Measuring circular economy in olive oil mills: A review of circularity indicators and tools.

Circularity assessment and monitoring have become a core research topic in academic societies, as well as a basis for developing economic development measures. Despite the circular economy (CE) being a game-changer for the agro-food sector, little effort has been made to identify its level of circularity. In order to achieve the transition to a CE, stakeholders and industry professionals must be provided with appropriate indicators, tools and methods. Due to the complexity of CE measurement, it is necessary to devise indicators, methods and tools that are tailored to each industry. The objective of this review article is to identify the indicators and tools required for assessing the level of circularity in olive oil mills. This research collected data regarding available CE indicators at the company and product levels, as well as those applicable to the agro-food industry. As a result, a list of indicators appropriate to the needs of olive mills has been developed that could be used to measure the level of implementation of circular practices in this industry. The main conclusion reached is that once indicators are defined, they should be compared or combined with life cycle assessment methodologies to determine their applicability and effectiveness. There is no doubt that olive oil plays a significant economic, environmental and social role throughout the Mediterranean region. Hence, evaluating the CE is essential to demonstrate the effectiveness of current policies.

Does oil price volatility influences carbon emission trends and financial concerns of oil industry?

This analysis explores the complicated relationship between oil price fluctuations, the oil industry's finances, and the resulting increase or decrease in carbon emissions. Oil price changes have far-reaching effects on the global economy because of its dependence on fossil fuels; therefore, understanding these patterns is essential for effective policymaking and long-term energy planning. The study uses a dataset built from secondary data collected in China over 15 years, starting in 2008 and ending in 2022. This information comes from a wide range of authoritative places, including public records, trade journals, university studies, and the records of international organizations, and provides a solid foundation for study. Oil prices on a global and national scale, oil sector financial performance indicators (such as revenues, earnings, and investment levels), and carbon emission statistics are all significant factors under investigation. As one of the world's largest oil consumers, China has been singled out in this study to allow for a more comprehensive analysis of reactions within this crucial subset of the energy industry. To understand the complex interplay between oil price shocks, the financial dynamics of the oil sector, and carbon emissions, the research utilizes statistical and econometric methods, most notably time-series analysis and regression models. The results are meant to shed light on how oil price shocks consistently affect the monetary aspects of the oil business and, by extension, the patterns in carbon emissions. This study helps us understand these vital interrelationships more completely and nuancedly.

Is residential exposure to oil refineries a novel contextual risk factor for coronary heart disease?

Despite a multi-decade decrease in cardiovascular disease, geographic disparities have widened, with excess mortality concentrated within the United States (U.S.) South. Petroleum production and refining, a major contributor to climate change, is concentrated within the U.S. South and emits multiple classes of atherogenic pollutants. We investigated whether residential exposure to oil refineries could explain variation in self-reported coronary heart disease (CHD) prevalence among adults in southern states for the year 2018, where the majority of oil refinery activity occurs (Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Texas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma). We examined census tract-level association between oil refineries and CHD prevalence. We used a double matching method to adjust for measured and unmeasured spatial confounders: one-to-n distance matching and one-to-one generalized propensity score matching. Exposure metrics were constructed based on proximity to refineries, activities of refineries, and wind speed/direction. For all census tracts within 10 km of refineries, self-reported CHD prevalence ranged from 1.2% to 17.6%. Compared to census tracts located at ≥5 km and <10 km, one standard deviation increase in the exposure within 5 km of refineries was associated with a 0.33 (95% confidence interval: 0.04, 0.63) percentage point increase in the prevalence. A total of 1119.0 (123.5, 2114.2) prevalent cases or 1.6% (0.2, 3.1) of CHD prevalence in areas within 5 km from refineries were potentially explained by exposure to oil refineries. At the census tract-level, the prevalence of CHD explained by exposure to oil refineries ranged from 0.02% (0.00, 0.05) to 47.4% (5.2, 89.5). Thus, although we cannot rule out potential confounding by other personal risk factors, CHD prevalence was found to be higher in populations living nearer to oil refineries, which may suggest that exposure to oil refineries can increase CHD risk, warranting further investigation.

Multi-year seabed environmental baseline in deep-sea offshore oil prospective areas established using microbial biodiversity.

Microorganisms are the ocean's first responders to marine pollution events, yet baseline studies rarely focus on microbial communities. Temporal and spatial microbial biodiversity baselines were established using bacterial 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing of seafloor sediments in a deep-water oil prospective area along the Scotian Slope off Canada's east coast sampled during 2015-2018. Bacterial diversity was generally similar in space and time, with members of the family Woeseiaceae detected consistently in >1 % relative abundance, similar to seabed sediments in other parts of the world. Anomalous biodiversity results at one site featured lower Woeseiaceae as well as higher levels of bacterial groups specifically associated with cold seeps such as Aminicenantes. This was unexpected given that site selection was based on sediment geochemistry not revealing any petroleum hydrocarbons in these locations. This finding highlights the sensitivity and specificity of microbial DNA sequencing in environmental monitoring. Microbiome assessments like this one represent an important strategy for incorporating microbial biodiversity as a new and useful metric for establishing robust environmental baselines that are necessary for understanding ecosystem responses to marine pollution.

Effective Biocorrosive Control in Oil Industry Facilities: 16S rRNA Gene Metabarcoding for Monitoring Microbial Communities in Produced Water.

Microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) or biocorrosion is a complex biological and physicochemical process, Strategies for monitoring MIC are frequently based on microbial cultivation methods, while microbiological molecular methods (MMM) are not well-established in the oil industry in Brazil. Thus, there is a high demand for the development of effective protocols for monitoring biocorrosion with MMM. The main aim of our study was to analyze the physico-chemi- cal features of microbial communities occurring in produced water (PW) and in enrichment cultures in oil pipelines of the petroleum industry. In order to obtain strictly comparable results, the same samples were used for both culturing and metabarcoding. PW samples displayed higher phylogenetic diversity of bacteria and archaea whereas PW enrichments cultures showed higher dominance of bacterial MIC-associated genera. All samples had a core community composed of 19 distinct genera, with MIC-associated Desulfovibrio as the dominant genus. We observed significant associations between the PW and cultured PW samples, with a greater number of associations found between the cultured sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) samples and the uncultured PW samples. When evaluating the correlation between the physicochemical characteristics of the environment and the microbiota of the uncultivated samples, we suggest that the occurrence of anaerobic digestion metabolism can be characterized by well-defined phases. Therefore, the detection of microorganisms in uncultured PW by metabarcoding, along with physi-cochemical characterization, can be a more efficient method compared to the culturing method, as it is a less laborious and cost-effective method for monitoring MIC microbial agents in oil industry facilities.

The Influence of the Barriers of Hybrid Strategy on Strategic Competitive Priorities: Evidence from Oil Companies.

This study examines the impact of the barrier of adopting hybrid strategy on strategic performance using the oil sector in Iraq as a case. International oil companies consider various strategies in order to achieve superior performance. The procedure needs to overcome certain essential barriers for the adoption of the hybrid strategy that combines the cost leadership and differentiation strategy. The questionnaire was distributed online due to the COVID-19 pandemic that led to the closure of companies in the country. Out of the 537 questionnaires answered, 483 were used for further analysis which yielded usable response rate of 90%. The structural equation modeling results confirmed that the high costs of technologies, the priority of other external matters, inadequate industry regulation, insufficient supply, organizational capabilities, strategic capabilities, and financial capabilities are significantly related to strategic performance. The researchers recommend conducting an in-depth study of the phenomenon based on theoretical and empirical foundations, especially considering the relationship between the barriers of a hybrid strategy and strategic performance based on linear and non-compensatory relationships. This research sheds light on the barriers to adopting the hybrid strategy required by the oil sector as it relies on continuous production.

What if we never run out of oil? From certainty of "peak oil" to "peak demand".

The COVID-19 pandemic sent the oil industry into turmoil on a scale not seen since the 1970s. While the sector appears to be recovering, questions remain about the extent to which the pandemic has offered a glimpse into the possible future of the industry. This future is critical to the success of climate change mitigation, which requires significant cuts to the carbon dioxide emissions from using oil for energy. Therefore, it makes sense to consider future scenarios in which global oil demand peaks and then declines alongside scenarios of continued demand growth. This is a significant departure from historical development of oil demand and the dominant discussion of many decades about "peak oil" and the fear of demand outstripping readily available supply. The implications of peaking oil demand would be massive, not only for the oil industry but also for society as whole. There is not enough understanding of what the impacts would be, or how to prepare for them. The research community needs to take a clear-eyed view of potential futures of oil, which includes considering scenarios in which demand goes into long-term decline.

