1,720,989 research outputs found
Considerazioni sui valori limite per il benzene
No full textOccupational exposure limits and guideline values for the general population proposed for benzene by several international bodies are discussed and compared with the Italian and EU occupational limit values, taking also into account the criteria used for their derivation. Benzene is an environmental pollutant, and the EU guideline value for ambient air is 5 ?g/m3, based on carcinogenic risk. Presently, occupational exposures are greatly reduced, and in many instances close to those of the general population. Consequently, it does not seem to be appropriate to maintain the Italian and the EU occupational exposure limits of 1 ppm (3.2 mg/m3), which are inconsistent with the ALARA principle and not justified by technological constraints. It should be pointed out that, in any case, preventive interventions should be carried out, beyond the compliance with the established limit values, in order to ensure the lowest exposure and by carrying out biological monitoring as a tool to verify the appropriateness of risk management measures
La derivazione di valori limite biologici per i pesticidi sulla base dell’AOEL: approcci e criticità
No full textWoodworkers and the inflammatory effects of softwood/hardwood dust: evidence from nasal cytology.
No full textOur primary aim was to use nasal cytology to compare a group of woodworkers with a group of unexposed subjects to see whether wood dust exposure correlates with specific patterns of inflammatory or infectious rhinitis. A secondary aim was to seek any differences in nasal symptoms or nasal cytology between workers exposed to softwood vs hardwood dust, thereby comparing the inflammatory harmful potential of the two woods. Among 117 woodworkers at factories in the Veneto region (Italy), 40 exposed to either softwood or hardwood dust were assessed by means of a questionnaire, nasal cytology, and personal wood dust sampling, and compared with 40 unexposed controls. Woodworkers reported significantly more nasal symptoms than controls (p = 0.0007). The woodworker group's nasal smears contained significantly more neutrophils (p < 0.00001) and lymphocytes (p = 0.02) than the control group's. The softwood workers had significantly lower levels of personal exposure to wood dust than the hardwood workers (p = 0.04); there were no significant differences in age, history of cigarette smoking, or period of exposure between these two sub-cohorts of woodworkers. A statistical trend indicated that softwood workers had more eosinophils (p = 0.05) and lymphocytes (p = 0.05) in their rhinocytograms. Nasal cytology revealed chronic inflammatory rhinitis in a significant proportion of woodworkers' enroled in this study. It also suggested a different harmful potential for softwood and hardwood dust. Nasal cytology could prove useful in screening woodworkers for chronic inflammatory rhinitis. Further investigations are needed to examine the role of different types of wood dust in nasal inflammation
Individual exposure to particulate matter and the short-term arrhythmic and autonomic profiles in patients with miocardial infarction
No full textAIMS:
Epidemiological studies show that peak exposure to air pollution is associated with increased morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular events. Panel and controlled exposure studies show that particulate matter (PM) may influence the parasympathetic regulation of the heart. The aim of this study was to concurrently measure individual exposure to PM of various sizes, heart rate variability (HRV), and electrical instability in patients with myocardial infarction.
METHODS AND RESULTS:
Personal exposures to PM(10), PM(2.5), and PM(0.25) was measured over 24 h in 39 patients (36 males, 3 females; mean age 60.3 years) with prior myocardial infarction (>6 months). Simultaneously, a 24 h ECG was recorded and then analysed for HRV and ventricular arrhythmias. Breath condensate and blood samples also were collected at the end of monitoring to measure several indexes of inflammation. Negative correlation was found between HRV and exposure to PM(0.25) in a group of patients not taking beta-blockers. More severe ventricular arrhythmias were observed at the highest concentrations of PM(10) and PM(2.5). Indexes of inflammation in either breath condensate or blood did not correlate with PM exposures.
CONCLUSION:
Our study shows that exposure to ultrafine particles is associated with autonomic dysregulation in selected patients with myocardial infarction. More severe arrhythmias occur at the highest exposures to larger particles. Nevertheless, the underlying mechanisms remain hypothetical because inflammation may be evoked by PM or be related to the disease itself
Sinonasal cancer in a worker exposed to chromium in an unusual industrial sector
No full textBackground: Occupational exposure to chromium is carcinogenic for human respiratory system. Due to the low incidence of sinonasal malignancies, there is still a paucity of evidence to confirm that chromium(VI) exposure is a cause of nasal cancer. Objectives: To report on a sinonasal cancer (SNC) of rare occupational origin, increasing the awareness on epidemiological knowledge of occupational exposures to chromium compounds. Methods: We describe a case of a 64-year-old chrome plater who worked in the galvanic industry in the early 1970s. After a latency period of 39 years, he was diagnosed with sinonasal undifferentiated carcinoma (SNUC). A brief review of the literature was conducted. Results: A thorough occupational history revealed a 4-year-long occupational exposure to chromium(VI) during a magnesium cylinder plating process involved in computer production. The patient underwent endoscopic endonasal removal of the SNUC. He is alive with no evidence of disease at 40-month follow-up. Our literature review identified 8 papers concerning 40 cases of chrome-induced sinonasal tumors. The maximum relative risk of SNC developing in chromium-exposed workers was 15.4. Conclusions: When dealing with patients diagnosed with SNC, the possibility of an underlying occupational risk is worth further investigation. Because chromium exposure is rare, and the incidence of SNUC is low, any information emerging on clinical and exposure-related aspects of SNCs in chrome plating workers can contribute to adding evidence on the possible causal relationship between chromium and sinonasal malignancies
Phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride elicits and intensifies the clinical expression of neuropathy insults.
No full textHigh-frequency hearing thresholds: effects of age, occupational ultrasound and noise exposure
No full textIt has been suggested that high-frequency audiometry (HFA) could represent a useful preventive measure in exposed workers. The aim was to investigate the effects of age, ultrasound and noise on high-frequency hearing thresholds
PROTECTIVE ROLE OF ANTI-S IGG AGAINST SARS-COV-2 DURING THE OMICRON VARIANT WAVE AMONG HEALTHCARE WORKERS: RESULTS FROM TWO LARGE ITALIAN UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS – ORCHESTRA PROJECT.
No full textIntroduction
Vaccination is effective against SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, the role of anti-S IgG (AS) in preventing infection is still unclear. Aim of this study was to understand whether health workers (HW) with high AS titers sustained a lower risk of infection across the Omicron variant (OV) period.
Methods
Within the framework of the ORCHESTRA European project, 3,565 HW from Padova and Verona cohorts, who had at least one AS titration after booster dose, were included. A stratified survival analysis was performed, considering as infected by OV those HW with a positive RT-PCR test between December 2021 and June 2022.
Results
Older age groups (40-49 Hazard Ratio=0.76; CI: 0.64-0.91; p=0.003; 50-59 HR=0.79; CI: 0.67-0.95; p=0.009; >60 HR=0.75; CI: 0.59-0.96, p=0.02) had a lower risk of infection. Previous infected HW had a diminished risk too, although only infections before the first dose reached significance (HR=0.70; CI: 0.54-0.89; p=0.004). The risk reduction was about 18% among HW who had antibody titer above the 80th percentile (HR=0.82; CI 0.71-0.95; p=0.007).
Discussion
Our data showed that older and previously infected HW sustained lower risk of infection during the OV wave. The scant research on AS titer role against OV shows that higher AS levels ensure stronger protection. Our study seems to support these findings. However, this effect is limited and not usable to exclude from further booster doses the HW with high antibody titers.
Conclusion
High AS titer against SARS-CoV-2 showed a protective, albeit mild, role against infection across OV period
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