Search Results (1,017)

Pigment implantation (semi-permanent make-up, microblading and cosmetic tattooing) introduces complex pigment mixtures into the dermis, resulting in direct exposure of keratinocytes, fibroblasts and resident immune cells to metals, organic dyes and nanoparticles. Within Somatology and Somatic therapy practice, an allied health discipline concerned with evidence-based care of the skin and body, Somatic Therapists operate at the interface of dermal intervention, molecular exposure and occupational health, underscoring the relevance of mechanistic toxicology for risk-informed professional practice. This PRISMA-guided systematic review synthesises molecular toxicology and omics-based evidence, emphasising oxidative stress generation, inflammatory signalling via NF-κB/MAPK pathways, apoptosis and genotoxicity, T-cell-mediated type IV hypersensitivity reactions associated with modern red azo pigments, and dermal-to-lymphatic transport of particulate matter. Transcriptomic and metabolomic studies consistently demonstrate pigment-specific inflammatory responses and wound-healing gene signatures, supporting mechanism-driven biocompatibility profiling. Regulatory frameworks, including EU REACH Annex XVII Entry 75 and recent FDA guidance on microbial contamination, have strengthened compliance requirements; however, surveillance continues to identify mislabelling, restricted pigments and microbial contamination in some inks. For Somatology and Somatic therapy practice, these findings highlight the importance of evidence-based pigment selection, traceable sourcing, aseptic technique, ventilation, personal protective equipment and informed consent addressing pigment migration and delayed adverse reactions. The integration of molecular outcomes with omics technologies and regulatory oversight provides a next-generation risk assessment framework to advance safe cosmetic practice and public health. Full article

Although asbestos has been banned in the European Union since 2005, asbestos-containing materials, such as brake pads and clutch linings, may still occur in waste streams due to the long service life of vehicles, legacy equipment, and international trade in spare parts. The persistence of these materials raises environmental and occupational health concerns, particularly in waste management systems. This study aims to assess the presence, temporal trends, and sectoral distribution of asbestos-containing friction materials in the Hungarian waste management system two decades after the EU ban, and to evaluate the associated regulatory and occupational risk implications. The analysis is based on national hazardous waste datasets classified under EWC code 16 01 11* (asbestos-containing brake pads), with a specific focus on this waste category rather than on the full range of asbestos-related waste streams recorded in the national database. The results indicate that asbestos-containing friction materials are still present in the waste stream, with measurable quantities recorded annually. Despite regulatory control, identification challenges and potential misclassification may contribute to underreporting. The continued occurrence of asbestos-containing materials highlights the persistence of legacy hazardous materials within circular economy systems. Strengthened monitoring, improved identification protocols, and enhanced occupational safety measures are necessary to mitigate residual exposure risks. The findings underline that asbestos is not merely a historical issue but remains a contemporary environmental and public health challenge. Full article

