To investigate whether a refined assessment of exposure to bitumen fume among workers in the European asphalt industry within a nested case-control study resulted in a different interpretation pertaining to risk of lung cancer mortality...
moreTo investigate whether a refined assessment of exposure to bitumen fume among workers in the European asphalt industry within a nested case-control study resulted in a different interpretation pertaining to risk of lung cancer mortality compared with the cohort study. Pearson correlation coefficients between refined and original estimates were calculated. Logistic regression and generalised additive models (penalised splines) were fitted to estimate ORs for exposure to bitumen fume using the refined and original exposure estimates, respectively, while adjusting for potential confounding. 1555 subjects included in the nested case-control study had both refined and original estimates for exposure to bitumen fume. Exposure assessment in the nested case-control study (compared with the cohort phase) increased the number of subjects never-exposed to bitumen fume from 18% to 32%. From the 1282 subjects originally considered exposed in the cohort phase, 309 (24%) became unexposed after the nested case-control exposure assessment. From the 273 subjects originally considered non-exposed in the cohort phase, 87 (32%) became exposed in the nested case-control study. The majority (75%) of subjects however did not change exposure status and changes were similar among cases and controls. Correlation coefficients between refined and original exposure estimates were moderate overall (range 0.42-0.46), but varied considerably among countries. The ORs and exposure-response curves for exposure to bitumen fume were not meaningfully different between analyses that used refined and original exposure estimates. Adjustment for tobacco smoking and exposure to coal tar did not change these patterns. Our results showed that more detailed data collection and exposure assessment in the nested case-control study compared with the cohort study did change exposure status of many subjects, but did not alter results of the exposure-response analysis. Adjustment for tobacco smoking did not have a noticeable effect on risk estimates either.
An increased risk of cancer in healthy individuals with high levels of chromosomal aberrations (CAs) in peripheral blood lymphocytes has been described in recent epidemiological studies. This association did not appear to be modified by...
moreAn increased risk of cancer in healthy individuals with high levels of chromosomal aberrations (CAs) in peripheral blood lymphocytes has been described in recent epidemiological studies. This association did not appear to be modified by sex, age, country, or time since CA test, whereas the role played by exposure to carcinogens is still uncertain because of the requisite information concerning occupation and lifestyle was lacking. We evaluated in the present study whether CAs predicted cancer because they were the result of past exposure to carcinogens or because they were an intermediate end point in the pathway leading to disease. A nested case-control study was performed on 93 incident cancer cases and 62 deceased cancer cases coming from two prospective cohort studies performed in Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden) and Italy. For each case, four controls matched by country, sex, year of birth, and year of CA test were randomly selected. Occupational exposure and smoking habit were assessed by a collaborative group of occupational hygienists. Logistic regression models indicated a statistically significant increase in risk for subjects with a high level of CAs compared to those with a low level in the Nordic cohort (odds ratio, 2.35; 95% confidence interval, 1.31-4.23) and in the Italian cohort (odds ratio, 2.66; 95% confidence interval, 1.26-5.62). These estimates were not affected by the inclusion of occupational exposure level and smoking habit in the regression model. The risk for high versus low levels of CAs was similar in subjects heavily exposed to carcinogens and in those who had never, to their knowledge, been exposed to any major carcinogenic agent during their lifetime, supporting the idea that chromosome damage itself is involved in the pathway to cancer. The results have important ramifications for the understanding of the role played by sporadic chromosome damage for the origin of neoplasia-associated CAs.
This paper discusses job-related health examinations only; general screening for health is the responsibility of the community and therefore beyond the scope of occupational health services. Accordingly, in this context health...
moreThis paper discusses job-related health examinations only; general screening for health is the responsibility of the community and therefore beyond the scope of occupational health services. Accordingly, in this context health examinations were considered sensible for two reasons only: first, to insure that an employee's mental and physical attributes match the requirements of his or her job and, second, to detect possible adverse health effects caused by work. The first category refers to preemployment examinations and the second to periodic examinations. A routine preemployment physical examination program for workers considered for any job seems needless from a labor protection point of view. One-third of the work force under study was considered to be in need of either preemployment or periodic health examinations or both. Young workers (under the age of 18) to be examined prior to assignment to a new job constituted only 2% of the population. Most preemployment and periodic...
