[Primary prevention in medical surveillance of workers exposed to ionizing radiations: personalized dose limit]. / Prevenzione primaria in radioprotezione medica: la dose personalizzata.

BACKGROUND: Italian law requires that occupational physicians for workers exposed to ionizing radiations consider carefully increased sensitivity to cancer in order to define fitness for work. Cancer risk from radiation is proportional to radiation dose, consistent with the so-called linear no-threshold hypothesis. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this paper was to estimate the annual dose limit for ionizing radiation exposure in workers hypersensitive to cancer so that the occupational risk of cancer is the same as that of reference workers. METHODS: Relative risks of developing cancer in several situations are multiplied by radiation-induced cancer nominal risk coefficients (ICRP Recommendations) to give cancer sensitivity predictions. It is then possible to estimate the annual dose limit reduction. RESULTS: Examples of annual dose limit (personalized dose limit) were estimated in several situations in which individuals are prone to cancer or are cancer survivors. CONCLUSIONS: personalized dose limits makes it possible to define fitness for work and avoid exclusion of these individuals from work.

[Sudden death caused by freon 22?]. / Morte improvvisa da freon 22?

Case report of a plumber's fatal work accident. Investigations on the causes of death made at post mortem showed that the worker had absorbed a large quantity of freon 22 (chlorodifluoromethane) which is known to be a narcotic agent and capable of inducing cardiac arrhythmia. It is believed freon inhalation was the cause of loss of consciousness with consequent death from drowning in the water issuing from the pipes. It is concluded that preventive measures need to be reinforced by adequate information to the workforce on the risks connected to this type of gas.

Tentative reference values for some elements in broncho-alveolar lavage fluid.

The concentrations of Fe, Mn, Pb and Cr have been determined in broncho-alveolar lavage (BAL) fluid of 25 subjects without occupational or abnormal environmental exposure to metals, using the AAS method. The numerous factors which can interfere with the results in pre-analytical and in analytical phases are stressed. Metals concentrations in BAL are expressed in micrograms/l. They were not correlated with the volume of fluid recovered, the total cells, alveolar macrophages and erythrocytes. The results were not modified by stratification considering age and sex. Iron concentrations were higher than others, probably due to higher environmental exposure and partly to its essential role in humans. The diagnostic significance of element determination in BAL fluid and the relationship with exposure and lung load is discussed.

[The biological levels of chloroform in the general population]. / Livelli biologici di cloroformio nella popolazione generale.

The paper reports the results of determination, via gas chromatography and mass spectrometry, of chloroform in expired air, blood and urine of a group of non-occupationally exposed blood donors. Chloroform concentrations were also measured for each subject in the air of the environment where samples were taken.

Ubiquitous pollution by n-hexane and reference biological levels in the general population.

n-Hexane levels were determined by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry in environmental air and in the alveolar air, blood and urine of a group of subjects aged on average of 38 years who had not been occupationally exposed to this hydrocarbon. n-Hexane was found in all environmental air samples examined (n = 49), with the mean concentration being 104 ng/l (limit values, 1-279 ng/l). It was also found in all 49 samples of alveolar air, with the mean concentration being 50 ng/l (variation limit, 1-304 ng/l). In 64 samples of urine, n-hexane was found in only 50 samples, with the mean concentration being 1,417 ng/l (limit values, 34-8,820 ng/l). In 77 of the 90 blood samples taken, a mean concentration of 608 ng/l was detected (variation limit, 15-7,684 ng/l). Particularly the haematic and urinary concentration showed significant differences among the nine groups of individuals classified according to their work activity. The lowest levels were found in the blood and urine of farmers: 270 and 298 ng/l, respectively. The highest values were found for chemical workers (1,377 and 411 ng/l), respectively printers (585 and 2,691 ng/l respectively), and traffic wardens (740 and 8,820 ng/l, respectively). In all, 95% of the determinations of n-hexane yielded values of less than 255 ng/l in environmental samples, less than 105 ng/l in alveolar air, less than 1,475 ng/l in blood and less than 5,875 ng/l in urine. A comparison of these data revealed a significant correlation between environmental levels and alveolar (r/s = 0.769; P less than 0.00001), haematic (r/s = 0.624; P less than 0.0002), and urinary (r/s = 0.597; P less than 0.0005) values for n-hexane.