Predicting preventive behaviors of cardiovascular disease among oil industry workers based on health belief model.

BACKGROUND: Working conditions play a significant role in the process that causes cardiovascular disease. In this regard, it is required to monitor the health conditions of workers to design proper interventions to encourage healthy behaviors. This investigation was performed to determine preventive behaviors against cardiovascular disease based on the health belief model (HBM). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This research was a cross-sectional and descriptive study with 228 subjects of oil industry workers under shift work schedules in the oil regions of Khuzestan, Iran. The HBM questionnaire provided the theoretical framework for this study. Participants completed the questionnaires in person at work. Data were analyzed using SPSS 24.0. Descriptive statistics including frequencies, percentages, and means, and linear regression analysis were calculated for variables. RESULTS: Findings of the study showed that most workers were of a weak level of knowledge (55.3%), self-efficacy (82.5%), perceived severity (83.8%), perceived susceptibility (75.4%), perceived benefit (57.5%), and behavior (82.5%). Furthermore, results showed that most of the workers considered smoking (3.51 out of 5) and proper diet for good heart function (2.54 out of 5). In this study, the item of exercise was the lowest among all the preventive behaviors (1.39 out of 5). Self-efficacy was the strongest predictor of health belief about cardiovascular disease. CONCLUSION: To decrease the increasing burden of cardiovascular disease in our population, and fight against this rank-one killer, multiple useful prevention strategies must be adopted. Educational theory-based interventions and applying designed programs to improve the adoption of preventive behaviors are a necessity.

Residential exposure to petroleum refining and stroke in the southern United States.

BACKGROUND: The southern United States (U.S.) sustains a disproportionate burden of incident stroke and associated mortality, compared to other parts of the U.S. A large proportion of this risk remains unexplained. Petroleum production and refining (PPR) is concentrated within this region and emits multiple pollutants implicated in stroke pathogenesis. The relationship between residential PPR exposure and stroke has not been studied. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate the census tract-level association between residential PPR exposure and stroke prevalence for adults (≥18 years) in seven southern U.S. states in 2018. METHODS: We conducted spatial distance- and generalized propensity score-matched analysis that adjusts for sociodemographic factors, smoking, and unmeasured spatial confounding. PPR was measured as inverse-distance weighted averages of petroleum production within 2.5km or 5km from refineries, which was strongly correlated with measured levels of sulfur dioxide, a byproduct of PPR. RESULTS: The prevalence of self-reported stroke ranged from 0.4% to 12.7% for all the census tracts of the seven states. People with low socioeconomic status and of Hispanic ethnicity resided closer to petroleum refineries. The non-Hispanic Black population was exposed to higher PPR, while the non-Hispanic White population was exposed to lower PPR. Residential PPR exposure was significantly associated with stroke prevalence. One standard deviation increase in PPR within 5km from refineries was associated with 0.22 (95% confidence interval: 0.09, 0.34) percentage point increase in stroke prevalence. PPR explained 5.6% (2.4, 8.9) of stroke prevalence in the exposed areas. These values differed by states: 1.1% (0.5, 1.7) in Alabama to 11.7% (4.9, 18.6) in Mississippi, and by census tract-level: 0.08% (0.03, 0.13) to 25.3% (10.6, 40.0). CONCLUSIONS: PPR is associated with self-reported stroke prevalence, suggesting possible links between pollutants emitted from refineries and stroke. The increased prevalence due to PPR may differ by sociodemographic factors.

The impact of oil industry-related social exclusion on community wellbeing and health in African countries.