BACKGROUND: Paternal exposure to mutagenic agents has been suggested to affect pregnancy outcome adversely. METHODS: A nationwide data base of medically diagnosed spontaneous abortions and other pregnancies and national census data was...
moreBACKGROUND: Paternal exposure to mutagenic agents has been suggested to affect pregnancy outcome adversely. METHODS: A nationwide data base of medically diagnosed spontaneous abortions and other pregnancies and national census data was used to evaluate the effects of men's occupational exposures on risk of spontaneous abortion in 99,186 pregnancies in Finland. Census data from the years 1975 and 1980 provided information about the occupation, industry, and socioeconomic status. A job-exposure classification was developed to classify women and their husbands according to possible occupational exposures on the basis of their occupational title and industry. RESULTS: In 10% of the pregnancies, the husband was exposed to one or more of the mutagens, and the rate of spontaneous abortion was unaffected (OR = 1.0). Of the 25 specific mutagenic exposures evaluated, paternal exposure to four (ethylene oxide, rubber chemicals, solvents used in refineries, and solvents used in the manufact...
Abstract Experimental animal studies suggest that lead compounds may increase the risk of gliomas. To study whether occupational exposure to lead increases the risk, we followed nervous system cancer incidence among 20,741 employees...
moreAbstract Experimental animal studies suggest that lead compounds may increase the risk of gliomas. To study whether occupational exposure to lead increases the risk, we followed nervous system cancer incidence among 20,741 employees biologically monitored for ...
The aims of the study were to investigate occupational exposure and the exposure routes of coal tar creosote, and to evaluate the suitability of methods for monitoring occupational exposure to the PAHs in creosote. The composition of four...
moreThe aims of the study were to investigate occupational exposure and the exposure routes of coal tar creosote, and to evaluate the suitability of methods for monitoring occupational exposure to the PAHs in creosote. The composition of four creosotes used in Finland was studied by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Creosotes contain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (over 60%), phenols, and heterocyclic sulphur and nitrogen compounds. The mutagenicity of four creosotes and their chemical fractions was studied with the Ames Salmonella tests. All creosotes were mutagenic with Salmonella typhimurium TA98 in the presence of metabolic activation. The potency of the mutagenicity correlated with the content of benzo(a)pyrene in the creosotes. The mutagenicity of the creosotes was nevertheless higher than that of the distillated fractions containing more BaP than the creosotes. The kinetics of naphthalene was investigated in two volunteers after intake by oral, dermal and respiratory routes...
From the *International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France; the Division of Occupational and Environmental Health, Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands; the Department of Public...
moreFrom the *International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France; the Division of Occupational and Environmental Health, Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands; the Department of Public Health Sciences, Faculty of ...
In order to add value to recycled textile material and to guarantee that the input material for recycling processes is of adequate quality, it is essential to be able to accurately recognise and sort items according to their material...
moreIn order to add value to recycled textile material and to guarantee that the input material for recycling processes is of adequate quality, it is essential to be able to accurately recognise and sort items according to their material content. Therefore, there is a need for an economically viable and effective way to recognise and sort textile materials. Automated recognition and sorting lines provide a method for ensuring better quality of the fractions being recycled and thus enhance the availability of such fractions for recycling. The aim of this study was to deepen the understanding of NIR spectroscopy technology in the recognition of textile materials by studying the effects of structural fabric properties on the recognition. The identified properties of fabrics that led non-matching recognition were coating and finishing that lead different recognition of the material depending on the side facing the NIR analyser. In addition, very thin fabrics allowed NIRS to penetrate throug...