Background/Objectives: Despite well-documented chemical and physical hazards in healthcare settings, existing reviews of occupational reproductive risks have largely focused on single-agent risk estimation and have rarely translated occupational hygiene evidence into clinical decision-making frameworks for reproductive counseling and surveillance. This narrative review synthesizes evidence across multiple occupational exposure categories—antineoplastic agents, high-level disinfectants (HLDs), sterilants, and work-organization factors—and proposes an integrated, clinically operational framework for preconception counseling, pregnancy-sensitive risk stratification, exposure-control verification, and reproductive health surveillance among women healthcare workers. Methods: A structured narrative literature search was conducted across PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase from database inception through January 2025 and updated in March 2026. The review was guided by a Population–Exposure–Comparison–Outcome (PECO) framework and structured using Search–Appraisal–Synthesis–Analysis (SALSA) principles and the Scale for the Assessment of Narrative Review Articles (SANRA). Evidence quality was summarized using a modified hierarchy-of-evidence classification provided as a reader aid. This narrative review employed structured transparency tools but does not claim the methodological status of a systematic review. Quantitative meta-analytic pooling was not performed owing to substantial heterogeneity across study designs, exposure assessment methods, and outcome definitions; findings were synthesized narratively by exposure category. Results: The strongest and most consistent evidence was identified for occupational exposure to antineoplastic agents, which has been associated with spontaneous abortion, stillbirth, congenital abnormalities, impaired fecundability, and selected cancer-related concerns. HLDs and sterilants represent exposure categories warranting precautionary attention, with some evidence suggesting possible adverse effects on fecundability and early pregnancy maintenance; however, findings are considerably more heterogeneous, context-dependent, and reliant on self-reported exposure assessment than those for antineoplastic agents. Broader workplace factors, including shift work, prolonged working hours, physical workload, and mixed exposures, may further contribute to reproductive risk. The synthesis supports task-specific occupational history taking, exposure-control verification, and pregnancy-sensitive risk stratification. Conclusions: This review provides a multi-exposure, clinically operational framework that bridges occupational hygiene evidence with reproductive healthcare delivery, offering practical decision-support tools for clinicians managing women healthcare workers during preconception, pregnancy, and lactation. The framework includes structured occupational history-taking questions, a clinical decision pathway with evidence-tier classification, and a prevention matrix linking exposure sources to workplace controls and clinical actions. Integrating task-specific occupational history taking into routine reproductive care may improve detection of preventable workplace risks and support timely accommodation, while clinicians should calibrate recommendation strength to the underlying evidence quality for each exposure category. Full article

Background: Firefighting is a hazardous occupation, yet data online-of-duty deaths in European firefighter populations remain limited. This study aimed to characterise the mechanisms and circumstances of firefighter fatalities in Poland and to estimate exposure-based fatality rates, with particular attention to differences between career and volunteer personnel. Methods: In this retrospective observational study, line-of-duty firefighter fatalities in Poland from 1995 to 2025 were identified from a nationwide repository and cross-validated against official sources. The mechanism of death was classified from case narratives following the Utstein framework. Group comparisons used chi-square, Fisher’s exact, and Welch’s tests; multivariable probit regression assessed predictors of mechanism; and per-capita and per-deployment fatality rates were computed using national denominator data. Results: Of 112 fatalities, 73 (65.2%) involved volunteer firefighters. Sudden Cardiac Arrest of Presumed Non-Traumatic origin (SCA-PNT) was the leading mechanism (44.6%), followed by traumatic injury (37.5%). Volunteers were older than career firefighters (46.4 ± 14.0 vs. 34.6 ± 8.7 years; p < 0.001) and more likely to die of SCA-PNT (odds ratio 6.35; 95% confidence interval 2.46–16.40) and during the response phase (odds ratio 5.07; 1.89–13.55). Age was the strongest independent predictor of mechanism. The per-capita fatality rate was higher among career firefighters (incidence rate ratio 5.16), whereas the per-deployment rate was higher among volunteers (incidence rate ratio 2.25). Conclusions: Firefighter mortality in Poland differs by employment status and is strongly age-dependent. Age-stratified cardiovascular surveillance and prevention may be more effective than formation-based approaches. Full article

Background/Objectives: Teachers in educational institutions are continuously exposed to high occupational demands, which may contribute to the development of increased adiposity and comparatively unfavorable health-related quality of life (HRQoL) scores. However, there is limited evidence regarding how years of professional experience is associated with these indicators in teachers. The objective of this study is to examine the association between years of professional experience, adiposity indicators, and HRQoL among teachers in educational institutions. Methods: An observational, relational, exploratory cross-sectional study was conducted in 175 teachers from educational institutions in the city of Temuco, Chile. Body mass index (BMI), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) were assessed as adiposity indicators, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) was measured using the SF-12. Age, sex, and years of professional experience were recorded. Simple and multivariable linear regression models were used to analyze the association between years of experience and the study variables, adjusting for age and sex. Additionally, experience tertiles were compared using ANOVA and ANCOVA. Results: In the unadjusted analyses, greater years of professional experience were associated with higher adiposity indicators, including BMI (β = 0.071; 95% CI: 0.020 to 0.129). However, after adjustment for age and sex, these associations were attenuated and no longer statistically significant (adjusted BMI: β = −0.172; 95% CI: −0.434 to 0.053). Associations with PCS and MCS scores were also not statistically significant after adjustment. Conclusions: Teachers exhibited high levels of adiposity and HRQoL scores suggesting an unfavorable perceived health profile. The observed associations between years of professional experience and adiposity or HRQoL appear to be largely explained by age rather than by professional experience itself. Future longitudinal studies are needed to more precisely distinguish between the effects of aging and prolonged occupational exposure. However, the findings should be interpreted cautiously given the convenience sampling design and the inclusion of teachers from a single city. Full article

