hazard index, HQ = 1) in the ascending order of Pb < As < Cr. The mean HQ of Cr ranged from 162.13 (in raw mill) to 558.73 (in pre-heater and kiln). After adjusting for control factors, the cancer and non-cancer risks remained over the respective recommended levels. Sensitivity analysis revealed that the concentration of Cr was the most influential parameter on both carcinogenic (78.5%) and non-carcinogenic (88.06%) risks. To protect the health of cement factory employees, it is recommended to minimize cement dust emissions, implement job rotation, and use raw materials with low levels of heavy metals.

Enforcement of US antitrust law in labour markets

In recent years, the US government has begun to focus antitrust enforcement efforts on labour markets. In 2022, for example, the Department of Justice (DOJ) blocked Penguin Random House’s acquisition of Simon & Schuster based on the theory that the merger would reduce compensation for authors.1 In the same year, the DOJ settled a lawsuit with three poultry processing plants that allegedly exchanged information on compensation of plant workers for the purpose of collaborating on pay decisions.2 The DOJ has also brought several criminal complaints against firms and individuals for fixing wages and agreeing not to poach one another’s employees, and it has intervened in numerous private cases to express its views on the application of antitrust to labour markets.3 The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has also gotten involved. In 2020, the FTC submitted a filing before a state commission criticizing a hospital merger that it predicted would lower the wages of nurses.4 In 2023, the agency forced several companies to drop covenants not to compete that it had imposed on their employees.5 And in the same year, the FTC proposed a rule banning covenants not to compete.6 The two agencies are also reportedly planning to include a section on labour markets in their updated merger guidelines.7 Private antitrust litigation against employers is also flourishing.

Varieties of just transition: Public support in South Africa’s Mpumalanga coal community for different policy options

Decarbonization creates a global public good but imposes costs on specific communities such as those employed in the fossil fuel supply chain. “Just Transition” (JT) policies that compensate cost-bearing communities are expected to build political support for decarbonization. In developing countries, JT policies are often financed by foreign aid and managed by governmental actors. To assess public support for JT, we identify four policy types, depending on whether they target individuals or the local government or community, and how quickly individuals receive benefits. These are: individual compensation (individual, quick), financial support to local governments (community, quick), individual reskilling (individual, delayed), and upgrading local infrastructure (community, delayed). To assess public preferences about JT policies, we focus on South Africa which has a large coal mining sector. Our in-depth interviews with 51 coal miners, Eskom power plant workers, and community members in Mpumalanga province reveal that most interviewees favor monetary compensation which provides direct support to individuals in a short period of time. Moreover, given the low trust in the government, interviewees do not want government or the labor unions to administer the JT funds. Instead, they favor independent actors, such as NGOs and the judiciary, to oversee JT disbursal.

A novel approach to biological risk surveillance in occupational hygiene: A case study on the use of quantitative microbial risk assessment to determine occupational risks for wastewater treatment plants workers in Costa Rica

Wastewater treatment is essential for preventing infectious diseases and water pollution. To perform this process, workers operate and maintain wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs); thus, they are exposed to the many pathogens in domestic wastewater. Consequently, it is necessary assess occupational exposure to pathogens in WWTPs. Quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) is an approach for estimating the risk posed by a specific pathogen which can be useful for occupational hygiene assessments of biological risk. In this study, we applied QMRA, informed by occupational field surveillance, to estimate the potential risk for WWTP workers. Furthermore, we used simulations to test additional control strategies such as personal protective equipment (PPE). The QMRA was conducted for three WWTPs in Costa Rica with data collected between May 2020 and May 2021. Observation in each workplace showed a need for more consistent application of risk reduction strategies in the work environment, especially in behavior, infrastructure, and use of appropriate PPE. Cryptosporidium sp., Giardia sp., norovirus, and enterovirus genus were measured and detected in the WWTPs, and the treatment performance was unsatisfactory. As a result, the total health disease burden was higher than the benchmark for drinking water recommended by WHO (1.00 × 10−6 DALY per person per year) by between one and three magnitudes orders in all WWTPs for the three exposure scenarios (operation, maintenance, and visitors). The simulation demonstrated that using PPE could reduce the estimated disease burden by nearly two orders of magnitude. Still, this control measure did not reach a level below the benchmark risk (less than 1.00 × 10−6 DALY per person per year) for the WWTP workers. This study highlights the importance of using PPE with other control measures, such as automation or barriers, to isolate exposure sources. However, this study employed an uncommon approach in occupational health and hygiene, which combined field inspections, survival analysis, and QMRA, using field surveillance to understand the occupational environment and potential exposure routes, which is crucial for hazard identification and risk assessment. In addition, exposure modeling and QMRA were used to simulate different control scenarios, providing a robust estimate of potential risks associated with occupational exposure.