Background: Oil is the mainstay revenue for a number of African countries. However, extraction can result in multiple impacts on the health and wellbeing of communities living in oil-rich areas. This review explored evidence of oil industry-related social exclusion on community health and wellbeing on the African continent. Methods: We used a systematic approach guided by PRISMA to search six databases for empirical and descriptive sources focused on oil industry impacts, in any African country, between 1960 to 2021. Findings were grouped according to four dimensions of the Social Exclusion Knowledge Network (SEKN) framework: political, social, economic, and cultural. Results: Fifteen articles were identified, of which 13 articles focused on Nigeria; while one focused on Sudan, and one on Côte d'Ivoire and South Africa. Evidence relating to political aspects of social exclusion encompassed marginalization of indigenous communities through land grabs and unequal representation in political decision making. Limited compensation for environmental damage and livelihood displacement caused by oil-extraction, and high rates of unemployment and poverty were key themes of the economic dimension. Evidence of social impacts included lack of government, or oil-industry investment in social infrastructure; poor health and wellbeing linked to land, air, and water pollution; homelessness and lack of social cohesion. The cultural dimension of social exclusion was comparatively underexplored and only six sources included data collection with indigenous residents, and comparatively more sources were written by non-citizens or non-residents of oil-industry affected areas. Major themes included impacts on collective identity, ways of life and values, particularly where loss of ownership or access to land was experienced. Conclusion: Oil industry activities in African countries are clearly associated with multiple exclusionary impacts. However, the narrow body of empirical research limits understanding of the lived experiences and management of social exclusion by residents of oil-rich areas themselves and is an area deserving of further attention.

A detailed alarm management report as a tool for the treatment of bad actors at a gas logistics plant.

BACKGROUND: The treatment of bad actors consists of analyzing the most triggered alarms at a plant, seeking to make modifications that provide workers with more efficient and safer operational conditions. The consideration of plant operators' practical knowledge in these proposed changes is both an opportunity and a challenge, as specific conditions are required. OBJECTIVE: To present and discuss how an alarm management report (AMR) could support the treatment of bad actors by promoting structured debates on real work situations and its contribution in improving the solutions proposed by alarm management committees (AMCs). METHODS: Data from nine AMC meetings were gathered and parsed using qualitative content analysis to classify the kind of information that the AMC used to justify the proposed changes and how these changes were decided. RESULTS: More than 60% of the changes were justified by information provided by the AMRs, indicating broad application and adoption. However, our findings suggest that the structured debates addressed variability and emerging strategies and may consider entire subsystems instead of single alarms. CONCLUSION: The use of structured debates is feasible for the treatment of bad actors and is an appropriate option that includes operating experience feedback for alarm optimization in industrial facilities.

The advantages of co-digestion of vegetable oil industry by-products and sewage sludge: Biogas production potential, kinetic analysis and digestate valorisation.

The production of edible vegetable oils generates considerable amounts of energy-rich waste, which is usually not utilised fully. Besides, inefficient management of such wastes can have a negative impact on the environment. On the other hand, this waste can also serve as a raw material for the production of high value-added products, such is biogas. The mono-digestion of seven different by-products and wastes from the vegetable oil industry was investigated in this study: Pumpkin seeds press cake (PSPC), grape seeds press cake (GSPC), olive mill pomace (OMP), coconut oil cake (CC), filtration additive (FA), spent bleaching earth (SBE) and sludge from a vegetable oil industry (SOI) wastewater treatment plant. In addition, co-digestion of these substrates was performed with municipal sewage sludge (SS). Besides inoculum, rumen fluid was added to the reactors to enhance biogas production. The biogas production potential of the tested substrates was monitored by measuring various parameters. A kinetic analysis was later carried out and a growth test was performed on the digestates to evaluate their potential for agricultural use. The highest biogas yields in the mono-digestion test were obtained with the substrates with the highest fat content: 1402, 1288, 830 and 750 mL of biogas/gVS for SOI, FA, PSPC and CC substrate, respectively. Co-digestion of SS with by-products of vegetable oil industry such as FA, SBE, CC, SOI and PSPC increased the biogas yields by 94.9%, 74.1%, 30.8%, 27.4% and 23.6% compared to SS mono-digestion. Furthermore, the data for mono-digestion of PSPC, GSPC, and FA, and co-digestion of SS with these substrates, CC and SBE, have not been found in the literature to date. The maximum methane content ranged from 61 to 74 vol%, while the chemical oxygen demand removal efficiency ranged from 42 to 78%. Relatively high fatty acids contents and ammonium concentrations were measured in the reactors. Kinetic analysis showed the best fit to the experimental data for the Cone kinetic model (R2 > 0.98). The First order kinetic model, Monod, and the modified Gompertz model also exhibited high R2 values. The digestates obtained from co-digestion proved to be excellent in the cress seeds growth test at digestate concentrations of 5-10 wt%, while higher concentrations had a toxic effect.

Occupational exposure to BTEX and styrene in West Asian countries: a brief review of current state and limits.

The aim of introducing occupational exposure limits (OELs) is to use them as a risk management tool in order to protect workers' health and well-being against harmful agents at the workplace. In this review we identify OELs for benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene (BTEX), and styrene concentrations in air and assess occupational exposure to these compounds through a systematic literature search of publications published in West Asian countries from 1980 to 2021. OELs for BTEX and styrene have been set in Iran and Turkey to levels similar to those in European countries and the US. The search yielded 49 full-text articles that cover studies of exposure assessment in six countries, but most (n=40) regard Iran. Average occupational exposure to benzene of workers in oil-related industries is higher than recommended OEL, while average occupational exposure to other compounds is lower than local OELs (where they exist). Currently, information about levels of occupational exposure to BTEX and styrene is insufficient in West Asian countries, which should be remedied through OEL regulation and application. Furthermore, coherent research is also needed to determine actual levels of occupational exposure, dose-responses, and the economic and technical capacity of local industries to address current issues.

Improvement of Oil Valorization Extracted from Fish By-Products Using a Handheld near Infrared Spectrometer Coupled with Chemometrics.

A handheld near infrared (NIR) spectrometer was used for on-site determination of the fatty acids (FAs) composition of industrial fish oils from fish by-products. Partial least square regression (PLSR) models were developed to correlate NIR spectra with the percentage of saturated fatty acids (SFAs), monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and, among them, omega-3 (ω-3) and omega-6 (ω-6) FAs. In a first step, the data were divided into calibration validation datasets, obtaining good results regarding R2 values, root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) and bias. In a second step, all these data were used to create a new calibration, which was uploaded to the handheld device and tested with an external validation set in real time. Evaluation of the external test set for SFAs, MUFAs, PUFAs and ω-3 models showed promising results, with R2 values of 0.98, 0.97, 0.97 and 0.99; RMSEP (%) of 0.94, 1.71, 1.11 and 0.98; and bias (%) values of -0.78, -0.12, -0.80 and -0.67, respectively. However, although ω-6 models achieved a good R2 value (0.95), the obtained RMSEP was considered high (2.08%), and the bias was not acceptable (-1.76%). This was corrected by applying bias and slope correction (BSC), obtaining acceptable values of R2 (0.95), RMSEP (1.09%) and bias (-0.05%). This work goes a step further in the technology readiness level (TRL) of handheld NIR sensor solutions for the fish by-product recovery industry.

Byproducts (Flour, Meals, and Groats) from the Vegetable Oil Industry as a Potential Source of Antioxidants.

The present study presents the use of photochemiluminescence assay (PCL) and 2,2 diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2'-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS), the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and cupric ion reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC) methods for the measurement of lipid-soluble antioxidant capacity (ACL) of 14 different byproducts obtained from the vegetable oil industry (flour, meals, and groats). The research showed that the analyzed samples contain significant amounts of phenolic compounds between 1.54 and 74.85 mg gallic acid per gram of byproduct. Grape seed flour extract had the highest content of total phenolic compounds, 74.85 mg GAE/g, while the lowest level was obtained for the sunflower groats, 1.54 mg GAE/g. DPPH values varied between 7.58 and 7182.53 mg Trolox/g of byproduct, and the highest antioxidant capacity corresponded to the grape seed flour (7182.53 mg Trolox/g), followed by walnut flour (1257.49 mg Trolox/g) and rapeseed meals (647.29 mg Trolox/g). Values of ABTS assay of analyzed samples were between 0 and 3500.52 mg Trolox/g of byproduct. Grape seed flour had the highest value of ABTS (3500.52 mg Trolox/g), followed by walnut flower (1423.98) and sea buckthorn flour (419.46). The highest values for FRAP method were represented by grape seed flour (4716.75 mg Trolox/g), followed by sunflower meals (1350.86 mg Trolox/g) and rapeseed flour (1034.92 mg Trolox/g). For CUPRAC assay, grape seed flour (5936.76 mg Trolox/g) and walnut flour (1202.75 mg Trolox/g) showed the highest antioxidant activity. To assess which method of determining antioxidant activity is most appropriate for the byproducts analyzed, relative antioxidant capacity index (RACI) was calculated. Depending on the RACI value of the analyzed byproducts, the rank of antioxidant capacity ranged from -209.46 (walnut flour) to 184.20 (grape seed flour). The most sensitive methods in developing RACI were FRAP (r = 0.5795) and DPPH (r = 0.5766), followed by CUPRAC (r = 0.5578) and ABTS (r = 0.4449), respectively. Strong positive correlations between the antioxidant capacity of lipid-soluble compounds measured by PCL and other methods used for determining antioxidant activity were found (r > 0.9). Analyses have shown that the different types of byproducts obtained from the vegetable oil industry have a high antioxidant activity rich in phenolic compounds, and thus their use in bakery products can improve their nutritional quality.

