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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.
EN
Objectives: Both environmental and occupational exposure limits are based on the no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL), lowest-observed-adverse-effect level (LOAEL) or benchmark dose (BMD) deriving from epidemiological and experimental studies. The aim of this study is to investigate to what extent the NOAEL values for organic compounds responsible for liver toxicity calculated based on their physicochemical properties could be used for calculating occupational exposure limits. Material and Methods: The distribution coefficients from air to the liver (log $\text{K}_\text{liver}$) were calculated according to the Abraham solvation equation. NOAEL and LOAEL values for early effects in the liver were obtained from the literature data. The descriptors for Abraham's equation were found for 59 compounds, which were divided into 2 groups: "non-reactive" (alcohols, ketones, esters, ethers, aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbons, amides) and "possibly reactive" (aldehydes, allyl compounds, amines, benzyl halides, halogenated hydrocarbons, acrylates). Results: The correlation coefficients between log-log K and log NOAEL for non-reactive and reactive compounds amounted to r = -0.8123 and r = -0.8045, respectively, and were statistically significant. It appears that the Abraham equation could be used to predict the NOAEL values for compounds lacking information concerning their liver toxicity. Conclusions: In view of the tendency to limit animal testing procedures, the method proposed in this paper can improve the practice of setting exposure guidelines for the unstudied compounds.
EN
Objective: The aim of this work is to describe the operation principle of the TRA ECETOC model developed using the descriptor system, and the utilization of that model for assessment of inhalation exposures to different organic solvents for selected process categories identifying a given application. Method: Measurement results were available for toluene, ethyl acetate and acetone in workplace atmosphere in Poland. The following process categories have been postulated: (1) Paints and lacquers factory: use in closed, continuous process with occasional controlled exposure; (2) Shoe factory: roller or brush application of glues; (3) Refinery: use in closed process, no likelihood of exposure. The next step was to calculate the workplace concentration at chosen process categories by applying the TRA ECETOC model. Results: The selected categories do not precisely describe the studied applications. Very high concentration values of acetone were measured in the shoe factory, mean 443 ppm. The concentration obtained with the aid of the model is underestimated, ranging from 25.47 to 254.7 ppm, for the case with and without activation of the local exhaust ventilation (LEV), respectively. Estimated concentration at a level corresponding to that of the measured concentration would be possible if the process category involving spraying, e.g., PROC 7 was considered. For toluene and ethyl acetate, the measured concentrations are within the predicted ranges determined with the use of the model when we assume the concentration predicted with active ventilation for the beginning, and the concentration predicted with inactive ventilation for the end of the range. Conclusions: Model TRA ECETOC can be easily used to assess inhalation exposure at workplace. It has numerous advantages, its structure is clear, requires few data, is available free of charge. Selection of appropriate process categories related to the uses identified is guarantee of successful exposure assessment.
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