Street-food grilling is a common occupation in Asia, yet the occupational health risks associated with cooking-generated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) exposure, occurring alongside plausible unmeasured co-exposures such as ambient heat and physical workload, remain under-researched. This study investigated the internal dose of PAH exposure and its association with early biological effects and physiological strain among grill restaurant workers. A cross-sectional study was conducted involving grill workers and 20 age/BMI-matched controls. Urinary 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) was utilized as the primary exposure biomarker. The study assessed early biological effects such as oxidative stress (8-OHdG, F₂-isoprostanes), lung epithelial integrity (CC16), and genotoxicity (BPDE-DNA adducts) via ELISA. Physiological parameters, including blood pressure and heart rate, were recorded to evaluate acute cardiovascular strain. Workers had significantly elevated urinary 1-OHP levels compared to controls (Hodges–Lehmann ratio = 3.66, 95% CI: 1.68–7.12, representing a 3.7-fold median increase), with exposure levels increasing proportionally to smoke proximity. Notably, workers demonstrated a significantly higher median resting heart rate (HL ratio = 1.13, 95% CI: 1.05–1.23; +12.9%) and systolic blood pressure (HL ratio = 1.09, 95% CI: 1.00–1.18; +8.9%) compared to their office-based peers. Although strong correlations were observed among biological effect biomarkers (r_s = 0.42–0.63), there were no significant differences between groups for 8-OHdG, CC16, or BPDE-DNA adducts, suggesting that cardiovascular parameters reflect acute short-term responses, while genomic damage markers may require higher cumulative exposure thresholds to become detectable. The study revealed that grill restaurant workers face substantial internal PAH exposure and significant cardiovascular strain, occurring alongside plausible unmeasured co-exposures including ambient heat and physical workload. The prevalence of chronic cough and elevated heart rate is a critical early warning sign for occupational health. Our findings indicate that current general ventilation is inadequate, highlighting an urgent need for localized engineering controls and comprehensive health surveillance, including cardiovascular monitoring in the service sector. Full article

Background: Korean registered nurses face substantial cumulative occupational stress. Telomere length, a biomarker of cellular aging, is increasingly used in occupational stress research, but evidence on early-career Korean nurses is scarce. This study examined the association between occupational characteristics and telomere length in female nurses aged 20–39 years. Methods: Sixty-eight female nurses from a tertiary hospital in South Korea completed the questionnaires. We assessed demographics, occupational factors, burnout (Maslach Burnout Inventory), and sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index—Korean [PSQI-K]). Salivary telomere length was measured using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Data were analyzed using t-tests, ANOVA with a Bonferroni post hoc test, Pearson correlations, and multivariable linear regression. Results: Participants showed moderate to high burnout levels (Emotional Exhaustion [EE] = 24.78 ± 10.96), with 41.2% exceeding the high EE threshold. Sleep quality was poor (PSQI-K = 7.90 ± 3.07), with 82.4% exceeding the cut-off. Univariable analyses revealed that younger age, unmarried status, shorter work experience, and higher personal accomplishment were associated with longer telomeres (all p < 0.05); multivariable analysis identified only age group as a significant predictor (B = −2.055 kb for nurses aged ≥30 years compared to those <30 years, p < 0.001). The model explained 83% of the variance in telomere length. Shift work, burnout, and sleep quality were not significantly associated with telomere length after controlling for age. Conclusions: Age was the main factor associated with telomere length in young female nurses, suggesting that biological manifestation of occupational effects may require longer exposure. The high prevalence of burnout and sleep disturbances warrants immediate organizational intervention. Saliva-based qPCR demonstrated reliable precision as a non-invasive method for biological monitoring in occupational health research. These findings provide a basis for future longitudinal studies examining the cumulative effects of occupational stress and inform targeted wellness interventions for early-career nurses. Full article

