Dataset Information

Underground salt and potash workers exposed to nitrogen oxides and diesel exhaust: assessment of specific effect biomarkers.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

Occupational exposure limits (OEL) for nitrogen oxides (NO, NO₂) and diesel exhaust (EC-DPM) were reassessed by the German authorities in 2016/2017. We performed a clinical cross-sectional study among salt and potash underground workers exposed to these substances at relatively high levels to examine possible indicators of acute effects on workers' health.

Methods

We measured post- versus pre-shift differences in cardiovascular, inflammatory, immune, and respiratory effect biomarkers and assessed their associations with personal exposures measured during the same shift. We also compared post- versus pre-shift differences in biomarker levels between exposure groups defined based on work site and job type.

Results

None of the above-ground workers exceeded the OEL for NO₂ and only 5% exceeded the OEL for EC-DPM exposure. Among underground workers, 33% of miners and 7% underground maintenance workers exceeded the OEL for NO₂; the OEL for EC-DPM was exceeded by 56% of miners and 17% of maintenance workers. Some effect biomarkers (thrombocytes, neutrophils, MPO, TNF-α, IgE, FeNO) showed statistically significant differences between pre- versus post-shift measurements; however, there were no consistent associations between pre- and post-shift differences and exposure group or personal exposure measurements during the shift.

Conclusions

We did not find evidence of associations between workplace exposure to NO, NO₂ or EC-DPM and clinically relevant indicators of acute cardiovascular, inflammatory and immune, or respiratory effects among salt and potash underground workers in Germany.

SUBMITTER: Gamrad-Streubel L

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9630174 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Underground salt and potash workers exposed to nitrogen oxides and diesel exhaust: assessment of specific effect biomarkers.

Gamrad-Streubel Lisa L Haase Lisa-Marie LM Rudolph Katharina K KK Rühle Katrin K Bachand Annette M AM Crawford Lori L Mundt Kenneth A KA Bünger Jürgen J Pallapies Dirk D Taeger Dirk D Casjens Swaantje S Molkenthin Anja A Neumann Savo S Giesen Jörg J Neumann Volker V Brüning Thomas T Birk Thomas T

International archives of occupational and environmental health 20220518 9

<h4>Purpose</h4>Occupational exposure limits (OEL) for nitrogen oxides (NO, NO<sub>2</sub>) and diesel exhaust (EC-DPM) were reassessed by the German authorities in 2016/2017. We performed a clinical cross-sectional study among salt and potash underground workers exposed to these substances at relatively high levels to examine possible indicators of acute effects on workers' health.<h4>Methods</h4>We measured post- versus pre-shift differences in cardiovascular, inflammatory, immune, and respira ...[more]

PMID: 35583687

Similar Datasets

Project description:PurposeUnderground diesel exhaust exposure is an occupational health risk. It is not known how recent intensified emission legislation and use of renewable fuels have reduced or altered occupational exposures. We characterized these effects on multipollutant personal exposure to diesel exhaust and underground ambient air concentrations in an underground iron ore mine.MethodsFull-shift personal sampling (12 workers) of elemental carbon (EC), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and equivalent black carbon (eBC) was performed. The study used and validated eBC as an online proxy for occupational exposure to EC. Ambient air sampling of these pollutants and particle number size distribution and concentration were performed in the vicinity of the workers. Urine samples (27 workers) were collected after 8 h exposure and analyzed for PAH metabolites and effect biomarkers (8-oxodG for DNA oxidative damage, 4-HNE-MA for lipid peroxidation, 3-HPMA for acrolein).ResultsThe personal exposures (geometric mean; GM) of the participating miners were 7 µg EC m-3 and 153 µg NO2 m-3, which are below the EU occupational exposure limits. However, exposures up to 94 µg EC m-3 and 1200 µg NO2 m-3 were observed. There was a tendency that the operators of vehicles complying with sharpened emission legislation had lower exposure of EC. eBC and NO2 correlated with EC, R = 0.94 and R = 0.66, respectively. No correlation was found between EC and the sum of 16 priority PAHs (GM 1790 ng m-3). Ratios between personal exposures and ambient concentrations were similar and close to 1 for EC and NO2, but significantly higher for PAHs. Semi-volatile PAHs may not be effectively reduced by the aftertreatment systems, and ambient area sampling did not predict the personal airborne PAHs exposure well, neither did the slightly elevated concentration of urinary PAH metabolites correlate with airborne PAH exposure.ConclusionMiners' exposures to EC and NO2 were lower than those in older studies indicating the effect of sharpened emission legislation and new technologies. Using modern vehicles with diesel particulate filter (DPF) may have contributed to the lower ambient underground PM concentration and exposures. The semi-volatile behavior of the PAHs might have led to inefficient removal in the engines aftertreatment systems and delayed removal by the workplace ventilation system due to partitioning to indoor surfaces. The results indicate that secondary emissions can be an important source of gaseous PAH exposure in the mine.

Dataset Information

Underground salt and potash workers exposed to nitrogen oxides and diesel exhaust: assessment of specific effect biomarkers.

Purpose

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Underground salt and potash workers exposed to nitrogen oxides and diesel exhaust: assessment of specific effect biomarkers.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets