Impact of REACH legislation on the production and importation of CMR (carcinogen, mutagen and reproductive) and explosive chemicals in Italy from 2011 to 2015.

On 1 June 2007, the European Commission issued the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) to protect both the environment and human health. We analyzed the impact of REACH in the Italian market considering the presence of chemicals, their diversity, importation and production during the period 2011-2015, with particular attention to products with toxic or explosive properties. There was a reduction of the chemicals on the market, in terms of tons but also the absolute numbers of types of compounds. The production reduction was particularly noticeable for explosive chemicals: -14.7%. CMR products did not show any statistically significant reduction in term of tons: -2.3%.

[Mortality study in a cohort of workers employed in the hot working processing of plastics and rubber]. / Studio di mortalità in una coorte di esposti nella lavorazione a caldo di materie plastiche e gomma.

OBJECTIVES: to study mortality rates among workers in companies manufacturing thermoplastic and rubber articles (excluding tyres). DESIGN: cohort study. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: the cohort includes 4,543 workers employed up to 2000 in 131 companies in the Province of Bologna (Emilia-Romagna Region, Northern Italy) exposed to emissions from hot processing of plastics (3,937) and rubber (606). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: general- and cause-specific Standardized Mortality Rates (SMR), with 95% confidence intervals; entire reference population resides in the Emilia-Romagna Region. RESULTS: excess mortality for all causes (116 Obs; SMR: 1.20; 95%CI 1.00-1.44) and for lung cancer (18 Obs; SMR: 1.67; 95%CI 1.05-2.65) in men of the rubber factories. Increased mortality rates for oesophageal cancers in women (3 Obs; SMR: 5.41; 95%CI 1.74-16.8) and in men (6 Obs; SMR: 2.16; 95%CI 0.97-4.81), for malignant tumours of pancreas (16 Obs; SMR: 1.65; 95%CI 1.01- 2.70), rectum (11 Obs; SMR: 2.17; 95%CI 1.20-3.92) and kidney (11 Obs; SMR: 1.98; 95%CI 1.10-3.58) in men occupied in plastic processing. CONCLUSION: in this study, we observed an excess of mortality rates for lung cancer in men of rubber factories and for malignant tumours of the digestive tract, pancreas, and kidney in workers employed in the production of plastic articles. Nevertheless, these results must be interpreted with caution, because exposures to non-occupational risk factors, like tobacco smoke or other occupational exposures outside the companies concerned, are not known. The results suggest to continue epidemiological surveillance.

Mortality among workers exposed to toluene diisocyanate in the US polyurethane foam industry: Update and exposure-response analyses.

BACKGROUND: Mortality among 4,545 toluene diisocyante (TDI)-exposed workers was updated through 2011. The primary outcome of interest was lung cancer. METHODS: Life table analyses, including internal analyses by exposure duration and cumulative TDI exposure, were conducted. RESULTS: Compared with the US population, all cause and all cancer mortality was increased. Lung cancer mortality was increased but was not associated with exposure duration or cumulative TDI exposure. In post hoc analyses, lung cancer mortality was associated with employment duration in finishing jobs, but not in finishing jobs involving cutting polyurethane foam. CONCLUSIONS: Dermal exposure, in contrast to inhalational exposure, to TDI is expected to be greater in finishing jobs and may play a role in the observed increase in lung cancer mortality. Limitations include the lack of smoking data, uncertainty in the exposure estimates, and exposure estimates that reflected inhalational exposure only. Am. J. Ind. Med. 59:630-643, 2016. Published 2016. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Mortality risk among workers with exposure to dioxins.

BACKGROUND: In several studies, dioxin exposure has been associated with increased risk from several causes of death. AIMS: To compare the mortality experience of workers exposed to dioxins during trichlorophenol (TCP) and pentachlorophenol (PCP) production to that of the general population and to examine mortality risk by estimated exposure levels. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study which followed up workers' vital status from 1940 to 2011, with serum surveys to support estimation of historical dioxin exposure levels. RESULTS: Among the 2192 study subjects, there were nine deaths in TCP workers from acute non-lymphatic leukaemia [standardized mortality ratio (SMR) = 2.88, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.32-5.47], four mesothelioma deaths (SMR = 5.12, 95% CI 1.39-13.10) and four soft tissue sarcoma (STS) deaths (SMR = 3.08, 95% CI 0.84-7.87). In PCP workers, there were eight deaths from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (SMR = 1.92, 95% CI 0.83-3.79), 150 from ischaemic heart disease (SMR = 1.20, 95% CI 1.01-7.89) and five from stomach ulcers (SMR = 3.38, 95% CI 1.10-7.89). There were no trends of increased mortality with increased dioxin exposure except for STS and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin levels. This finding for STS should be interpreted with caution due to the small number of deaths and the uncertainty in diagnosis and nosology. CONCLUSIONS: While some causes of death were greater than expected, this study provides little evidence of increased risk when dioxin exposures are considered.

