Biosafety Risk Control Strategies in Laboratory Animal Research

To understand biosafety's current situation in laboratory animal research and risk factors affecting occupational health. Compliance surveys were conducted by questionnaire via Questionnaire Star (an application app on the Internet) in Chinese. Thirty-nine anonymous questionnaires were collected. The surveyed institution has established 24 types of ABSL (Animal Biosafety Laboratory) and biosafety management organizations and systems equipped with safety equipment. Our study also suggests that the principal of the laboratory establishment fails to perform supervision and inspection responsibilities, the inappropriate design of the animal biosafety laboratory, non-standardized personnel training and health management, non-strict waste management, and insufficient emergency management. The administrative department and work units should address certain safety and occupational health risks in laboratory animal research. The author proposes control strategies based on organizational guarantee, personnel management, emergency management, etc., to help prevent risks and ensure occupational health. Due to regional limitations and small sample size, the results may not be generalisable to all parts of the world. However, some of the key common issues may also be present in other regions, so we believe that this research still has some relevance.

Radiation dose during interventional cardiology procedures: portable C-arm vs. a new generation fluoroscopy system

INTRODUCTION

Occupational exposure to ionizing radiation poses health risks for veterinary interventionalists. There are limited veterinary studies evaluating radiation dose in the cardiac catheterization laboratory. The purpose of this study was to report direct radiation dose exposure to patients during common interventional cardiology procedures and compare these doses between two fluoroscopy units.

ANIMALS

One hundred and fifty-four client-owned dogs.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Patient dose during procedures using a portable C-arm were retrospectively analyzed and compared to those performed in a contemporary interventional suite. Fluoroscopy equipment, procedure type, operator, patient weight, fluoroscopy time, dose area product, and air kerma were recorded and statistically modeled using univariable and multivariable linear regression to evaluate the effect of each factor.

RESULTS

Patient dose population (154 dogs), comprised 61 patent ductus arteriosus occlusions, 60 balloon pulmonary valvuloplasties, and 33 pacemaker implantations. Patient dose was significantly lower in the group utilizing a newer generation fluoroscopy unit vs. the group utilizing an older portable C-arm, positively correlated with patient weight, and highest during balloon pulmonary valvuloplasties compared to patent ductus arteriosus occlusions or pacemaker implantations (all p<0.010).

DISCUSSION

Newer fluoroscopy systems can be equipped with technologies that improve image quality while reducing patient dose and radiation exposure to interventional personnel.

CONCLUSIONS

We documented a significant reduction in patient radiation dose using a newer fluoroscopy system as compared to an older portable C-arm for interventional cardiology procedures in animals. Improved knowledge of patient radiation dose factors may promote better radiation safety protocols in veterinary interventional cardiology.

Unequal excess mortality during the Spanish Flu pandemic in the Netherlands

A century after the Spanish Flu, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought renewed attention to socioeconomic and occupational differences in mortality in the earlier pandemic. The magnitude of these differences and the pathways between occupation and increased mortality remain unclear, however. In this paper, we explore the relation between occupational characteristics and excess mortality among men during the Spanish Flu pandemic in the Netherlands. By creating a new occupational coding for exposure to disease at work, we separate social status and occupational conditions for viral transmission. We use a new data set based on men's death certificates to calculate excess mortality rates by region, age group, and occupational group. Using OLS regression models, we estimate whether social position, regular interaction in the workplace, and working in an enclosed space affected excess mortality among men in the Netherlands in the autumn of 1918. We find some evidence that men with occupations that featured high levels of social contact had higher mortality in this period. Above all, however, we find a strong socioeconomic gradient to excess mortality among men during the Spanish Flu pandemic, even after accounting for exposure in the workplace.