Sinonasal intestinal-type adenocarcinoma is strongly associated with hardwood dust exposure. Non-intestinal-type adenocarcinoma is a rarer and less well-known subtype considered not to be related with wood dust exposure. We determined the...
moreSinonasal intestinal-type adenocarcinoma is strongly associated with hardwood dust exposure. Non-intestinal-type adenocarcinoma is a rarer and less well-known subtype considered not to be related with wood dust exposure. We determined the relative numbers of these two tumor types in 56 sinonasal adenocarcinoma patients in France and Finland, relating them with carefully assessed wood dust exposure histories. Diagnostic workup including immunohistochemistry for the intestinal markers CDX2 and CK20 indicated that the proportions of the two tumors differed significantly between France and Finland. In Finnish samples non-intestinal adenocarcinomas were more common than intestinal-type adenocarcinomas (12 non-intestinal vs. nine intestinal), while in the French samples the reverse was true (six non-intestinal vs. 29 intestinal). Such remarkably dissimilar occurrence of these tumors in France and Finland presumably reflects different pathogenetic circumstances in the two countries, and pe...
The purpose of this study was to assess whether occupational exposure to hydrocarbons in the oil-refining activity increases the risk of kidney cancer. This case-referent study was nested within the cohort of employees in the oil refinery...
moreThe purpose of this study was to assess whether occupational exposure to hydrocarbons in the oil-refining activity increases the risk of kidney cancer. This case-referent study was nested within the cohort of employees in the oil refinery industry in Finland in 1967 to 1982 (n = 9454). The final data included 30 cases of kidney cancer and 81 age- and sex-matched referents. There was a threefold increase in the kidney cancer risk for exposure to hydrocarbons in crude oil (odds ratio, 3.1; confidence interval, 1.1 to 8.9; 11 exposed cases). The risk was associated with the highest cumulative exposure category to hydrocarbons in crude oil. Occupational exposure in oil refining, particularly to crude oil, may increase kidney cancer risk. The study assessed historical exposures; further information needs to be collected for evaluating current exposures.
Four creosotes used in Finland for impregnating wood were tested in the Ames Salmonella test, the SCE test and the SOS chromotest. Compounds volatile at 37 degrees C were assayed using the taped plate testing protocol. The creosotes were...
moreFour creosotes used in Finland for impregnating wood were tested in the Ames Salmonella test, the SCE test and the SOS chromotest. Compounds volatile at 37 degrees C were assayed using the taped plate testing protocol. The creosotes were fractionated according to their natural boiling ranges and the fractions were tested in the Ames Salmonella assay. Chemical compositions of creosotes and fractions were determined by high resolution gas chromatography/mass spectrophotometry techniques and by reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography. Mutagenic activities were shown to reside in fractions having the highest boiling point ranges (greater than 290 degrees C). The concentrations of mutagenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in creosotes and in some of their corresponding distillation fractions, when compared with mutagenic activities, indicated synergistic or antagonistic interactions.
Occupational exposure to diesel exhaust has been classified as probably carcinogenic and that to gasoline engine exhaust as possibly carcinogenic to humans. Earlier results concerning cancers other than lung cancer are scarce and...
moreOccupational exposure to diesel exhaust has been classified as probably carcinogenic and that to gasoline engine exhaust as possibly carcinogenic to humans. Earlier results concerning cancers other than lung cancer are scarce and inconsistent, and exposure-response relations have seldom been reported. We followed up a cohort of all economically active Finns born between 1906 and 1945 for 30 million person-years during 1971-1995. Incident cases of esophageal cancer (n = 2,198), ovarian cancer (5,082), testicular cancer (387), kidney cancer (7,366), bladder cancer (8,110) and leukemia (4,562) were identified through a record linkage with the Finnish Cancer Registry. Occupations from the population census in 1970 were converted to exposures to diesel and gasoline engine exhausts with a job-exposure matrix (FINJEM). Cumulative exposure (CE) was calculated as product of prevalence, level and estimated duration of exposure. The relative risk (RR) of cancer for exposure categories in relation to the unexposed group was calculated using the Poisson regression model and adjusted for confounders. An increasing RR for ovarian cancer was observed with the increasing CE of diesel exhaust (p for trend = 0.006). The RR in the highest CE category was 3.69 (95% CI = 1.38-9.86). For gasoline engine exhaust, the RR was significantly increased only in the middle CE category (1.70; 95% CI = 1.11-2.62). Slight elevations of RR for bladder and kidney cancers were found at the lowest exposure level of engine exhausts, largely attributable to drivers. No effect of the exposures was observed for the other cancers. This study suggests an exposure-response relation between diesel exhaust and ovarian cancer.