[The importance of sanitary microbiological indices in the evaluation of epidemiological safety of water use in conditions of chemical contamination of water].

The increasing chemicalization of production and life leads to the pollution of water bodies by chemicals, the effect of which on the micro - and macro - organisms is poorly understood. This section of the study in sanitary bacteriology is becoming ever more topical and is an important task of modern hygienic science. One of complicacies of the study of the problem is related with the fact that the presence of only experimental data fails to be sufficient, as the impact of any given chemical substance on different bacteria in the experiment does not mean that under natural conditions, similar results will be obtained. One reason for this may be the inhibitory effect of the given chemical on biological properties of bacteria, while in field conditions in the water several chemicals interacting with each other can exist. In this regard, the aim of the work was to assess the indicator value of sanitary and microbiological indices of epidemic hazard of water use in conditions of chemical pollution of surface water bodies.

[Retrospective analysis of primary disability among employees of enterprises for the production of technical ceramics].

On the example of588 disability cases registered in employees of the plant for the production of technical ceramics during the 1975-2014 the analysis of the dynamics of illness, gender and age structure of disability indices on the main Origlnarartlcie and auxiliary units of the enterprise was executed for the interval of 10 years periods. There were followed trends in the alteration of the structure of the disability caused by the socio-economic, hygienic and demographic factors.

Variation Trend and Driving Factors of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Chinese Magnesium Production.

As the largest magnesium producer in the world, China is facing a great challenge of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction. In this paper, the variation trend and driving factors of GHG emissions from Chinese magnesium production were evaluated and the measures of technology and policy for effectively mitigating GHG emissions were provided. First, the energy-related and process-oriented GHG inventory is compiled for magnesium production in China. Then, the driving forces for the changes of the energy-related emission were analyzed by the method of Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI) decomposition. Results demonstrated that Chinese magnesium output from 2003 to 2013 increased by 125%, whereas GHG emissions only increased by 16%. The emissions caused by the fuels consumption decline most significantly (from 28.4 to 6.6 t CO2eq/t Mg) among all the emission sources. The energy intensity and the energy structure were the main offsetting factors for the increase of GHG emissions, while the scale of production and the international market demand were the main contributors for the total increase. Considering the improvement of technology application and more stringent policy measures, the annual GHG emissions from Chinese primary magnesium production will be controlled within 22 million tons by 2020.

Increased risk of lung cancer associated with occupational exposure to benzidine and/or beta-naphthylamine.

PURPOSE: To evaluate non-urological cancer risks associated with benzidine (BZ) and beta-naphthylamine (BNA), a historical cohort study was undertaken. METHODS: A total of 224 male workers exposed to BZ/BNA from a single factory were followed from 1953 to 2011. To estimate BZ/BNA exposure dose, duration of exposure (DOE) was defined as duration of employment between 1953 and 1972, the period when BZ and BNA were produced and used at this factory. Subjects were dichotomized (into long- and short-term groups) based on the median of DOE. Cancer-specific standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) were calculated using national and regional incidence rates as reference. Smoking history was obtained through questionnaires and other sources. Association between lung cancer (LC) or bladder cancer (BC) incidence and DOE was assessed using Cox's proportional hazards model. RESULTS: Vital status follow-up was successful for 216 (96.4%). Follow-up duration averaged 44.0 (SD 10.7) years. Increased SIRs based on national rates were found for all cancers (81 cases, SIR = 1.58, 95% CI 1.26-1.98), LC (18 cases, SIR = 2.58, 95% CI 1.53-4.07), and BC (7 cases, SIR = 4.70, 95% CI 1.89-9.67). Among workers with >20 years after first exposure, the SIR for LC was statistically elevated in the long DOE group (15 cases, SIR = 3.34, 95% CI 1.87-5.51). After adjustment for smoking, exposure to bis(chloromethyl) ether, and age at first exposure, a marginally significant hazard ratio (HR) was observed for the long DOE group (adjusted HR = 3.02, 95% CI 0.84-10.93, p = 0.091), compared to the short DOE group. DOE did not affect BC incidence. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms the high risk of LC besides BC, suggesting that BZ/BNA have the potential to cause LC.