Promotion of a green economy with the palm oil industry for biodiversity conservation: A touchstone toward a sustainable bioindustry.

Palm oil is a representative and important biomass, not only as the most edible vegetable oil consumed worldwide, but also as a material for chemicals and biofuels. Despite the potential sustainability of the palm oil industry, it has conventionally emitted excess greenhouse gases, waste materials, and wastewater, brought land use change, thus affecting the natural environment. Therefore, the successful development of a sustainable palm oil industry is a touchstone for promoting the bioeconomy. Here, we first review the concept of the bioeconomy and the positive and negative aspects of the palm oil industry. Then, we consider solutions for introducing a green economy into the palm oil industry, such that it may coexist with biodiversity and environmental conservation toward the Sustainable Development Goals.

Why are methane emissions from China's oil & natural gas systems still unclear? A review of current bottom-up inventories.

There is growing awareness and concern on methane (CH4) emissions from China's oil and natural gas (ONG) systems owing to the carbon neutral target. This paper aims to present a comprehensive review on the bottom-up inventories of the CH4 emissions from the perspective of the ONG systems in China. The trend and magnitude of total emissions in the last four decades were revealed and limitations of current estimations were explored. Previous studies showed that the average CH4 emissions from China's ONG systems have almost tripled from 1980 (760 Gg) to 2015 (2180 Gg) with a trend of steady increase. However, the estimated values varied by an order-of-magnitude with the largest discrepancy of 2700 Gg. This discrepancy was unlikely caused mainly by the incompleteness of estimation, since dominant emission sources were all covered by representative studies. Moreover, the differences of activity-level data were within ±10%, which ruled out the possibility that it was the main contributor to the large discrepancies. The emissions estimate has huge variation in large part because of differences in assumed emission factors (EFs) that vary by an order of magnitude. The difficulty was to determine which of the EFs were accurate due to measurement-based data availability. Thus, the large discrepancies stem from the scarcity of publicly available data, which enlarged the impact from various methods adopted by previous studies. For better understanding of CH4 emissions from the ONG systems in China, the measurements of facility-level emissions and statistics on the ONG infrastructure are required urgently. Due to the high cost and experience-oriented measurement work, international cooperation and communications are critical prerequisites for future CH4 emission estimates and effective mitigation strategies.

Doenças osteomusculares são a principal causa de absenteísmo-doença entre trabalhadores da indústria de petróleo no Brasil: resultados de um estudo de coorte / Musculoskeletal diseases are the main cause of sick leave among oil industry workers in Brazil: results of a cohort study

Resumo Objetivo: descrever indicadores de absenteísmo-doença entre trabalhadores de indústria de petróleo. Métodos: estudo de coorte retrospectiva, realizado de 2012 a 2016, com dados secundários de prontuários médicos e de bases de dados da empresa. Foram calculados indicadores de absenteísmo por morbidade, características sociodemográficas e ocupacionais. Resultados: participaram 2.028 trabalhadores, do sexo masculino (87,6%), com idade maior ou igual a 50 anos (46,9%), nível médio de escolaridade (49,2%) e que trabalhavam em atividade não-operacional (65,1%). A incidência acumulada de afastamento do trabalho foi de 71,5% e a taxa de incidência de 25,8/100 pessoas-ano. Maiores taxas foram observadas entre mulheres (31,6), trabalhadores com 50 ou mais anos (29,9), 30 ou mais anos de serviço (31,9), menor escolaridade (29,2), em atividade operacional (27,9) e horário regular (26,1). Doenças osteomusculares (n=2001), respiratórias (n=1016) e digestivas (n=967) foram responsáveis pelo maior número de licenças. Os maiores números de dias de ausência ao trabalho foram por doenças osteomusculares (n=11640), lesões por causas externas (n=6267) e transtornos mentais (n=5042). Dor lombar foi o diagnóstico com maior número de dias de absenteísmo (n=3632). Conclusão: mulheres, trabalhadores com mais tempo de serviço e de menor escolaridade devem ser alvo de programas de saúde que visem o controle das morbidades identificadas.

