Search results

1

Low-level environmental lead exposure and intellectual impairment in children - The current concepts of risk assessment

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Jakubowski M.

International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health

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2011

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vol. 24

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issue 1

1-7

EN

Lead is an environmental contaminant. The majority of epidemiological research on the health effects of lead has been focused on children, because they are more vulnerable to lead than adults. In children, an elevated blood lead (B-Pb) is associated with reduced Intelligence Quotient (IQ) score. This paper summarizes the current opinions on the assessment of the health risk connected with the children’s environmental exposure to lead. The B-Pb level of concern of 100 μg/l proposed by the US Centers of Disease Control in 1991 was for a long time accepted as the guideline value. In the meantime there has been a significant worldwide decrease of B-Pb levels in children and present geometric mean values in the European countries range from 20 to 30 μg/l. The recent analyses of the association of intelligence test scores and B-Pb levels have revealed that the steepest declines in IQ occur at blood levels < 100 μg/l and that no threshold below which lead does not cause neurodevelopmental toxicity can be defended. European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) concluded in 2010, on the basis of results of Benchmark Dose (BMD) analysis, that an increase in B-Pb of 12 μg/l (BMDL₀₁) could decrease the IQ score by one point. It seems that this value can be used as a “unit risk” to calculate the possible decrease of IQ and, consequently, influence of the low-level exposure to lead (< 100 μg/l) on the health and socioeconomic status of the exposed population.

2

The role of residence near hazardous waste sites containing benzene in the development of hematologic cancers in upstate New York

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Boberg E., Lessner L., Carpenter D. O.

International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health

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2011

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vol. 24

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issue 4

327-338

EN

Objectives: Epidemiologic studies suggest an association between environmental exposure to benzene and hematologic cancers, but the relationship is not fi rmly established. The aim of this study was to assess the potential association between residence near hazardous waste sites containing benzene and hospitalization discharge rates for persons having hematologic cancers. Materials and Methods: We determined the number of hospital discharges of people with hematologic cancers in New York State except for New York City for the years 1993 to 2008. Descriptive statistics and negative binomial regression models were used to compare the rates of hospitalization of residents in zip codes containing hazardous waste sites containing benzene to the rates of discharges from residents in zip codes without waste sites. Results: When adjusting for potential confounders we found a 15% increase in the rate of hospitalization for chronic lymphatic leukemia (CLL) [rate ratio (RR): 1.15; 95% confi dence interval (CI): 1.00–1.33], a 22% increase in the rate of discharges for total leukemia (RR: 1.22; 95% CI: 1.04–1.43) and a 17% increase in the rate of discharges for total lymphoma (RR: 1.17; 95% CI: 1.02–1.35) in the benzene exposed sites. We found greater effects of exposure in African Americans compared to Caucasians, females compared to males and people with higher socioeconomic status (SES) compared to those with lower SES for several of the diseases studied. Conclusions: After controlling for major confounders we found statistically signifi cant increases in discharge rates for several hematologic cancers in persons residing in zip codes containing benzene waste sites. These results provide additional support for a relationship between environmental exposure to benzene and risk of hematologic cancers.

3

Consideration on the health risk reduction related to attainment of the new particulate matter standards in Poland: A top-down policy risk assessment approach

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Kobza J., Pastuszka J. S., Gulis G.

International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health

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2015

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vol. 29

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issue 1

1-14

EN

Policies can influence health of a population in various ways. Numerous epidemiological studies supported by toxicological investigations demonstrate a positive association between ambient concentrations of airborne particulate matter and increased adverse cardio-respiratory events, including morbidity and mortality. The aim of this paper was to present the concept of the top-down health policy risk assessment approach model developed to estimate the expected health risk reduction associated with policy aiming at attaining the new particulate matter ≤ 10 μm in diameter (PM 10) standards in Poland. The top-down approach guides the analysis of causal chains from the policy to health outcomes. In this case study we tried to estimate the predicted health effects of the policy change over the past 20 years. Since Polish annual standard for PM 10 changed from 50 μg/m³ in 1990 to 40 μg/m³ in 2010, we calculated the relative risk associated with decreasing PM 10 in diameter to 10 μg/m³ in the annual level of PM 10 for 6 adverse health effects. The relative risk slightly decreased for almost all adverse health effects, which means that the relative decrease in the incidence of health effects from the baseline incidence should range from about 0.5–0.6% for heart disease admissions to > 1% for respiratory admissions. The obtained results indicate that implementation of the new ambient air standards could influence improvement of the health status of Polish population. A top-down policy health risk assessment model can be one of the main tools in this process, providing harmonized guidance how to seek evidence-based information, which could serve policy-makers.