Primin sensitization in north-eastern Italy: a temporal trend from 1996 to 2012.

BACKGROUND: Primin is the main contact allergen found in the ornamental plant Primula obconica Hance. OBJECTIVE: To analyse the temporal trend of sensitivity to primin in north-eastern Italy and to evaluate the associations with occupations in our geographical area. METHODOLOGY: From 1996 to 2012, 24 052 consecutive patients with suspected allergic contact dermatitis were patch tested in north-eastern Italy. Individual characteristics were collected through a standardized questionnaire in eight departments of dermatology or occupational medicine. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of primin sensitization was 1.9%; the prevalence was significantly higher in women (2.6%) than in men (0.5%). The Pordenone area had the higher prevalence of sensitization, which reached 6% in 1999-2001. We found a significant association between primin sensitization and household workers [odds ratio (OR) 2.3; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.61-3.35], retired people (OR 1.8; 95%CI: 1.22-2.81), woodworkers (OR 2.1; 95%CI: 1.10-6.18), and chemical industry workers (OR 2.9; 95%CI: 1.05-8.29). CONCLUSION: Our study showed that contact allergy to primin is still relevant in north-eastern Italy. The frequency of sensitization is decreasing, but for retired and household workers it is still >4%. Our results suggest the need to promote the use of primin-free P. obconica in Italy.

Ultrastructural Analysis of the Prostate Gland under the Effect of Factors of Chemical Industry.

We analyzed ultrastruciture of the cell populations in the prostate gland in chronic nonbacterial prostatitis in a chemical industry worker. It was shown that ultrastructural reorganization of the epithelium consisted in reduction of the secretory compartment of the cytoplasm and dystrophic-degenerative changes in cell organelles. Endothelial cells of the capillaries showed signs of significant degeneration and low intensity of micropinocytosis. Most of the smooth muscle cells underwent dystrophic-degenerative modifications of ultrastructural elements. The dominance of degenerative cell changes in the epithelial and stromal cell populations along with intensification of collagen formation in the absence of inflammatory elements allows us to interpret this pathological condition of the prostate gland as prostate pathology of occupational or mixed genesis.

Shift work and risk of non-cancer mortality in a cohort of German male chemical workers.

OBJECTIVES: Shift work is widely considered to be a health risk. In a previous study, we observed no elevated risk of total mortality in BASF shift workers followed up until the end of 2006. The present study aims to investigate non-cancer mortality, especially mortality caused by ischaemic heart disease (IHD), relative to shift work. METHODS: The cohort consisted of 14,038 male shift and 17,105 male day workers from manufacturing plants, who were employed for at least 1 year between 1995 and 2005. Vital status was followed from 2000 to 2009. Cause-specific mortality was obtained from death certificates. Non-cancer mortality as well as mortality specific to diagnoses from I20.0 to I25.9 according to International Classification of Disease version 10 was compared between the two working-time systems. To estimate the impact of shift work on the outcome of interest, Cox proportional hazard model was used to adjust for potential confounders such as age, smoking, alcohol consumption, job level, and disease status at baseline. The effect estimates were then given as hazard ratio (HR) with 95 % confidence interval (CI). RESULTS: Between 2000 and 2009, a total of 1,062 deaths occurred in the cohort: 513 (3.6 %) in shift and 549 (3.2 %) in day workers. Among them were 122 deaths resulting from IHD, 55 (0.39 %) and 67 (0.39 %), respectively. After adjustment for age at entry and job level, no increased risk of non-cancer mortality (HR 0.94; 95 % CI 0.77-1.15) as well as of IHD-caused mortality was found among shift workers (HR 0.77; 95 % CI 0.52-1.14). The risk estimates were robust after further adjustment for more factors in all models and consistently tended to be in favour of shift workers. Considering the duration of exposure to shift, no dose-response relationship was found. CONCLUSION: The present analysis does not find strong evidence for an increased mortality risk due to non-cancer disease and, more specifically, IHD-caused mortality associated with this shift system. Initial selection based on health criteria as well as ongoing health surveillance and health promotion is likely to have contributed to this result. Shift work over 34 years may lead to a loss of this initial selection advantage over time, but the respective risk estimates lacked statistical precision.