Odorous gas emissions from sewage sludge composting windrows affected by the turning operation and associated health risks

The treatment and disposal of sewage sludge (SL) has long been a challenging task in China. Open windrow composting, coupled with mechanical turning, is preferred in small cities and rural areas, due to low costs and ease of operation. However, the emission of odorous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from open composting windrows, as well as related health risks, has aroused strong protests from surrounding populations. This study investigated VOC emissions (including hydrogen sulphide) from five open SL composting windrows at a single site, before, during and after turning operations, and across different seasons. As expected, the highest VOC concentration (6676 μg m^-3) was measured while turning the windrows, whilst an additional emission peak was observed at all windrows at different times after turning, which was determined by the raw material mixing ratio (SL: woodchips), as well as ambient and windrow temperatures. In general, higher VOCs emissions and odour concentrations were measured in summer, and odour pollution was mainly caused by sulphur and oxygenated compounds, due to their high odour activity values (OAVs). Methyl mercaptan, dimethyl disulphide, dimethyl sulphide, diethyl sulphide, acetaldehyde and ethyl acetate were identified as the odour pollution indicators for the composting facility. The results from a health risk assessment showed that acetaldehyde was the most hazardous compound, with both non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks exceeding acceptable levels. The carcinogenic risks of benzene and naphthalene were also above acceptable levels; however, their risks were insignificant at the studied site due to the low concentrations.

Impact of chemical substances used in textile industry on the employee's health: Epidemiological study

Textile industries are well known by their extencive use of the water and the highly toxic chemicals that pose a serious problem to humans and to environment. The objective of this study is to evaluate the occupational risks related to Otolaryngology, dermathitis and ophthalmological symptoms among the textile employees in a textile factory at Sidi Brahim industrial area of fez city then to investigate the correlation between chemical substances used and the symptoms already indicated. This study was based on a cross sectional survey carried out among 90 workers in a textile factory. It could be seen a high correlation between the use of chemicals, work conditions and the studied symptoms. Epidemiological study shows that textile workers in the studied factory area are daily exposed to dangerous and toxic chemicals that threat their lives. This scourge can be handled by the involvement of all responsible authorities to propose recommendations, alternatives, and solutions to further improve the textile sector and to preserve health and the environment.

Emission and health risk assessment of volatile organic compounds in various processes of a petroleum refinery in the Pearl River Delta, China

The process-specific emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from a petroleum refinery in the Pearl River Delta, China was monitored to assess the health risk from VOCs to workers of this refinery. Over 60 VOCs were detected in the air samples collected from various sites in the refining, basic chemical, and wastewater treatment areas of the refinery using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry/flame ionization detection. The health risks of VOCs to the refinery workers were assessed using US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) and American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) methods. Monte Carlo simulation and sensitivity analysis were implemented to assess the uncertainty of the health risk estimation. The emission results showed that C5-C6 alkanes, including 2-methylpentane (17.6%), 2,3-dimethylbutane (15.4%) and 3-methylpentane (7.7%), were the major VOCs in the refining area. p-Diethylbenzene (9.3%), 2-methylpentane (8.1%) and m-diethylbenzene (6.8%) were dominant in the basic chemical area, and 2-methylpentane (20.9%), 2,3-dimethylbutane (11.4%) and 3-methylpentane (6.5%) were the most abundant in the wastewater treatment area. For the non-cancer risk estimated using the US EPA method, the total hazard ratio in the basic chemical area was the highest (3.1 × 10³), owing to the highest level of total concentration of VOCs. For the cancer risk, the total cancer risks were very high, ranging from 2.93 × 10^-3 (in the wastewater treatment area) to 1.1 × 10^-2 (in the basic chemical area), suggesting a definite risk. Using the ACGIH method, the total occupational exposure cancer risks of VOCs in the basic chemical area were the highest, being much higher than those of refining and wastewater treatment areas. Among the areas, the total occupational exposure risks in the basic chemical and refining areas were >1, which suggested a cancer threat to workers in these areas. Sensitivity analysis suggested that improving the accuracy of VOC concentrations themselves in future research would advance the health risk assessment.