Studies on engine exhausts and lung cancer have given inconsistent results. Economically active Finns were followed-up for lung cancer during 1971-95 (33,664 cases). Their Census occupations in 1970 were converted to exposures to diesel...
moreStudies on engine exhausts and lung cancer have given inconsistent results. Economically active Finns were followed-up for lung cancer during 1971-95 (33,664 cases). Their Census occupations in 1970 were converted to exposures to diesel and gasoline engine exhausts with a job-exposure matrix. The relative risks (RRs) for cumulative exposure (CE) were defined by Poisson regression, adjusted for smoking, asbestos, and quartz dust exposure, and socioeconomic status. RR for engine exhausts among men did not increase with increasing CE. In women, RR for gasoline engine exhaust was 1.58 (95% CI 1.10-2.26) in the CE-category of 1-99 mg/m(3)-y and 1.66 (1.11-2.50) among those with > or =100 mg/m(3)-y (lag 20 years). With a lag of 10 years RR for the middle/highest diesel exhaust category in women was 1.42 (0.94-2.13). Occupational exposure to engine exhausts was not consistently associated with lung cancer in this study, possibly due to low exposure levels.
Objective To investigate whether a refined assessment of exposure to bitumen fume among workers in the European asphalt industry within a nested case-control study resulted in a different interpretation pertaining to risk of lung...
moreObjective To investigate whether a refined assessment of exposure to bitumen fume among workers in the European asphalt industry within a nested case-control study resulted in a different interpretation pertaining to risk of lung cancer mortality compared with the cohort study.
Methods Pearson correlation coefficients between refined and original estimates were calculated. Logistic regression and generalised additive models (penalised splines) were fitted to estimate ORs for exposure to bitumen fume using the refined and original exposure estimates, respectively, while adjusting for potential confounding.
Results 1555 subjects included in the nested case-control study had both refined and original estimates for exposure to bitumen fume. Exposure assessment in the nested case-control study (compared with the cohort phase) increased the number of subjects never-exposed to bitumen fume from 18% to 32%. From the 1282 subjects originally considered exposed in the cohort phase, 309 (24%) became unexposed after the nested case-control exposure assessment. From the 273 subjects originally considered non-exposed in the cohort phase, 87 (32%) became exposed in the nested case-control study. The majority (75%) of subjects however did not change exposure status and changes were similar among cases and controls. Correlation coefficients between refined and original exposure estimates were moderate overall (range 0.42–0.46), but varied considerably among countries. The ORs and exposure–response curves for exposure to bitumen fume were not meaningfully different between analyses that used refined and original exposure estimates. Adjustment for tobacco smoking and exposure to coal tar did not change these patterns.
Conclusions Our results showed that more detailed data collection and exposure assessment in the nested case-control study compared with the cohort study did change exposure status of many subjects, but did not alter results of the exposure–response analysis. Adjustment for tobacco smoking did not have a noticeable effect on risk estimates either.
Chromosomal aberrations (CAs), sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs), and micronuclei (MN) in peripheral blood lymphocytes have for decades been used as cytogenetic biomarkers to survey genotoxic risks in the work environment. The conceptual...
moreChromosomal aberrations (CAs), sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs), and micronuclei (MN) in peripheral blood lymphocytes have for decades been used as cytogenetic biomarkers to survey genotoxic risks in the work environment. The conceptual basis for this application has been the idea that increased cytogenetic damage reflects an enhanced cancer risk. Nordic and Italian cohorts have been established to evaluate this hypothesis, and analyses presented previously have shown a positive trend between CA frequency and increased cancer risk. We now report on a pooled analysis of updated data for 3541 subjects examined for CAs, 2703 for SCEs, and 1496 for MN. To standardize for interlaboratory variation, the results for the various cytogenetic end points were trichotomized on the basis of the absolute value distribution within each laboratory as "low" (1-33 percentile), "medium" (34-66 percentile), or "high" (67-100 percentile). In the Nordic cohort, there was an...