Genotoxic and hematological effects in children exposed to a chemical mixture in a petrochemical area in Mexico.

Children living in Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, and in nearby surrounding areas are exposed to a mixture of pollutants from different sources. Previous studies in the area have reported genotoxic and haematotoxic compounds, such as lead (Pb), benzene, toluene, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), in environmental and biological samples. The final toxic effects of these compounds are unknown because the toxic behaviour of each compound is modified when in a complex mixture. This is the first study on the exposure and effect of chemical mixtures on children who live near a petrochemical area. The aim of this study was to evaluate genotoxicity and haematological effects in children environmentally exposed to such mixtures and to determine whether the final effect was modified by the composition of the mixture composition. Biomarkers of exposure to Pb, benzene, toluene, and PAHs were quantified in urine and blood samples of 102 children. DNA damage was evaluated using comet assay, and haematological parameters were determined. Our results show that Pb and toluene did not surpass the exposure guidelines; the exposure was similar in all three localities (Allenede, Mundo Nuevo, and López Mateos). In contrast, exposure to PAHs was observed at three levels of exposure: low, medium, and high. The most severe effects of these mixtures were strictly related to coexposure to high levels of PAHs.

[Risk assessment of health disorders and quality of life in employees of modern polyvinyl chloride production].

The authors analyse changes in exposure load and associated occupational risk, health state of workers engaged into contemporary polyvinyl chloride production. Consideration covered objective parameters--results of thorough medical examinations -and subjective ones--results of quantitative risk evaluation of general pathologic syndromes and life quality caused by health state. The latter were compared with general working population unexposed to the hazards. Findings are statistically significant increase of functional disorders risk connected with cardiovascular and nervous diseases. Correlation was found between cardiovascular diseases prevalence and exposure chemical load. Statistically significant differences were seen in all life quality components between the workers groups compared.

[Life quality in individuals having occupational diseases caused by various occupational factors].

The article presents main results of studies concerning life quality in individuals having chronic occupational diseases of important social value. Life quality in patients with chronic mercurial intoxication and dust bronchitis appeared to result from personal, social and psychologic features.

An investigation of 3M Cordova, IL production worker's per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances biomonitoring results and mortality experience.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a wide-ranging group of chemicals that have been used in a variety of polymer and surfactant applications. While 3M Cordova, Illinois was not one of 3M's primary manufacturing facilities for the legacy long-chain PFAS (PFOS, PFOA, PFHxS), it has been a major manufacturing site for short-chain PFAS (compounds that are or may degrade to PFBS or PFBA). The purpose of this research focused on: 1) an analysis of biomonitoring data of employees and retirees, and 2) an analysis of the cohort mortality of workers from 1970 to 2018. Employees had higher PFBS and PFBA serum concentrations than the retirees, while retirees had higher concentrations for PFOS, PFOA, and PFHxS. Compared to the 2017-2018 NHANES data, employees' PFOS and PFHxS concentrations in 2022 were two-fold higher, with PFOA levels comparable. These NHANES data did not include serum PFBS or PFBA. Cross-sectional trends of PFOS and PFOA levels from 1997 to 2022 showed PFOS declined from 151 ng/mL to 10.4 ng/mL. Similarly, PFOA decreased from 100 ng/mL to 1.5 ng/mL. A longitudinal analysis of 48 participants with measurements in both 2006 and 2022 showed concentrations decreased by 74% for PFOS and 90% for PFOA. In the mortality study, 1707 employees who worked 1 day or longer were followed for an average of 25.6 years and had 143 (8%) deaths. There were no significantly elevated risks for any specific cause of death, regardless of latency period (0 or 15 years). While no specific PFAS exposures were examined, worker mortality experience (1970-2018) was analyzed by major departments representing primary work areas. Employees and retirees at the Cordova facility continue to have elevated PFOS and PFHxS serum concentrations compared to the general population, however, their legacy PFAS concentrations have declined over time, consistent with the estimated serum elimination half-lives of these PFAS in humans assuming nominal ambient exposures. For PFBS and PFBA, the results indicated no long-term accumulation in the blood likely due to their short serum elimination half-lives. After nearly 50 years of follow-up, this Cordova workforce showed no increased risk of mortality from cancer or any other specific cause of death.

Occupational diseases among workers employed in various branches of the national economy.