4

Indoor allergens in settled dust from kindergartens in city of Łódź, Poland

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Cyprowski M., Buczyńska A., Szadkowska-Stańczyk I.

International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health

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2013

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vol. 26

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issue 6

890-899

EN

Objectives: The main objective of the study was to determine the levels of house dust mite (Der p1), dog (Can f1), cat (Fel d1) and cockroach (Bla g2) allergens in kindergartens localized in an urban agglomeration. Material and Methods: A quantitative analysis of allergens was carried out in settled dust samples collected by vacuuming the floor surface in three kindergartens (N = 84) and children's clothing (N = 36). The samples were collected in springsummer and autumn-winter periods as well as at the beginning and end of the week. The allergen dust concentration was determined by enzyme-linked immunoenzymatic assay (ELISA). Results: The mean geometric concentrations (±geometric standard deviations) of allergens Der p1, Can f1, Fel d1 and Bla g2 determined in kindergartens were: 0.02±3.21 μg/g of dust; 0.97±4.49 μg/g of dust; 0.30±4.43 μg/g of dust and 0.01±3.08 μg/g of dust, respectively. Younger classrooms (children aged from 3 to 4 years) were characterized by almost twice higher mean concentration of allergen Fel d1, as compared to older classrooms (children aged from 5 to 6 years) (p < 0.05). A significant impact of seasonality on the level of dog allergen Can f1 was found (p < 0.05). No significant weekly variation was found in average concentrations of the allergens. Children who had a dog and/or cat at home were characterized by high concentrations of allergens Can f1 and Fel d1 on their clothes (59.2±5.39 μg Can f1/g of dust; 3.63±1.47 μg Fel d1/g of dust), significantly higher than concentrations of allergens in children who did not have any pets (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Special attention should be paid to keeping the kindergarten rooms tidy and clean and to an appropriate choice of furnishings and fittings which would prevent the proliferation of the house dust mite and accumulation of allergens.

5

Zoonotic bacteria in the vicinity of animal farms as a factor disturbing the human microbiome: a review

75%

Kozajda A., Miśkiewicz E., Jeżak K.

International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health

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2024

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vol. 37

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issue 2

138-152

EN

This review is aimed at summarizing the current state of knowledge about the relationship between environmental exposure to the bioaerosol emitted by intensive livestock farming and changes in the microbiome of people living in livestock farm vicinity. The PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science databases were searched by crossing keywords from the following 3 groups: a) “livestock,” “animal farms,” “animal breeding”; b) “microbiome,” “resistome”; c) “livestock vicinity,” “farm vicinity,” “neighborhoods and health” in 2010–2022. Literature screening did not reveal any paper related to the full microbiome composition in the population studied. In the study, the authors included 7 papers (5 from the Netherlands, 1 from the USA, and 1 from China). The studies confirmed the carriage of Staphylococcus aureus, including methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), livestock-associated MRSA (LA-MRSA MC398) and multidrug-resistant S. aureus (MDRSA) in the nasal microbiome of adults and children living within 500–2000 m from a livestock farm. Clostridium difficile, including LA-ribotype RT078 carriage, was detected in the intestinal microbiome of adults living within 500–1000 m. Extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) producing Enterobacteriaceae were confirmed in the intestinal microbiome of adults living within 500–6200 m. Knowledge on the composition of the microflora of people living in livestock farm vicinity is insufficient to conclude about changes in the microbiome caused by the environmental emission of bioaerosol. The carriage prevalence of the LA-bacteria, including both strains with antimicrobial resistance and antimicrobial resistance genes, confirms the presence of zoonotic bacteria in the human microflora in populations without occupational contact with animals. It cannot be ruled out that zoonotic bacteria, as a component of the microbiome, have a negative impact on people’s health.

6

Wpływ infradźwięków i hałasu niskoczęstotliwościowego na zdrowie i samopoczucie człowieka. Część II: przegląd badań epidemiologicznych

51%

Pawlaczyk-Łuszczyńska M., Dudarewicz A., Myshchenko I., Bortkiewicz A.

