[Determination of airborne formaldehyde and ten other carbonyl pollutants using programmed temperature vaporization-large volume injection-gas chromatography].

Long-term indoor-air limit for formaldehyde stipulated by the European Commission is 1 µg/m3, while the World Health Organization has set a threshold of 100 µg/m3 that should not be exceeded for more than 30 min. To date, however, only a few analytical techniques have been developed that can be used to detect formaldehyde at these very restrictive limits. Thus, there is a need to develop for comprehensive methods for analyzing airborne formaldehyde and other carbonyl pollutants in the ambient environment. The aim of this study is to develop a highly sensitive online automated preconcentration gas chromatographic method using large-volume injection with a programmed temperature vaporization injector for the analysis of airborne formaldehyde and ten other carbonyl compounds. The influence of several parameters, such as the maximum volume injected, programmed temperature vaporization transfer time and temperature, carrier gas flow rate, and type of packing material was investigated. After optimization, highly satisfactory results in terms of the absolute and methodological detection limits were achieved, i. e. as low as the µg/m3 level for all the carbonyl pollutants studied. A commercially available sampler, originally designed for active sampling, was evaluated as a passive sampling device; this optimized technique was applied to monitor the concentrations of carbonyl pollutants in the indoor air of ten public buildings in Florence. The strength of this methodology lies both in the low detection limits reached in the simultaneous analysis of a wide group of 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine derivatives, and the potential adaptability of this method to other gas chromatographic applications to achieve lower sensitivity.

An Integrated Air Monitoring Approach for Assessment of Formaldehyde in the Workplace.

The aim of this study is to validate an integrated air monitoring approach for assessing airborne formaldehyde (FA) in the workplace. An active sampling by silica gel impregnated with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine, a passive solid phase microextraction technique using O-(2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorobenzyl)hydroxylamine as on-fiber derivatization reagent, an electrochemical direct-reading monitor, and an enzyme-based badge were evaluated and tested over a range of 0.020-5.12 ppm, using dynamically generated FA air concentrations. Simple linear regression analysis showed the four methods were suitable for evaluating airborne FA. Personal and area samplings in 12 anatomy pathology departments showed that the international occupational exposure limits in the GESTIS database were frequently exceeded. This monitoring approach would allow a fast, easy-to-use, and economical evaluation of both current work practices and eventual changes made to reduce FA vapor concentrations.

Analytical strategies for assessing occupational exposure to antineoplastic drugs in healthcare workplaces.

BACKGROUND: Cytotoxic antineoplastic drugs (ADs), widely used in treating cancer, are considered hazardous in the workplace and thus require safe handling practices. An analytical protocol for environmental and biological AD monitoring in the healthcare environment has been developed, since Europe lacks clear guidelines and regulations for cytostatic preparation and handling. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was used for measuring contemporaneously 20 multi-class cytostatic compounds and urinary α-fluoro-ß-alanine, whereas platinum was detected by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Sampling procedures and analytical conditions were optimized and the assays were validated. Environmental AD monitoring data, collected in 2009-2017, for a total of 3749 wipe tests and 57 720 determinations, was evaluated. RESULTS: The proportion of positive samples gradually decreased from 11.7% in 2010 to 1% in 2017, however, 2266 determinations were positive. No urine sample had detectable concentrations of any of the 4 drugs considered (0/398 samples). CONCLUSIONS: These improvements are so large that the key role played by the new, more stringent rules for preparing and administering ADs is evident. Hence, the analytical method involving multi-element determinations allows for a more thorough and complete investigation into the AD contamination of work environments. Med Pr 2018;69(6):589-604.

A new approach to assessing occupational exposure to antineoplastic drugs in hospital environments.

Cytotoxic antineoplastic drugs (ADs) pose occupational risk and therefore require safe handling practices. We created, optimised, and validated an innovative monitoring protocol for simultaneously assessing 21 ADs in the healthcare environment, and also proposed surface exposure levels (SELs) to facilitate the interpretation of monitoring results, as there are currently no occupational exposure limits for ADs. The environmental AD monitoring data were collected in nine Italian hospitals between 2008 and 2017 and include 74,565 measurements in 4,814 wipe samples. Excellent overall recovery and sensitivity of the analytical methods along with innovative desorption automation make this protocol useful for routine monitoring. AD contamination was found in 3,081 measurements, confirming potential exposure in healthcare workers. Samples taken at the beginning and the end of work shifts, allowed to calculate 75th and 90th percentile values for each ADs both in preparation and administration units and we created a traffic-light colour-coding system to facilitate interpretation of the findings. The introduction of SELs will provide a solid basis for improving occupational safety and focusing on contamination control.

High-Throughput Analysis of Selected Urinary Hydroxy Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons by an Innovative Automated Solid-Phase Microextraction.