INTRODUCTION: The purpose is to present the incidence of occupational diseases and their causal factors in the sections and divisions of the national economy in Poland. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The analysis is based on the cases of occupational diseases obligatorily reported in 2009-2011 from all over the country to the Central Register of Occupational Diseases. Data is presented as absolute numbers and average annual incidence rates per 100 000 persons employed in NACE-classified sections and divisions. RESULTS: 'lhe average annual incidence of occupational diseases was 20.6 cases per 100 000 of employed people. The highest rates were recorded in mining and quarrying (337.8), the production of metals (169.8), non-metallic mineral products (81.6), motor vehicles and transport equipment (59.7), chemicals (30.1). Specific situation in which high incidence rate is due to a single discase prevails in forestry, where tick-borne diseases represent 96.3% of all recorded cases, in education, where chronic voice disorders account for 96.5% of cases, and in human health and social work activities, where infectious diseases with the dominant hepatitis C represent 68.2% of the cases. Tlhe most common causes of occupational diseases in sections and industrial divisions with the highest incidence included: industrial dust, noise and vibration. In the manufacturing industry asbestos was the cause of 20.5% of occupational diseases and 55% of occupational cancers. CONCLUSIONS: Careful monitoring of working conditions and implementing health prevention programs should be exercised in sections and divisions of the national economy where a high risk of occupational diseases has been found.

Exposure to o-toluidine, aniline, and nitrobenzene in a rubber chemical manufacturing plant: a retrospective exposure assessment update.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health previously conducted a retrospective cancer incidence and mortality study of workers employed at a rubber chemical manufacturing plant. Compared with New York State incidence, the bladder cancer risk was 6.5 times higher for workers considered to have definite exposure to ortho-toluidine and aniline, and 4 times higher for workers with possible exposure. Exposure characterization in the original study utilized a surrogate measure based only on departments in which each worker was ever employed. As part of an update of that study, some departments in the three original exposure groups were reclassified based on a follow-up site visit; interviews with employees, management, and union representatives; and review of records including exposure data. An additional evaluation of department-job combinations, rather than only departments, was used to stratify exposure into four categories. An approximate rank of "relative" exposure level for each department-job-year combination was also assigned using a ranking scale of 0 to 10. The ranks were supported by quantitative exposure levels and by professional judgment. The numerical ranking scale was applied to each worker by multiplying the exposure rank by duration for each job held based on comprehensive individual work histories. The cumulative rank scores for this cohort ranged from 0 to 300 unit-years. The medians of the cumulative rank scores for the exposure categories showed very good agreement with increasing exposure classifications (e.g., 0.72, 4.6, 11, 14 unit-years for the four exposure categories). Workers' breathing zone air sampling data collected at this plant from 1976-2004 were well below published occupational exposure limits for these chemicals, but additional cases of bladder cancer have been reported. The exposure assessment revisions and rank estimates will be used to analyze the updated bladder cancer incidence data.

Estimating production data for five engineered nanomaterials as a basis for exposure assessment.

The magnitude of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) being produced and potentially released to the environment is a crucial and thus far unknown input to exposure assessment. This work estimates upper and lower bound annual United States production quantities for 5 classes of ENMs. A variety of sources were culled to identify companies producing source ENM products and determine production volumes. Using refining assumptions to attribute production levels from companies with more reliable estimates to companies with little to no data, ranges of U.S. production quantities were projected for each of the 5 ENMs. The quality of data is also analyzed; the percentage of companies for which data were available (via Web sites, patents, or direct communication) or unavailable (and thus extrapolated from other companies' data) is presented.

The healthy worker effect in US chemical industry workers.

BACKGROUND: Occupational studies typically observe a 20% deficit in overall mortality, broadly characterized as the healthy worker effect (HWE). Components of the HWE may be addressed by various analytical approaches. AIMS: To explore the HWE in a modern industrial cohort. METHODS: Standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) were calculated for 114,683 US chemical industry employees, who worked at least 3 days between 1960 and 2005. RESULTS: SMRs were 79 (95% confidence interval 78-80) for all causes, 81 (95% confidence interval 79-82) for heart disease, 70 (95% confidence interval 67-73) for non-malignant respiratory disease, 83 (95% confidence interval 81-85) for smoking-related cancers (buccal, cervix, oesophagus, stomach, pancreas, lung, larynx, bladder and kidney) combined and 97 (95% confidence interval 95-100) for other cancers. CONCLUSIONS: The low SMRs observed in this study are likely due to differential smoking between the cohort and the background population. Future considerations to control for the HWE should take this into account.