Chemical Safety Knowledge Assessment of Academic Researchers from Brazil During Covid-19 Pandemic

Introduction: Laboratories are inextricably dangerous work environ-ments, as fatal incidents are reported in both academic and non-aca-demic environments worldwide, where poor safety culture has been rec-ognized as the major accident contributor. Workers can be exposed to chemical, biological, physical, or radioactive hazards, in addition to mus-culoskeletal stresses. In Brazil, hundreds of thousands of workers are employed in laboratories, either in private or public institutions. Alt-hough laboratory safety can be governed by local, state, or federal regu-lations, learning how to identify common laboratory hazards is the first step to preventing accidents in the lab environment. Methods: The study aimed to assess the degree level of safety culture in an academic population of research laboratories, located in the largest city in Brazil, and their compliance with occupational safety regulations during the COVID-19 outbreak. This study was carried out between Oc-tober and November 2020. The results were obtained from the standard-ized questionnaire used to assess 98 researchers working in laboratories during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: The majority of respondents (95%) reported being exposed to more than two risks, simultaneously. About two-thirds (66%) of them were not fully aware of the laboratory's risk map. About half of the re-searchers (50%) were lacking in safety culture, and 57%and 43% were preoccupied with chemical and non-chemical hazards, respectively. Per-sonal protective equipment (PPE) during laboratory work was used by most researchers, but 75% of researchers claim that security awareness learning should be a high priority for admission to laboratories. About 39% of researchers agreed that awareness of security must be improved in their laboratories Conclusion: The survey proves the lack of information and attitudes about chemical safety, especially among less experienced researchers, even if they use personal protective equipment when necessary. © 2023 by Animal Bioscience.

Development of an online assessment system to evaluate knowledge on chemical safety and security

Education and information dissemination are fundamental to safety and security risk management and mitigation. A web-based examination system called OPCW eQChemSS was developed to assess individuals on their knowledge in chemical safety and security. This can be used as an evaluation tool for chemical safety and security courses, workshops, and seminars. A database of questions was included in this web-based software, which was divided into three categories. Category A is general chemistry level safety, Category B is chemical safety related to organic and inorganic compounds, and Category C is on chemical safety and security and the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). The system was designed to automatically check the examination and instantly provide the result of the test in terms of percentage correct answers. A feedback mechanism from the examinees was also included to assess the effectiveness of this e-learning educational material. The importance of e-learning materials in this time of COVID-19 pandemic cannot be more emphasized. The need for readily accessible e-sources that will aid in virtual learning for various topics will be significant even in the coming new normal of hybrid or flexible learning where both online and face-to-face learning may be implemented. © 2022 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston. All rights reserved.

Resolving the "health vs environment" dilemma with sustainable disinfection during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The overuse of disinfection during the COVID-19 pandemic leads to an emerging "health versus environment" dilemma that humans have to face. Irresponsible and unnecessary disinfection should be avoided, while comprehensive evaluation of the health and environmental impacts of different disinfectants is urgently needed. From this discussion, we reach a tentative conclusion that hydrogen peroxide is a green disinfectant. Its on-demand production enables a circular economy model to solve the storage issues. Water, oxygen, and electrons are the only feedstock to generate H2O2. Upon completion of disinfection, H2O2 is rapidly converted back into water and oxygen. This model adopts several principles of green chemistry to ensure overall sustainability along the three stages of its whole life cycle, i.e., production, disinfection, and decomposition. Physical methods, particularly UV irradiation, also provide sustainable disinfection with minimal health and environmental impacts.

Use of chronic medications and risk of severe death due to COVID-19 in hospitalised patients.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the potential association between chronic exposure to medication and death related to COVID-19. METHODS: This is a retrospective cross-sectional study that included all patients hospitalised due to COVID-19 from 11 March to 4 June 2020 in our centre. Chronic patient medication was classified by the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification; demographic and clinical data were analysed. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to estimate the adjusted odds ratios (aOR) of death for each drug exposure; each aOR represents an independent model adjusted by clinical factors related to COVID-19 mortality. RESULTS: The study included 978 patients with a mean (SD) age of 64.5 (17.7) years who were predominantly male (531, 54.3%). Of all 978 patients, 182 (18.61%) died during the follow-up of the study. The most common Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) was 0, 4.2% were smokers, 16.7% were obese, 47.4% had hypertension, and 19.4% were diabetic. Most patients (70.8%) were prescribed at least one treatment, 32.5% used >5 treatments, and 8.6% >10. Our data suggest that COVID-19 hospitalised patients taking trimethoprim and analogues, leukotriene receptor antagonists, calcineurin inhibitors, aldosterone antagonists, selective immunosuppressants, propulsives, insulins and analogues, and benzodiazepine derivatives have a higher risk of death. CONCLUSIONS: This study investigated the association between chronic exposure to drugs and the risk of death in COVID-19 patients. Our results have shed some light on the impact of chronic drug exposure on the risk of severe COVID-19; however, further research is needed to increase the understanding about its relevance.

3rd International Symposium on Nutrition, ISN 2022

The proceedings contain 17 papers. The topics discussed include: associations between food environment and nutritional quality of food purchases in French households: the Mont'Panier cross-sectional study;changes in food purchasing practices of French households during the first COVID-19 lockdown and associated individual and environmental factors;development of insect farming as an option for urban circular bioeconomy: the chemical safety issue;evaluating the impact of a retailer-led pilot at changing consumer behavior;fate of polychlorobiphenyls in the insect Tenebrio molitor: consequences for further use as food and feed;high-school's neighborhood environment in relation with anthropometric indices of girl students living in north-west of Iran;and institutional frameworks for controlled-environment food production systems in urban areas. A comparative analysis of Berlin, London and Nairobi.

Development of an online assessment system to evaluate knowledge on chemical safety and security

Education and information dissemination are fundamental to safety and security risk management and mitigation. A web-based examination system called OPCW eQChemSS was developed to assess individuals on their knowledge in chemical safety and security. This can be used as an evaluation tool for chemical safety and security courses, workshops, and seminars. A database of questions was included in this web-based software, which was divided into three categories. Category A is general chemistry level safety, Category B is chemical safety related to organic and inorganic compounds, and Category C is on chemical safety and security and the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). The system was designed to automatically check the examination and instantly provide the result of the test in terms of percentage correct answers. A feedback mechanism from the examinees was also included to assess the effectiveness of this e-learning educational material. The importance of e-learning materials in this time of COVID-19 pandemic cannot be more emphasized. The need for readily accessible e-sources that will aid in virtual learning for various topics will be significant even in the coming new normal of hybrid or flexible learning where both online and face-to-face learning may be implemented.