Maternal anemia and prenatal exposure to neurotoxic metals are widespread in low- and middle-income countries and may affect early childhood development. In Suriname, where mercury contamination from artisanal gold mining and social disparities coexist, we examined associations between maternal anemia, prenatal exposure to mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), manganese (Mn), selenium (Se), and cadmium (Cd), and early neurodevelopment. The study included 755 pregnant women and 644 children (10–26 months) from the Caribbean Consortium for Research in Environmental and Occupational Health (CCREOH) cohort. Maternal anemia was defined using WHO criteria for Hb, metals were measured in maternal blood, and child development was assessed using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, third edition (BSID-III-NL). Analyses used non-parametric tests, correlations, and multivariable regression. Anemia, though common (34%), was not independently associated with cognitive, language, motor, or social–emotional outcomes. However, iron status was not directly measured; therefore, the absence of an observed association should not be interpreted as evidence that maternal iron deficiency is unrelated to early neurodevelopment. Pb showed the most consistent associations, with higher prenatal levels predicting poorer cognitive, motor, and language scores. Hg demonstrated weaker but significant negative associations with several domains, while Mn and Cd showed limited direct effects. Interaction analyses suggested a potential modifying role of Se in certain metal-neurodevelopment associations; however, these findings require confirmation in future studies. Overall, these results suggest that prenatal exposure to neurotoxic metals and sociodemographic disparities may be important contributors to variation in early neurodevelopment in this population, but causal inferences cannot be made from this cross-sectional analysis. Full article

Achieving the EU’s climate goals by 2050 requires a rapid transition to a resource-efficient and circular economy. The electrification of transport increases the demand for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries (LiBs), where lithium–nickel–cobalt–manganese (Li-NMC) is the predominant cathode technology in the European automotive sector. Large-scale facilities for LiB production and recycling are emerging worldwide, bringing not only technical challenges but also challenges regarding healthy and safe working environments. Current knowledge on occupational exposure and health risks in the LiB industry is limited and largely based on evidence from other occupational settings. However, the LiB industry involves legacy and new combinations of metals and chemicals in novel contexts. Some of these substances have well-known adverse health effects, and combined exposure may increase their absorption and toxicity. Although processes are often highly specialised and automated, manual handling tasks remain, which put workers at risk of exposure. Important knowledge gaps remain regarding exposure levels, exposure pathways, dermal and systemic uptake, combined exposures, and potential health effects among workers. This perspective paper discusses current exposure scenarios and health risks in LiB production and recycling, identifies key knowledge gaps, and highlights future research needs to support evidence-based occupational risk management. To address several of these challenges, the GreenWorkLiB initiative applies a multidisciplinary approach combining exposure assessment, biomonitoring, and occupational medicine. The initiative investigates exposure pathways via air and skin, internal dose through biomonitoring, and potential health effects among workers in LiB production and recycling. The results can support the assessment of human health and safety within the EU’s Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) framework and contribute to safe and sustainable working environments in the LiB industry. Full article

