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IJERPH
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Health-Related Risk Caused by Occupational Environmental Exposure
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Health-Related Risk Caused by Occupational Environmental Exposure

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2025 | Viewed by 1440

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Luiz Bueno Da Silva

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Production Engineering, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa 58051-970, Brazil
Interests: occupational safety and health; environmental ergonomics; human interaction with the indoor and outdoor built environment
Dr. Elamara Marama De Araújo Vieira

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Physiotherapy, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa 58051-900, PB, Brazil
Interests: workplace; ergonomics; worker's health; occupational health

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Occupational exposure to environmental agents can lead to a variety of health conditions, ranging from respiratory and cardiovascular diseases to cancer and neurological disorders. Studies have shown that workers exposed to environmental factors such as atmospheric pollutants, industrial chemicals, dusts, and biological agents, among others, are at higher risk of developing these conditions.

In recent years, there have been significant advances in the knowledge of risks associated with occupational exposure. One of the most important advancements has been the development of more precise methods for assessing and monitoring exposure to harmful agents. Technologies such as portable sensors and biomarkers have enhanced the ability to monitor and identify the detrimental effects caused by acute or chronic exposures. Additionally, longitudinal epidemiological studies have allowed for a more detailed understanding of the long-term effects of occupational exposure.

Recent advancements have thus improved the understanding of risk mechanisms and the tools for monitoring and prevention. However, the complexity of exposures, their interactions, and the multiple biological, psychological, and productive effects in the short, medium, and long term remain a broad field of study yet to be fully explored.

We invite articles that present probabilistic data on health risks arising from exposure to environmental characteristics of the workplace, as well as the proposal of analytical methods and techniques, and the results of occupational interventions addressing such health risks. Additional examples of relevant topics include the following:

  • Risk analysis methodologies;
  • The validation of risk analysis tools;
  • Experimental research;
  • Intervention research;
  • Effects of exposure to physical agents;
  • Effects of exposure to chemical agents;
  • Epidemiological research on occupational environmental exposure risks.

Dr. Luiz Bueno Da Silva
Dr. Elamara Marama De Araújo Vieira
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • occupational environmental exposure
  • ergonomics
  • physical risks
  • chemical risks
  • biological risks
  • predictive models
  • risk assessment
  • risk management
  • occupational health
  • occupational safety
  • public policies

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 832 KiB  
Article
Extending a COVID-19 Job Exposure Matrix: The SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19 Job Exposure Matrix Module (SCoVJEM Module) for Population-Based Studies
by Ximena P. Vergara, Kathryn Gibb, David P. Bui, Elisabeth Gebreegziabher, Elon Ullman and Kyle Peerless
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2025, 22(3), 448; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22030448 - 18 Mar 2025
Viewed by 310
Abstract
The risk of workplace SARS-CoV-2 transmission is increased by aerosolization or droplets and increased respiratory rates or increased viral stability in cold environments. Few methods exist for identifying occupational risks of SARS-CoV-2 transmission. We extended a SARS-CoV-2 job exposure matrix (JEM) into four [...] Read more.
The risk of workplace SARS-CoV-2 transmission is increased by aerosolization or droplets and increased respiratory rates or increased viral stability in cold environments. Few methods exist for identifying occupational risks of SARS-CoV-2 transmission. We extended a SARS-CoV-2 job exposure matrix (JEM) into four dimensions, talking loudly (Loud) (very loud, loud, somewhat loud, or not), physical activity (PA) (high, medium or low), and cold (Cold) (cold or not) and hot environments (Hot) (hot or not), using data from the Occupational Information Network (O*NET) and a priori questions for each and noise measurements for 535 occupations. We classified 70%+ occupations as loud or very loud (74.6%); whereas 13.8% were high PA, 18.5% exposed to cold, and 23.7% exposed to hot temperatures. Applying to California 2019 workforce data to explore by race/ethnicity and sex, we found 21.2% worked in very loud and 12.6% in high PA occupations and 15.7% in cold and 17.8% hot environments. Latino workers were highly represented in very loud and high PA levels among farming (83.8 and 78.4%) and construction (58.7% and 50.3%). More males worked in each highest exposure level than females. This JEM provides aerosol transmission proxies for COVID-19 risk factors and merits investigation as a tool for epidemiologic studies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Health-Related Risk Caused by Occupational Environmental Exposure)
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13 pages, 840 KiB  
Article
A Pilot Study Exploring the Risk of SARS-CoV-2 Infection Among Employees Handling Healthcare Waste in Selected Healthcare Risk Waste Facilities in Johannesburg, South Africa
by Neo M. M. Sehlapelo, Phoka C. Rathebe and Nonhlanhla Tlotleng
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2025, 22(2), 243; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22020243 - 8 Feb 2025
Viewed by 809
Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has increased healthcare waste (HCW) across the globe, giving rise to new challenges such as illegal dumping of medical waste, and an increased risk to hazardous waste exposure such as blood and body fluids that could cause diseases. The study [...] Read more.
The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has increased healthcare waste (HCW) across the globe, giving rise to new challenges such as illegal dumping of medical waste, and an increased risk to hazardous waste exposure such as blood and body fluids that could cause diseases. The study aimed to determine factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection among employees handling medical waste in selected healthcare risk waste (HCRW) facilities in Johannesburg, South Africa. The pilot study followed a cross-sectional design, where self-administered questionnaires were used to collect data on occupation-related risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 among HCW handlers working in waste generation, transportation, and final disposal. A total of 33 participants selected from eight HCRW facilities participated in the study. The analysis showed that 21.9% (n = 7) of the HCW handlers who participated in the study reported a positive test result for COVID-19, while 78.1% (n = 26) reported a negative test result for COVID-19. The logistic regression analysis showed that repeated handling of HCW (COR: 1.50, 95% CI: 1.00–2.25) and not having sufficient hand washing facilities (COR: 1.13: 95% CI: 1.04–1.24) increased the odds of SARS-CoV-2 infection; however, these factors were not significant as risks for SARS-CoV-2. In the multivariable analysis, not being trained on personal protective equipment (PPE) use (AOR: 1.25, 95% CI: 1.00–1.58) increased the odds of SARS-CoV-2 infection, while having 3-6 years of experience in medical waste handling significantly lowered the odds of occupation-related SARS-CoV-2 infection by 33% (AOR: 0.67, 95% CI: 0.48–0.95). These preliminary findings show that factors such as the accessibility of handwashing facilities, training on the use of PPE, years of work experience, and repeated contact with medical waste may play a role in modifying the odds of SARS-CoV-2 infection among HCW handlers. A study with a larger sample size is needed to comprehensively quantify occupation related risk factors associated with communicable disease infections among HCW handlers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Health-Related Risk Caused by Occupational Environmental Exposure)
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