Medycyna Pracy

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2023

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vol. 74

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issue 5

409-423

EN

This paper summarizes the currently available knowledge on the impact of infrasound (IS) and low frequency noise (LFN) on human health and well-being. This narrative review of the literature data was based on the selected, mostly, peer-reviewed research papers, review articles, and meta-analyses that were published in 1971–2022. It has been focused on the results of epidemiological studies concerning the annoyance related to infrasound and low frequency noise, as well as their impact on the cardiovascular system and sleep disorders. Particular attention was also paid to the latest research results and specific sources of IS and LFN, i.e., wind turbines.

PL

Niniejsza praca podsumowuje dostępną wiedzę na temat wpływu infradźwięków i hałasu niskoczęstotliwościowego (HNcz) na zdrowie i samopoczucie ludzi. Podstawą tego narracyjnego przeglądu piśmiennictwa były wybrane, głównie recenzowane prace badawcze, artykuły poglądowe i metaanalizy opublikowane w latach 1971–2022. Uwagę skoncentrowano na wynikach badań epidemiologicznych dotyczących dokuczliwości przypisywanej infradźwiękom i HNcz, a także ich wpływowi na układ sercowo-naczyniowy i zaburzenia snu. Szczególną uwagę poświęcono także ostatnim wynikom badań i swoistym źródłom infradźwięków i HNcz, tj. turbinom wiatrowym.

7

Carbon dioxide as a potential danger to medical rescue teams at work – A case study

51%

Podlewski R., Płotek W., Grześkowiak M., Małkiewicz T., Frydrysiak K., Żaba Z.

Medycyna Pracy

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2017

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vol. 68

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issue 1

135-138

PL

Zespoły ratownictwa medycznego mogą być narażone na ryzyko przypadkowych zatruć w trakcie wykonywania medycznych czynności ratunkowych. Do rzadkich sytuacji należy narażenie na śmiertelne stężenie dwutlenku węgla (CO₂). W pracy opisano akcję ratunkową pacjenta, u którego doszło do nagłego zatrzymania krążenia z powodu przypadkowego zatrucia CO₂. Ostatecznie udało się poszkodowanego ewakuować i zreanimować, ale okoliczności towarzyszące tej akcji sugerują konieczność wyposażenia karetek zespołów ratownictwa medycznego w detektory tlenku i dwutlenku węgla oraz szczelne maski tlenowe. Med. Pr. 2017;68(1):135–138

EN

Medical rescue teams might be exposed to the risk of accidental poisoning while performing rescue procedures. Exposure to the risk of lethal carbon dioxide (CO₂) concentrations is a rare situation. This case study describes rescuing a patient who suffered from sudden cardiac arrest due to accidental CO₂ poisoning. The victim was finally evacuated and resuscitated, but the circumstances of the rescue operation point to the need to equip ambulances with carbon dioxide detectors and hermetic oxygen masks. Med Pr 2017;68(1):135–138

8

Nowe zagrożenie zawodowe i środowiskowe – nanoplastik

51%

Rakowski M., Grzelak A.

Medycyna Pracy

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2020

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vol. 71

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issue 6

743-756

EN

Problems arising from the accumulation of plastic waste in the environment have become global. Appeals to stop the usage of disposable drinking straws or plastic cutlery did not come out without reason – 320 million tons of plastic products are produced annually, of which 40% are disposable items. More and more countries and private enterprises are giving up these types of items in favor of their biodegradable substitutes, e.g., cardboard drinking straws. Plastic waste in the environment is subject to a number of physicochemical interactions and biodegradation in which bacteria are involved. By using synthetic waste, they reduce the size of plastic garbage while increasing its dispersion in the environment. Small plastic particles, invisible to the naked eye, are called nanoplastic. Nanoplastic is not inert to living organisms. Due to its size, it is taken up with food by animals and passed on in the trophic chain. The ability to penetrate the body’s barriers through nanoplastic leads to the induction of biological effects with various outcomes. Research studies on the interaction of nanoplastic with living organisms are carried out in many laboratories; however, their number is still a drop in the ocean of the data needed to draw clear-cut conclusions about the impact of nanoplastic on living organisms. There is also no data on the direct exposure to nanoplastic contamination at workplaces, schools and public utilities, standards describing the acceptable concentration of nanoplastic in food products and drinking water, and in vitro tests on nanoparticles other than polystyrene nanoparticles. Complementing the existing data will allow assessing the risks arising from the exposure of organisms to nanoplastic. Med Pr. 2020;71(6):743–56