Studies on engine exhausts and lung cancer have given inconsistent results. Economically active Finns were followed-up for lung cancer during 1971-95 (33,664 cases). Their Census occupations in 1970 were converted to exposures to diesel...
moreStudies on engine exhausts and lung cancer have given inconsistent results. Economically active Finns were followed-up for lung cancer during 1971-95 (33,664 cases). Their Census occupations in 1970 were converted to exposures to diesel and gasoline engine exhausts with a job-exposure matrix. The relative risks (RRs) for cumulative exposure (CE) were defined by Poisson regression, adjusted for smoking, asbestos, and quartz dust exposure, and socioeconomic status. RR for engine exhausts among men did not increase with increasing CE. In women, RR for gasoline engine exhaust was 1.58 (95% CI 1.10-2.26) in the CE-category of 1-99 mg/m(3)-y and 1.66 (1.11-2.50) among those with > or =100 mg/m(3)-y (lag 20 years). With a lag of 10 years RR for the middle/highest diesel exhaust category in women was 1.42 (0.94-2.13). Occupational exposure to engine exhausts was not consistently associated with lung cancer in this study, possibly due to low exposure levels.
Waste plastic (WP) and tall oil pitch (T), which are organic recycled industrial by-products, have been used as a binder with bitumen in stone mastic asphalt (SMA) and asphalt concrete (AC). We compared the exposure over one workday in 16...
moreWaste plastic (WP) and tall oil pitch (T), which are organic recycled industrial by-products, have been used as a binder with bitumen in stone mastic asphalt (SMA) and asphalt concrete (AC). We compared the exposure over one workday in 16 road pavers participating in a survey at four paving sites, using mixes of conventional asphalt (SMA, AC) or mixes containing waste material (SMA-WPT, AC-WPT). The concentrations of 11 aldehydes in air were 515 and 902 microg m(-3) at the SMA-WPT and AC-WPT worksites, being 3 and 13 times greater than at the corresponding worksites laying conventional asphalt. Resin acids (2-42 microg m(-3)), which are known sensitizers, were detected only during laying of AC-WPT. The emission levels (microg m(-3)) of total particulates (300-500), bitumen fumes (60-160), bitumen vapour (80-1120), naphthalene (0.59-1.2), phenanthrene (0.21-0.32), pyrene (<0.015-0.20), benzo(a)pyrene (<0.01) and the sum of 16 PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, 1.28-2.00) were similar for conventional and WPT asphalts. The dermal deposition of 16 PAHs on exposure pads (on workers' wrist) was low in all pavers (0.7-3.5 ng cm(-2)). Eight OH-PAH biomarkers of naphthalene, phenanthrene and pyrene exposures were quantified in pre- and post-shift urine specimens. The post-shift concentrations (mean +/- SD, micromol mol(-1) creatinine) of 1- plus 2-naphthol; 1-,2-,3-,4- plus 9-phenanthrol; and 1-hydroxypyrene were, respectively, for asphalt workers: 18.1+/- 8.0, 2.41 +/- 0.71 and 0.66+/- 0.58 (smokers); 6.0+/- 2.3, 1.70+/- 0.72 and 0.27+/- 0.15 (non-smokers); WPT asphalt workers: 22.0+/- 9.2, 2.82+/- 1.11 and 0.76+/- 0.18 (smokers); 6.8+/- 2.6, 2.35+/- 0.69 and 0.46+/- 0.13 (non-smokers). The work-related uptake of PAHs was low in all pavers, although it was significantly greater in smokers than in non-smokers. The WPT asphalt workers complained of eye irritation and sore throat more than the pavers who had a much lower exposure to aldehydes and resin acids.