Corteva sentenced for criminal negligence after incident

A Corteva Agriscience subsidiary has pleaded guilty to criminal negligence, 8 years after an accidental chemical release killed four employees and injured several others at a now-defunct insecticide plant in La Porte, Texas. On April 24, a US district judge ordered the subsidiary, EIDP Inc., formerly E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company Inc., to pay a $12 million penalty and make a $4 million community service payment to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. EIDP must also serve 2 years of probation, during which time the company must provide the US Probation Office full access to all its operating locations. The accident, which occurred on Nov. 15, 2014, at what was then a DuPont facility, released nearly 11 metric tons of highly toxic methyl mercaptan after plant workers tried to clear a section of blocked piping. A US Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board probe after the incident

Assessment of radionuclides from coal-fired brick kilns on the outskirts of Dhaka city and the consequent hazards on human health and the environment

In a first-of-its-kind study, terrestrial radionuclide concentrations were measured in 35 topsoil samples from the outskirts of Dhaka using HPGe gamma-ray spectrometry to assess the radiological consequences of such a vast number of brick kilns on the plant workers, general as well as dwelling environment. The range of activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K is found at 19 ± 3.04 to 38 ± 4.94, 39 ± 5.85 to 57 ± 7.41, and (430 ± 51.60 to 570 ± 68.40) Bq/kg, respectively. 232Th and 40K concentrations were higher than the global averages. Bottom ash deposition in lowlands, fly ash buildup in soils, and the fallout of micro-particles are all probable causes of the elevated radioactivity levels. 137Cs was found in the sample, which indicates the migration of 137Cs from nuclear accidents or nuclear fallout, or the contamination of feed coal. Although the effective dose received by the general public was below the recommended dose limit but, most estimates of hazard parameters surpass their respective population weighted global averages, indicating that brick kiln workers and nearby residents are not safe due to prolonged exposures to terrestrial radiation. In addition, the soil around sampling sites is found to be unsuitable for agricultural purposes.

Women in the Sky: Gender and Labor in the Making of Modern Korea

Women in the Sky: Gender and Labor in the Making of Modern Korea

Effect of Antioxidants on oxidative damage, and hematological and psychological parameters in cement-exposed workers

Some studies suggest that exposure to cement dust can cause oxidative stress, and have adverse effects on liver function, and hematological and psychological parameters. This study aimed to assess the effect of antioxidant vitamin supplementation on indices of oxidative stress, biochemical indicators, and psychological factors among cement plant workers. A total of 80 subjects (workers and non-exposed office employees) were divided into two groups. The intervention group that took vitamin E (400 IU)+ C (500 mg) and the control group that took placebo, for 60 days. The levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) were measured in plasma, and hematological parameters were also recorded before and after the intervention. A significant decrease in the mean level of MDA, SOD and CAT, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST) were detected. On the other hand, a significant increase in the level of TAC was observed in the workers, after the intervention. Depression and anxiety also decreased significantly after the intervention. Vitamin E and C were probably effective in reducing oxidative stress and improving mental health and liver function especially among the workers.

Closing the knowledge gap on the composition of the asbestos bodies

Asbestos bodies (AB) form in the lungs as a result of a biomineralization process initiated by the alveolar macrophages in the attempt to remove asbestos. During this process, organic and inorganic material deposit on the foreign fibers forming a Fe-rich coating. The AB start to form in months, thus quickly becoming the actual interface between asbestos and the lung tissue. Therefore, revealing their composition, and, in particular, the chemical form of Fe, which is the major component of the AB, is essential to assess their possible role in the pathogenesis of asbestos-related diseases. In this work we report the result of the first x-ray diffraction measurements performed on single AB embedded in the lung tissue samples of former asbestos plant workers. The combination with x-ray absorption spectroscopy data allowed to unambiguously reveal that Fe is present in the AB in the form of two Fe-oxy(hydroxides): ferrihydrite and goethite. The presence of goethite, which can be explained in terms of the transformation of ferrihydrite (a metastable phase) due to the acidic conditions induced by the alveolar macrophages in their attempt to phagocytose the fibers, has toxicological implications that are discussed in the paper.