Travel-associated Legionnaires’ disease (TALD) investigations in hotels have generated extensive environmental monitoring data. However, the occupational implications for workers who operate, maintain, clean, or inspect the same systems are rarely assessed. We developed a hybrid framework integrating a semi-quantitative environmental hazard model with deterministic Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment (QMRA). In the first model, culture concentration bands were combined with physicochemical deviation indicators (temperature, free residual chlorine, and pH) to derive point-level hazard ($H_i$) and zone-level hazard (${\overline{H}}_z$). In the second model, a job-based presence matrix was combined with zone-specific serogroup-based severity using a simplified World Health Organization (WHO)-style 3 × 3 likelihood–severity approach. Legionella pneumophila (≥50 CFU/L) was detected in 29.94% of water samples and was significantly associated with low chlorine (<0.2 mg/L; RR 2.90) and hot water temperature < 55 °C (RR 3.07). To support comparative occupational exposure stratification, QMRA was applied to estimate the daily inhaled dose ($\mathrm{d}$) for 15 worker groups, indicating variability in modeled biological exposure across occupational categories. Within this framework, modeled occupational exposure potential was shaped by the combined influence of pathogen concentration and assumed exposure duration. Under the hazard model, the highest zone-level hazard estimate was observed in kitchens and food and beverage (F&B) areas (${\overline{H}}_z$ = 2.607), followed by machinery rooms (${\overline{H}}_z$ = 2.022) and guest rooms (${\overline{H}}_z$ = 1.874). These findings support the integration of worker protection into water safety management, particularly in areas and groups overlooked in routine investigations. Full article

Forest firefighters face concurrent thermal stress, biomechanical loading, high metabolic demand, smoke, and time-constrained manual work, conditions that increase musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) risk. In Chile, occupational health regulation requires biomechanical risk management, but no task-specific activation protocol has been evaluated within wildfire suppression operations. This pilot study assessed the feasibility, acceptability, and safety of ActivAcción, a 5 min dynamic activation protocol integrated into Corporación Nacional Forestal (CONAF) wildfire brigade routines. A single-group mixed-methods feasibility study was conducted over 8 weeks at the Placilla CONAF base, Valparaíso Region, Chile. Ten firefighters and supervisors participated. The intervention included two educational sessions and an eight-exercise routine adapted from the WFX-FIT manual and delivered within existing safety briefings. Outcomes were adverse events, musculoskeletal complaints, perceived feasibility and acceptability, implementation fidelity, and qualitative themes. No adverse events or new musculoskeletal complaints were recorded. Feasibility and acceptability ratings were high among brigadistas (mean, 6.71/7.0, SD = 0.69) and maximal among supervisors (7.0/7.0). Protocol fidelity reached 75% (12/16 sessions). Qualitative findings identified task-specificity, ease of integration, and leadership endorsement as implementation facilitators. ActivAcción is feasible, acceptable, and safe under the studied low-exposure conditions; controlled high-season evaluation is required before inference on MSD prevention effectiveness. Full article

Musculoskeletal disorders represent one of the most frequent occupational health problems in labour-intensive industries, particularly in fish processing, where repetitive tasks and prolonged postures are common. The objective was to determine the level of ergonomic risk by applying the Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) method and based on the results, to formulate recommendations aimed at preventing musculoskeletal disorders and improving preventive management within the organization. The assessment included 30 workers distributed across three operational workstations, where the overall average REBA score was 8.60 ± 1.65 (range: 6–12), indicating a predominantly high level of ergonomic risk. In categorical terms, 60.0% of the workers were classified as high risk, 13.3% as very high risk, and 26.7% as medium risk, while none reached negligible or low risk levels. Significant differences were observed between workstations (Kruskal–Wallis H = 16.72, p < 0.001, ε² = 0.545), with the nobbing stage exhibiting the highest biomechanical load (mean REBA = 10.38 ± 1.06). It is concluded that ergonomic risk is structurally integrated into the operational design of the evaluated production system; therefore, ergonomic interventions focused on redesigning workstations, adjusting height, and configuring tasks are recommended to reduce biomechanical exposure and strengthen the organization’s preventive occupational safety framework. Full article