PL

Problemy wynikające z gromadzenia się w środowisku plastikowych odpadów stały się globalne. Apele o zaprzestanie wykorzystywania jednorazowych słomek do napojów czy plastikowych sztućców nie pojawiły się bez powodu – rocznie produkuje się 320 mln ton wyrobów plastikowych, z których 40% to przedmioty jednorazowego użytku. Coraz więcej państw i prywatnych przedsiębiorstw rezygnuje z przedmiotów plastikowych na rzecz ich biodegradowalnych zamienników, np. tekturowych słomek do napojów. W środowisku plastikowe odpady podlegają wielu oddziaływaniom fizykochemicznym oraz biodegradacji, w której biorą udział bakterie. Bytując na odpadach syntetycznych, powodują zmniejszenie ich rozmiarów i zwiększają ich dyspersję w środowisku. Małe, niewidoczne gołym okiem cząstki plastiku noszą nazwę nanoplastiku. Nanoplastik nie jest obojętny dla organizmów żywych. Z uwagi na swoje rozmiary jest pobierany wraz z pokarmem przez zwierzęta i przekazywany w łańcuchu troficznym. Zdolność nanoplastiku do przenikania barier organizmu indukuje efekty biologiczne o rozmaitych skutkach. Wiele ośrodków prowadzi badania na temat nanoplastiku, jednak ich wyniki wciąż stanowią ułamek danych potrzebnych do jednoznacznego wnioskowania o jego wpływie na organizmy żywe. Brakuje także danych dotyczących bezpośredniego narażenia na zanieczyszczenie nanoplastikiem w miejscach pracy, szkołach i miejscach użyteczności publicznej, norm opisujących dopuszczalne stężenie nanoplastiku w produktach spożywczych i wodzie pitnej oraz badań in vitro na nanocząstkach innych niż polistyrenu. Uzupełnienie dostępnych danych pozwoli obiektywnie ocenić zagrożenia płynące ze strony ekspozycji organizmów na nanoplastik. Med. Pr. 2020;71(6):743–756

9

Skutki zdrowotne środowiskowej i zawodowej ekspozycji na glin

51%

Łukasz B., Rybakowska I. M., Krakowiak A., Sein Anand J.

Medycyna Pracy

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2020

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vol. 71

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issue 1

79-88

EN

This work features a review of literature discussing the health effects of environmental and occupational exposure to aluminum (Al) and its compounds. The sources of exposure, absorption routes and metabolism are discussed in detail. The role of Al and its compounds in the etiology of some diseases, related to both environmental exposure and exposure in the work environment, is also presented. Aluminum toxicity most often affects the central nervous system, the skeletal system, the hematopoietic system, the urinary tract and the respiratory system. An increased effect of active forms of oxygen can stimulate the formation of amyloid deposits. The clinical image of aluminum smelters was dominated by ataxia, memory impairment, impaired abstract thinking and depressive states. Aluminum compounds have a detrimental effect not only on the psychic but also motor skills.

PL

Praca jest przeglądem literatury omawiającej skutki zdrowotne środowiskowej i zawodowej ekspozycji na glin (Al) i jego związki. Szczegółowo omówiono w niej źródła narażenia, drogi wchłaniania i metabolizm. Przedstawiono także rolę Al i jego związków w etiologii niektórych chorób związanych zarówno z narażeniem środowiskowym, jak i ekspozycją w środowisku pracy. Toksyczność Al najczęściej dotyczy układów nerwowego, kostnego, krwiotwórczego, moczowego i oddechowego. Zwiększony efekt działania aktywnych form tlenu może stymulować powstawanie złogów amyloidowych. W obrazie klinicznym wytapiaczy aluminium dominowały: ataksja, zaburzenia pamięci, upośledzenie myślenia abstrakcyjnego i stany depresyjne. Związki glinu powodują zaburzenia sprawności nie tylko psychicznej, ale również motorycznej.

Refine search results

Low-level environmental lead exposure and intellectual impairment in children - The current concepts of risk assessment

The role of residence near hazardous waste sites containing benzene in the development of hematologic cancers in upstate New York

Consideration on the health risk reduction related to attainment of the new particulate matter standards in Poland: A top-down policy risk assessment approach

Indoor allergens in settled dust from kindergartens in city of Łódź, Poland

Zoonotic bacteria in the vicinity of animal farms as a factor disturbing the human microbiome: a review

Wpływ infradźwięków i hałasu niskoczęstotliwościowego na zdrowie i samopoczucie człowieka. Część II: przegląd badań epidemiologicznych

Carbon dioxide as a potential danger to medical rescue teams at work – A case study

Nowe zagrożenie zawodowe i środowiskowe – nanoplastik

Skutki zdrowotne środowiskowej i zawodowej ekspozycji na glin