Toluene Diisocyanate Exposure: Exposure Assessment and Development of Cross-Facility Similar Exposure Groups Among Toluene Diisocyanate Production Plants.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to characterize workplace toluene diisocyanate (TDI) exposures using standardized industrial hygiene exposure assessment procedures for use in a prospective epidemiologic study of occupational asthma. METHODS: Over 2300 representative routine full shift time-weighted average (TWA) and short-term high potential exposure tasks (HPETs) air samples in groups across three TDI plants were collected over a nearly 7-year period. RESULTS: Data-derived similar exposure groups (SuperSEGs) were developed across the plants based on TWA sampling using cluster analysis. Individual cumulative exposure estimates were developed on the basis of the SuperSEGs. CONCLUSION: Workplace TWA exposures to TDI were adequately characterized quantitatively, but HPET exposures were adequately characterized only by qualitative measures. The mean TWA exposure was 0.65 parts per billion for 1594 routine samples. These TWA and HPET exposures can be used to support exposure-response analyses.

Use of the "Exposome" in the Practice of Epidemiology: A Primer on -Omic Technologies.

The exposome has been defined as the totality of exposures individuals experience over the course of their lives and how those exposures affect health. Three domains of the exposome have been identified: internal, specific external, and general external. Internal factors are those that are unique to the individual, and specific external factors include occupational exposures and lifestyle factors. The general external domain includes sociodemographic factors such as educational level and financial status. Eliciting information on the exposome is daunting and not feasible at present; the undertaking may never be fully realized. A variety of tools have been identified to measure the exposome. Biomarker measurements will be one of the major tools in exposomic studies. However, exposure data can also be obtained from other sources such as sensors, geographic information systems, and conventional tools such as survey instruments. Proof-of-concept studies are being conducted that show the promise of exposomic investigation and the integration of different kinds of data. The inherent value of exposomic data in epidemiologic studies is that they can provide greater understanding of the relationships among a broad range of chemical and other risk factors and health conditions and ultimately lead to more effective and efficient disease prevention and control.

Noise exposure and hearing conservation in U.S. coal mines--a surveillance report.

This study examines the patterns and trends in noise exposure documented in data collected by Mine Safety and Health Administration inspectors at U.S. coal mines from 1987 through 2004. During this period, MSHA issued a new regulation on occupational noise exposure that changed the regulatory requirements and enforcement policies. The data were examined to identify potential impacts from these changes. The overall annual median noise dose declined 67% for surface coal mining and 24% for underground coal mining, and the reduction in each group accelerated after promulgation of the new noise rule. However, not all mining occupations experienced a decrease. The exposure reduction was accompanied by an increase of shift length as represented by dosimeter sample duration. For coal miners exposed above the permissible exposure level, use of hearing protection devices increased from 61% to 89% during this period. Participation of miners exposed at or above the action level in hearing conservation programs rapidly reached 86% following the effective date of the noise rule. Based on inspection data, the occupational noise regulation appears to be having a strong positive impact on hearing conservation by reducing exposures and increasing the use of hearing protection devices and medical surveillance. However, the increase in shift duration and resulting reduction in recovery time may mitigate the gains somewhat.

A survey of private sector respirator use in the United States: an overview of findings.

Limitations of previous surveys of respirator use led the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the Bureau of Labor Statistics to undertake a survey of respirator use and practices among U.S. private sector employers. The survey was mailed to 40,002 private sector establishments in August 2001; the responses were used to develop national estimates. Respirator use was required in 4.5% of establishments and for 3.1% of employees. Of the establishments requiring respirator use, 95% used air-purifying respirators and 17% used air-supplied respirators. Manufacturing; mining (including oil and gas extraction); construction; and agriculture, forestry, and fishing had the highest rates of establishment respirator use. Respirators were used most frequently to protect against dust/mist, paint vapors, and solvents. Large percentages of establishments requiring respirator use had indicators of potentially inadequate respirator programs. Of establishments requiring respirator use, 91% had at least one indicator of a potentially inadequate respiratory protection program, while 54% had at least five indicators. The survey findings suggest that large numbers of employers may not follow NIOSH recommendations and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) requirements for the selection and use of respirators, potentially putting workers at risk. The findings will aid efforts to increase the appropriate use of respirators in the workplace.

Surveillance of occupational noise exposures using OSHA's Integrated Management Information System.

BACKGROUND: Exposure to noise has long been known to cause hearing loss, and is an ubiquitous problem in workplaces. Occupational noise exposures for industries stored in the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) Integrated Management Information System (IMIS) can be used to identify temporal and industrial trends of noise exposure to anticipate changes in rates of hearing loss. METHODS: The noise records in OSHA's IMIS database for 1979-1999 were extracted by major industry division and measurement criteria. The noise exposures were summarized by year, industry, and employment size. RESULTS: The majority of records are from Manufacturing and Services. Exposures in Manufacturing and Services have decreased during the period, except that PEL exposures measured by federal enforcement increased from 1995 to 1999. CONCLUSIONS: Noise exposures in manufacturing have been reduced since the late 1970s, except those documented by federal enforcement. Noise exposure data outside manufacturing is not well represented in IMIS.

An evaluation of compliance with occupational exposure limits for crystalline silica (quartz) in ten Georgia granite sheds.

Since the 1920s, industrial hygiene studies have documented granite shed workers' exposures to crystalline silica, and the data from these studies have contributed to a better understanding of the relationship between silica exposures and adverse health effects, such as silicosis. The majority of these studies were conducted in the Barre, Vermont, granite sheds. However, a second major granite processing region is located in Elberton, Georgia, where approximately 1800 workers are employed in 150 granite sheds and 45 quarries. The current study reports the exposures of 40 workers in 10 granite sheds in Elberton, Georgia. The arithmetic mean exposure to silica for all monitored employees was 0.052 mg/m3. Employees were classified into one of seven job task groups. The job task group with the greatest exposure was the top polish group, which had a mean exposure of 0.085 mg/m3. Among the top polish workers, the greatest percentage of exposures above the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's permissible exposure limit (OSHA PEL) occurred among the workers who used dry grinders. Wet methods were effective in reducing these exposures to below the OSHA PEL. The mean exposure of Elberton granite shed workers was less than the OSHA PEL, but was not below the threshold limit value of the American Conference of Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH TLV), which was lowered in the year 2000 to 0.05 mg/m3. The Elberton granite shed workers provide a valuable cohort for research on the effects of exposure to crystalline silica at levels between the ACGIH TLV and the OSHA PEL. They are a relatively permanent worker population, are concentrated geographically, and have a quantitatively documented exposure to crystalline silica over the past twenty years.