High-throughput screening of samples is the strategy of choice to detect occupational exposure biomarkers, yet it requires a user-friendly apparatus that gives relatively prompt results while ensuring high degrees of selectivity, precision, accuracy and automation, particularly in the preparation process. Miniaturization has attracted much attention in analytical chemistry and has driven solvent and sample savings as easier automation, the latter thanks to the introduction on the market of the three axis autosampler. In light of the above, this contribution describes a novel user-friendly solid-phase microextraction (SPME) off- and on-line platform coupled with gas chromatography and triple quadrupole-mass spectrometry to determine urinary metabolites of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons 1- and 2-hydroxy-naphthalene, 9-hydroxy-phenanthrene, 1-hydroxy-pyrene, 3- and 9-hydroxy-benzoantracene, and 3-hydroxy-benzo[a]pyrene. In this new procedure, chromatography's sensitivity is combined with the user-friendliness of N-tert-butyldimethylsilyl-N-methyltrifluoroacetamide on-fiber SPME derivatization using direct immersion sampling; moreover, specific isotope-labelled internal standards provide quantitative accuracy. The detection limits for the seven OH-PAHs ranged from 0.25 to 4.52 ng/L. Intra-(from 2.5 to 3.0%) and inter-session (from 2.4 to 3.9%) repeatability was also evaluated. This method serves to identify suitable risk-control strategies for occupational hygiene conservation programs.

Assessment of occupational exposure to gaseous peracetic acid.

OBJECTIVES: In order to assess short-term exposure to peracetic acid (PAA) in disinfection processes, the Authors compared 4 industrial hygiene monitoring methods to evaluate their proficiency in measuring airborne PAA concentrations. MATERIAL AND METHODS: An active sampling by basic silica gel impregnated with methyl p-tolyl sulfoxide (MTSO), a passive solid phase micro-extraction technique using methyl p-tolyl sulfide (MTS) as on-fiber derivatization reagent, an electrochemical direct-reading PAA monitor, and a novel visual test strip PAA detector doped with 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline)-6-sulfonate were evaluated and tested over the range of 0.06-16 mg/m3, using dynamically generated PAA air concentrations. RESULTS: The linear regression analysis of linearity and accuracy showed that the 4 methods were suitable for PAA monitoring. Peracetic acid monitoring in several use applications showed that the PAA concentration (1.8 mg/m3) was immediately dangerous to life or health as proposed by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, and was frequently exceeded in wastewater treatment (up to 7.33 mg/m3), and sometimes during food and beverage processes and hospital high-level disinfection operations (up to 6.8 mg/m3). CONCLUSIONS: The methods were suitable for the quick assessment of acute exposure in PAA environmental monitoring and can assist in improving safety and air quality in the workplace where this disinfectant is used. These monitoring methods allowed the evaluation of changes to work out practices to reduce PAA vapor concentrations during the operations when workers are potentially overexposed to this strong antioxidant agent. Int J Occup Med Environ Health 2018;31(4):527-535.

Innovative Monitoring of Atmospheric Gaseous Hydrogen Fluoride.

Hydrogen fluoride (HF) is a basic raw material for a wide variety of industrial products, with a worldwide production capacity of more than three million metric tonnes. A novel method for determining particulate fluoride and gaseous hydrogen fluoride in air is presented herewith. Air was sampled using miniaturised 13 mm Swinnex two-stage filter holders in a medium-flow pumping system and through the absorption of particulate fluoride and HF vapours on cellulose ester filters uncoated or impregnated with sodium carbonate. Furthermore, filter desorption from the holders and the extraction of the pentafluorobenzyl ester derivative based on solid-phase microextraction were performed using an innovative robotic system installed on an xyz autosampler on-line with gas chromatography (GC)/mass spectrometry (MS). After generating atmospheres of a known concentration of gaseous HF, we evaluated the agreement between the results of our sampling method and those of the conventional preassembled 37 mm cassette (±8.10%; correlation coefficient: 0.90). In addition, precision (relative standard deviation for n = 10, 4.3%), sensitivity (0.2 µg/filter), and linearity (2.0-4000 µg/filter; correlation coefficient: 0.9913) were also evaluated. This procedure combines the efficiency of GC/MS systems with the high throughput (96 samples/day) and the quantitative accuracy of pentafluorobenzyl bromide on-sample derivatisation.

Occupational exposure to nitrous oxide during procedural pain control in children: a comparison of different inhalation techniques and scavenging systems.

BACKGROUND: Nitrous oxide (N2 O 50% in oxygen) is commonly used for painful procedures in children. Potential negative health effects associated with chronic workplace exposure limit its use. Safe occupational N2 O exposure concentrations are below 25 ppm environmental concentration as a time-weighted average (TWA) and below 200 ppm as a short-time exposure level (STEL) of 15 min. AIM: The aim was to assess occupational exposure of staff during nitrous oxide administration to children using different inhalation delivery devices and scavenging systems. METHODS: Staff nitrous oxide exposure during use of a double face mask (DFM) with or without a demand valve (DV) was compared with a conventional single face mask (FM). We also compared exposure using the hospital central scavenging system with a portable evacuation system. N2 O concentrations, representing exposure values, were monitored within proximity to staff. Urine N2 O concentration was measured in staff administering the N2 O at the end of the procedural session. RESULTS: The mean and median values of TWA and STEL within the working area were lower than recommended values in the DFM (10.8, 11.6 ppm for TWA; 13.9, 11.0 ppm for STEL) and DFM-DV groups (2.3, 2.8 ppm for TWA; 4.4, 3.5 ppm for STEL) using the portable evacuation system. The N2 O urine exposure in DFM-DV group was lower than DFM group: a mean difference of 9.56 ppm (95% CI 2.65-16.46). Staff N2 O urinary concentrations were within safe biological limits in both the DFM and DFM-DV groups. High exposure concentrations to N2 O were recorded in all FM and FM-DV environmental and biological samples. CONCLUSIONS: The DFM system, with or without a DV, connected to a portable evacuation system during N2 O administration to children for painful procedures kept N2 O levels within the local environment below recommended limits.