The mutagenicity of asphalt fumes was tested with the Salmonella bioassays. The aim was to investigate if recycled additives modify the genotoxicity of emissions. Recycling of old asphalt is increasing, and we studied also the...
moreThe mutagenicity of asphalt fumes was tested with the Salmonella bioassays. The aim was to investigate if recycled additives modify the genotoxicity of emissions. Recycling of old asphalt is increasing, and we studied also the mutagenicity of emissions sampled during the re-use of asphalt. The composition of vapours and fumes were analysed by gas chromatography and by liquid chromatography. Bitumens containing coal fly ash (CFA) or waste plastics were heated to the paving temperatures in the laboratory. In the field, bitumen fumes were collected during paving of stone mastic asphalts (lime or CFA as a filler), remixing of stone mastic asphalt (lime or CFA as a filler), and of asphalt concrete. All the lab-generated vapour fractions were non-mutagenic. The particulate fractions were mutagenic with TA98 in the presence of the S9 activation. In addition, the lab-fumes from bitumen containing waste plastics were positive with both strains without S9. Only particulate fractions sampled in the field were tested. They were mutagenic with and without metabolic activation with both strains. The mutagenic potency of the field samples was higher than that of the lab-generated fumes without S9, and the remixing fumes were more mutagenic than the normal paving and lab-generated fumes with S9. The use of inorganic additive, CFA, did not change the mutagenicity of the fumes, whereas the organic additive, waste plastics, increased the mutagenicity of the laboratory emissions significantly.
OBJECTIVES--To evaluate workers' exposure in a creosote impregnation plant by means of ambient and biological monitoring. METHODS--Naphthalene (vapour phase) and 10 large molecular polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) (particulate...
moreOBJECTIVES--To evaluate workers' exposure in a creosote impregnation plant by means of ambient and biological monitoring. METHODS--Naphthalene (vapour phase) and 10 large molecular polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) (particulate phase) were measured in the breathing zone air during an entire working week. 1-Hydroxypyrene (1-HP) was measured in 24 hour urine as a metabolite of the pyrene found in neat (dermal exposure)
This register-based population study determined incidence rates of clinically verified asthma among woodworkers, other blue-collar workers, and administrative personnel employed in wood-processing industries in Finland. Exposure to wood...
moreThis register-based population study determined incidence rates of clinically verified asthma among woodworkers, other blue-collar workers, and administrative personnel employed in wood-processing industries in Finland. Exposure to wood dust was under special scrutiny. All Finns employed in wood-processing industries were followed for asthma incidence via record linkage in the years 1986-1998. Incident cases included people with asthma reimbursed for medication by the national health insurance or registered as having occupational asthma. Age-adjusted incidence rates and relative risks (RR) by gender were estimated for wood workers, other blue-collar workers, and administrative employees (referents) in wood industries. The relative risk of asthma was increased for all woodworkers among both genders [men: RR 1.5, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.2-1.8; women: RR 1.5, 95% Cl 1.2-1.7]; a similarly elevated risk was also found for other blue-collar workers (men: RR 1.5, 95% Cl 1.2-1.8;...
Skin contact with the components in asphalt and bitumen can lead to irritant and allergic contact dermatitis, but few data are available in the dermatologic literature on the skin symptoms caused by work with bitumen. In addition, working...
moreSkin contact with the components in asphalt and bitumen can lead to irritant and allergic contact dermatitis, but few data are available in the dermatologic literature on the skin symptoms caused by work with bitumen. In addition, working methods have changed markedly during recent decades. A questionnaire was delivered to 50 roofers and 101 road pavers. The questionnaire dealt with skin symptoms, symptoms caused by solvent products, the use of personal protection, smoking, eating habits, work conditions, changing and cleaning of overalls, etc. Forty-eight per cent of the road pavers and 58% of the roofers responded to the questionnaire. Relatively high percentages of work-induced skin irritation were reported by both the roofers (44%) and the road pavers (31%); 22% of the road pavers had dermatitis often or sometimes compared with 15% of the roofers. The hands, arms, face, and lower extremities were the most common sites affected. In addition to bitumen products, the road pavers co...