Abstract Objective: to describe the incidence of sickness absence among workers of an oil industry in Brazil. Methods: retrospective cohort study conducted with 2,028 workers. Study data were obtained from workers' medical records from 2012 to 2016. Indicators of absenteeism were calculated by sociodemographic characteristics, occupational characteristics, and morbidity. Results: of the participants, 87.6% were men, 49.2% with high school educational level, 46.9% aged 50 years or older, 65.1% worked in non-operational activities. The cumulative incidence of sick leave was 71.5% and its incidence rate, 25.8 per 100 person-years. We found the highest incidence rates amongst women (31.6), workers aged 50 years or older (29.9), lower educational attainment (29.2), work experience spanned 30 years or more (31.9), working in operational activities (27.9), and regular work schedule (26.1). Musculoskeletal (n=2,001), respiratory (n=1,016), and digestive diseases (n=967) were responsible for the largest number of sick leaves. The highest number of absence days was due to musculoskeletal diseases (n=11,640), followed by injuries (n=6,267) and mental disorders (n=5,042). Low back pain diagnostic was responsible for the greatest number of absence days (n=3,632). Conclusions: health programs aimed at controlling the identified morbidities should target women, those with longer work experiences, and those with lower educational attainment.

LC-MS Identification and Quantification of Phenolic Compounds in Solid Residues from the Essential Oil Industry.

Plant solid residues obtained from the essential oil industry represent a rich source of phenolic compounds with bioactive properties to be used in the food and pharmaceutical industries. A selective and sensitive liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) method was developed for the simultaneous determination of phenolic compounds in solid residues of the Lamiaceae family plants. A total of 48 compounds can be separated within 35 min by using the Poroshell-120 EC-C18 column, and a gradient mobile phase of 0.1% formic acid and acetonitrile with flow rate of 0.5 mL/min; salicylic acid was used as internal standard. The calibration curves showed good linearity in the tested concentration range for each analyte (R2 > 0.9921), while recoveries ranged from 70.1% to 115.0% with an intra-day and inter-day precision of less than 6.63% and 15.00%, respectively. Based on the retention behavior, as well as absorption and mass spectra, 17 phenolic acids, 19 flavonoids and 2 phenolic diterpenes were identified and quantified in the solid residues obtained by distillation of six aromatic plants: oregano, rosemary, sage, satureja, lemon balm, and spearmint. The method constitutes an accurate analytical and quality control tool for the simultaneous quantitation of phenolics present in solid waste residues from the essential oil industry.

Investigations of Olive Oil Industry By-Products Extracts with Potential Skin Benefits in Topical Formulations.

The by-products of olive oil industry are a major ecological issue due to their phenolic content, highly toxic organic load, and low pH. However, they can be recovered and reused, since their components have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and photoprotector properties. In this work, oil-in-water creams containing three different olive oil industry by-products extracts were produced without the use of organic solvents. First, the extracts were thoroughly characterized in vitro for cytotoxicity, inhibition of skin enzymes, and antioxidant and photoprotection capacities. Safety studies were then performed, including ocular and skin irritation tests, ecotoxicity evaluation, and in vivo Human Repeat Insult Patch Test. The results obtained in this initial characterization supported the incorporation of the extracts in the cream formulations. After preparation, the creams were characterized for their organoleptic, physicochemical, droplet size and rheological properties, and microbial contamination. The results showed that all formulations were semi-solid creams, with stable pH, compatible with the skin, without microbial contamination, and with the expected droplet size range. The rheological analysis showed shear-thinning behavior with yield stress, with the viscosity decreasing with increasing shear rate. The oscillatory results suggest that the creams have a strong network structure, being easily rubbed into the skin. Finally, compatibility, acceptability and antioxidant efficacy were evaluated in vivo, in human volunteers. No adverse reactions were observed after application of the formulations on skin and the cream with the highest concentrations of phenolic compounds showed the highest antioxidant efficiency. In conclusion, the results suggest that olive oil industry by-products extracts have valuable properties that favor their re-use in the cosmetic industry. The example presented here showed their successful incorporation into creams and their impact in these formulations' appearance, pH, and rheological performance, as well as their in vivo compatibility with skin and antioxidant efficiency.