Silver (Ag) and gold (Au) nanoparticles (NPs) are widely used in biomedicine, electronics, and catalysis, but their potential toxicity raises occupational health concerns. This study assessed the cytotoxicity and cellular interactions of Ag and Au NPs in human bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B) using a standardized OECD three-tiered approach, alongside characterization of lung-deposited surface area (LDSA) concentrations during NP synthesis, which remained within ranges typically reported in occupational environments. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that AgNPs formed irregular clusters (~8.7 nm primary size, >30 nm aggregates), whereas AuNPs remained spherical (~13.4 nm). Real-time cytotoxicity analysis (xCELLigence) showed acute toxicity of AgNPs at 5 μg/cm², while AuNPs exhibited no cytotoxic effects. Dark-field and 3D hyperspectral imaging demonstrated that some AgNPs were internalized by BEAS-2B cells, whereas AuNPs remained mostly on the cell surface, indicating that uptake alone does not determine cytotoxicity. The greater dissolution potential of AgNPs and possible release of Ag⁺ ions may contribute to the enhanced cytotoxic effects observed in comparison to AuNPs, as suggested in previous studies. Although oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and related cellular mechanisms were not directly assessed in the present study, the findings demonstrate differential cellular responses following nanoparticle exposure under realistic occupational exposure conditions. These results contribute to understanding nanoparticle–cell interactions and support the need for further mechanistic investigations to inform safer nanomaterial use. Full article

Background/Objectives: Nutritional intake plays an important role in modulating lead absorption and toxicity. In addition to micronutrient status, emerging evidence suggests that body fat distribution may influence heavy metal toxicokinetics, yet this aspect remains poorly explored in occupational settings. This study aimed to investigate the associations of dietary intake of zinc, calcium, vitamin D, and protein, as well as anthropometric indicators, with blood lead levels (BLLs) among lead-exposed male workers. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 144 male workers from five areas with varying degrees of environmental lead contamination in Java, Indonesia. Nutrient intake was assessed using a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (SQ-FFQ). Anthropometric measurements included body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR). BLLs were measured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify independent predictors of elevated BLLs. Results: The median BLL was 6.8 µg/dL (Q1–Q3: 4.75–13.08), and 32% of participants had BLLs above 10 µg/dL. BLLs differed significantly across exposure areas (p < 0.001). In bivariate analysis, WHtR, protein intake, zinc intake, and vitamin D intake were significantly associated with BLLs. Workers with higher WHtR had a greater proportion of elevated BLLs (p = 0.023), whereas BMI was not associated. In multivariate analysis, low zinc intake (p = 0.031) and low vitamin D intake (p = 0.021) remained significant predictors of high blood lead levels. Conclusions: Environmental exposure remains the main determinant of BLLs, while low intake of zinc and vitamin D increases the risk of high blood lead levels. Central adiposity, reflected by WHtR, may represent a potential anthropometric marker of lead burden, suggesting a potential role of body fat distribution in lead toxicokinetics that warrants further investigation. Full article

This study aimed to assess the risks associated with ultraviolet radiation (UVR) exposure among military outdoor workers at Lohatla Military Base, South Africa, and to inform targeted risk reduction strategies. A quantitative, cross-sectional design was employed, using a questionnaire survey with 161 participants (81% completion rate; 58.39% male; the largest age group was 19–25 years) and five days of objective environmental monitoring. Environmental data confirmed the presence of elevated solar ultraviolet radiation conditions, with peak irradiance levels recorded between 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM, while temperature highs frequently exceeded 35 °C (peaking at 39 °C). Statistical analysis using Spearman’s rank-order correlation revealed strong positive associations among sun protection behaviours, including wearing protective clothing, hat use, sunscreen use, and avoidance of peak sun exposure hours (ρ values up to 0.764, p < 0.001), indicating the clustered and interdependent nature of effective sun safety practices. Furthermore, engagement in protective behaviours was significantly associated with improved health outcomes, including a lower incidence of sunburn (ρ = 0.407, p < 0.001) and reduced hyperpigmentation (ρ = 0.438, p < 0.001). These findings indicate that combined protective strategies are associated with reduced self-reported dermatological outcomes. Despite the benefits of individual behaviours, military personnel remain exposed to high levels of environmental ultraviolet radiation, underscoring the need for institutional, evidence-based policy interventions to mitigate occupational exposure risks. The study concludes that military organisations should implement mandatory administrative controls (e.g., schedule adjustments), standardise high-ultraviolet-protection-factor protective gear, and enhance targeted health literacy training to mitigate long-term UV-related health risks and improve the operational effectiveness of their workers. Full article