Occupational health risk assessment of airborne formaldehyde in medical laboratories.

The professional use of formaldehyde is a major occupational health concern in medical laboratory operations. Quantification of various risks associated with chronic exposure to formaldehyde may help in understanding the related hazards. This study designed to assess the health risks associated with inhalation exposure to formaldehyde involving biological, cancer, and non-cancer risks in medical laboratories. This study was performed in the hospital laboratories at Semnan Medical Sciences University. Risk assessment was performed in pathology, bacteriology, hematology, biochemistry, and serology laboratories with 30 employees, using formaldehyde in their daily routine operations. We determined area and personal exposures to airborne contaminant, applied standard air sampling, and analytical method recommended by National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). We addressed formaldehyde-specific hazard by estimating peak blood level, life cancer risk, and the hazard quotient of non-cancer risks, adapted from Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) assessment method. The airborne formaldehyde concentrations in the laboratory personal samples ranged 0.0156-0.5940 ppm (mean = 0.195 ppm, SD = 0.048) and area exposure ranged 0.0285-1.0810 ppm (mean = 0.462 ppm, SD = 0.087). Based on workplace exposure, peak blood levels of formaldehyde were estimated at minimum 0.0026 mg/l to maximum 0.152 mg/l (mean = 0.015 mg/l, SD = 0.016). The mean cancer risk levels in terms of area and personal exposures were estimated respectively at 3.93 E - 8 µg/m3 and 1.84 E - 4 µg/m3, and for the non-cancer risk levels of the same exposures measured respectively at 0.03 µg/m3 and 0.07 µg/m3. Formaldehyde levels were significantly higher among laboratory employees, especially bacteriology workers. Exposure and risk could be minimized by strengthening control measures including the use of management controls, engineering controls, and respiratory protection equipment to reduce exposure levels of all workers to less than the allowed exposure limits and improve indoor air quality in the workplace.

Working conditions and stressors data during Covid-19 and mental well-being in Iranian healthcare workers.

The current Covid-19 pandemic has affected the physical and mental stressors of hospital-based healthcare workers, but the extent of such effects are required to be quantified. This survey looked at data on nurses' perception across teaching hospitals to assess the impacts of Covid-19 on working conditions, exposure to stressors, and mental health symptoms. We implemented a population survey with a cross-sectional design in teaching hospitals affiliated with Medical Sciences Universities in Iran from April to November 2021. Participants were about 1200 health care workers, including hospital nursing staff, assistants, and technicians. Final data were assembled from 831 hospital nurses across surgery, dialysis, intensive care, emergency care, cardiac care, internal medicine, gynecology, and pediatric wards. Self-reported data were collected directly from survey participants. We collected information on variables including gender, marital status, employment status, occupational health training, evaluation of work environment stressors, fear of Covid-19, and occupational burnout constructs, specifically reflecting emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment. Focus groups of faculties evaluated and edited items to test the content wording and to define the content that are valid measures of the variables. The questionnaires were assessed for their reliability. Manual data entries were double-checked for errors. Data were recorded and categorized consistently to ensure the replicability of the data in the future. Statistical descriptive and analytical analyses were performed on the data. Data reported on the frequencies and mean values of responses and the variations of mental health in terms of worktime schedules. Chi- square, ANOVA, and correlation analyses determined relations between variables. The compiled data shed light on the exposure and response to physical and psychosocial factors and mental health symptoms among nurses during the pandemic. The data files detailed in this article can be further reused to inform workplace determinants of health in hospital settings. The obtained scores and existing dataset on mental health outcomes can help future studies to consider resilience strategies that should be provided among nurses.