Analysing the Impact on Health and Environment from Biogas Production Process and Biomass Combustion: A Scoping Review.

The increasing demand for renewable energy production entails the development of novel green technologies, among them the use of biomass for energy generation. Industrial processes raise new issues regarding emerging risks for the health of people working in biogas plants and of nearby communities. The potential epidemiological and environmental impacts on human health related to biogas plants were assessed by means of a review of the available literature. Nineteen papers published between 2000 and 2022 were identified through electronic database search using search strings. The selected works are epidemiological studies and environmental monitoring studies, which aimed at investigating what are the health risk factors for biogas plant workers and for people living in the surrounding communities. The results of the epidemiological studies revealed a potential exposure to endotoxins and fungi that are associated with respiratory symptoms. Furthermore, the results from the environmental monitoring studies showed significant concentrations of particulate matter, microbial agents, endotoxins, and VOCs in occupational settings. In conclusion, the results of this literature review suggest that further analyses through an integrated approach combining environmental and health data are necessary for a comprehensive understanding of the potential risks associated with the uptake of biogas technology.

The efficiency of Using protective clothing from the risks of pollutants on the health of the workers in the chemical plants

The success of protective clothing depends on the extent to standing against the pollutants during the functional performance. The consumer faces many types of fabrics or clothing with varying degrees of protection, especially protection from chemical pollutants, their degrees of toxicity, and the permeability properties of chemicals through various types of clothing during periods of exposing pollutants. There is Difficulty in the process of choosing between these clothes in order to reach a rational consumer decision. The research concerned studying the classification of protective clothing, the types of fabrics used, the connections used in sewing clothes and their effectiveness of protection against chemical hazards, according to the level of protection and permeability. The researcher designed a database of patterns of protective clothing for protection from chemical pollutants.

Risk-aware navigation in industrial plants at risk of NaTech accidents

Industrial plants are susceptible to NaTech disasters during earthquakes caused by damage to structural and non-structural components and the potential release of toxic materials. To mitigate and manage this risk, the ROSSINI project was initiated and its results are described here for what concerns industrial plant worker safety and their risk-based navigation in emergency situations. The project includes a data acquisition system consisting of a data acquisition board and an array of different sensor technologies, which process the seismic event and other meteorological information before passing them as inputs towards the risk identification and evaluation (RIE) modules. Here, the risks associated with structural and non-structural damage and health risks associated with the release of harmful substances are estimated and combined to form a navigable risk map. This map is used within a purpose-built risk-based navigation application for the safe egress of workers from an industrial plant. To demonstrate the implementation of this system, two case-study industrial plant layouts consisting of buildings, non-structural components, liquid storage tanks, piping systems, and chemical storage vessels, were devised. This paper describes the project's implementation in these contexts and illustrates the results via several example scenarios.

Potential Exposure to Respiratory and Enteric Bacterial Pathogens among Wastewater Treatment Plant Workers, South Africa

Wastewater handling has been associated with an increased risk of developing adverse health effects, including respiratory and gastrointestinal illnesses. However, there is a paucity of information in the literature, and occupational health risks are not well quantified. Grab influent samples were analysed using Illumina Miseq 16S amplicon sequencing to assess potential worker exposure to bacterial pathogens occurring in five municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). The most predominant phyla were Bacteroidota, Campilobacterota, Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Desulfobacterota, accounting for 85.4% of the total bacterial community. Taxonomic analysis showed a relatively low diversity of bacterial composition of the predominant genera across all WWTPs, indicating a high degree of bacterial community stability in the influent source. Pathogenic bacterial genera of human health concern included Mycobacterium, Coxiella, Escherichia/Shigella, Arcobacter, Acinetobacter, Streptococcus, Treponema, and Aeromonas. Furthermore, WHO-listed inherently resistant opportunistic bacterial genera were identified. These results suggest that WWTP workers may be occupationally exposed to several bacterial genera classified as hazardous biological agents for humans. Therefore, there is a need for comprehensive risk assessments to ascertain the actual risks and health outcomes among WWTP workers and inform effective intervention strategies to reduce worker exposure.