Search Results (74)

Single-use plastics (SUPs) impose substantial environmental costs. Following Directive (EU) 2019/904, Austria introduced producer charges and mandatory participation in collection and recycling systems. This paper exploits a monthly aggregated and disaggregated panel of retail offer spells drawn from a price-comparison platform to estimate the extent to which compliance costs pass through to posted online prices in Austria. The treated sample comprises keyword-matched SUP products—balloons, to-go cups, wet wipes, plastic bags, food containers, tobacco-filter items, beverage bottles, and plastic wraps—observed alongside a control group of non-SUP listings over 2020–2024. A two-way fixed-effects (TWFE) specification places the average post-treatment price increase at approximately 4.1 percent. A sequential TWFE model that disaggregates the administrative reporting phase (from March 2023) from the payment-due phase (from March 2024) reveals that the larger adjustment occurs during the earlier reporting stage, with a reporting-only effect of approximately 8.1 percent and an incremental payment-phase effect of 5.6 percent. For balloons—a category subject to pronounced regulatory fee exposure—event-study estimates exceed 50 percent in the months immediately following the initial payment date and remain elevated throughout most of the post-treatment window. Taken together, these findings indicate that Austrian online retailers began adjusting prices in advance of fee-payment deadlines, a pattern consistent with anticipatory pass-through of expected compliance costs rather than a discrete response to realized payments. As the data contain price observations but not quantity data, the analysis speaks to price incidence and does not extend to consumption or environmental outcomes. Full article

Powder bed fusion (PBF) and directed energy deposition (DED) additive manufacturing use feedstock powders that contain metals associated with skin diseases. We performed a survey of surface contamination and limited task-based dermal exposure assessment (four employees) at a PBF and DED facility. Skin wipes of wrists for two employees in the PBF room had higher post-task levels of chromium, cobalt, molybdenum, and nickel. Personal clothing worn by PBF employees showed evidence of contamination with metals as did personal protective equipment (PPE). Microscopy analysis documented contamination of metals throughout most areas of the facility. Levels of metals on surfaces throughout the facility were (ng/cm²) <5.0–7247 (aluminum), <0.2–4899 (chromium), <background-6.0 (chromium VI), 0.03–468.1 (cobalt), 1.6–100.0 (copper), 32.9–19,000 (iron), 0.01–789.0 (molybdenum), 0.1–12,058 (nickel), 0.1–482.8 (titanium), and 0.07–9.3 (vanadium). Levels were significantly lower in administrative areas compared with the production area but generally did not differ among powder handling and non-powder handling rooms in production. The small number of participants in the dermal exposure assessment and uniqueness of the facility might limit generalizability of the results. At least for this facility, steps to lower skin contact with metals can include washing, consistent use of PPE, and increasing awareness of dermal hazards among workers. Approaches to reduce migration of metals throughout a facility can include using adhesive (“tacky”) mats and boot covers and frequent wet cleaning of floors, tools, handles, and high touch surfaces. Full article

Background: Carcinogenic, Mutagenic, and Reprotoxic (CMR) substances are among the most significant occupational health hazards in healthcare and research laboratories. Despite preventive measures and regulations, exposure assessment and risk management remain complex due to varied working practices, mixed exposures, and the lack of harmonized monitoring protocols. This systematic review investigates occupational exposure to CMR substances in laboratory and healthcare environments. Methods: Searches were conducted in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science up to February 2025 using tailored keyword strategies. Studies published between 2020 and 2025 reporting exposure assessment, monitoring, and/or risk management of CMR chemicals were included; non-English papers and irrelevant studies were excluded. Titles/abstracts and full texts were screened independently by two reviewers with arbitration by a third. Risk of bias was assessed by three authors who independently evaluated each study. A narrative synthesis with frequency tables was performed; no meta-analysis was conducted. Results: Of 446 screened records, 50 studies were included. Formaldehyde (25 studies) and antineoplastic drugs (18 studies) were most frequently examined. Healthcare settings—e.g., hospital pharmacies, oncology wards, and pathology laboratories—were predominant, while research laboratories were underrepresented. Inhalation was the main exposure route for formaldehyde, whereas dermal uptake and surface contamination predominated for antineoplastic drugs. Monitoring methods included air sampling, surface wipe testing, and biological assays; preventive strategies varied and were inconsistently applied. Most included studies involved environmental monitoring and did not report participant numbers, so a total number of participants cannot be aggregated; for the main outcomes, participant counts were often not available. Limitations of the evidence include marked heterogeneity across settings, matrices, analytical methods, and reporting units, which precluded meta-analysis, as well as imprecision and incomplete reporting in several studies. Conclusions: Findings reveal persistent gaps in harmonized exposure limits, monitoring standards, and long-term health surveillance, underscoring the need for comprehensive prevention strategies. This review was not registered and did not receive any external funding. Full article

Background: Antineoplastic drugs are essential in the treatment of cancer; however, they are classified as hazardous due to their genotoxic, mutagenic, and carcinogenic properties. Healthcare professionals are at risk of exposure primarily through surface contamination. Despite international safety guidelines and technological innovations during the last decades, contamination remains a global occupational health challenge. Objective: This scoping review aims to identify and compare monitoring and detection methods, as well as cleaning and decontamination strategies, in relation to international occupational-safety standards. Methods: Following Arksey and O’Malley’s methodological framework and PRISMA-ScR reporting standards, the peer-reviewed literature and guidelines from 2000 to 2025 were reviewed. Studies were charted across three domains: contamination prevalence, monitoring/detection methods, and cleaning/decontamination effectiveness. Results: Evidence from twenty-two studies conducted in several countries worldwide demonstrated widespread surface contamination across hospital pharmacies, patient-care units, and outpatient facilities. Cyclophosphamide, ifosfamide, and methotrexate were the most frequently detected agents. LC—MS/MS wipe sampling remains the quantitative gold standard, while rapid immunoassay-based tools allow near real-time assessments but with reduced sensitivity. Cleaning protocols varied significantly: oxidizing and surfactant-based agents such as sodium hypochlorite and hydrogen peroxide achieved the highest removal rates (>90%) yet failed to eliminate residues completely. The included studies reported a wide range of monitoring, detection, and cleaning approaches used in healthcare settings. Conclusion: Surface contamination by antineoplastic drugs persists worldwide. Effective management requires harmonized contamination thresholds, validated cleaning strategies, adoption of rapid detection technologies, and continuous occupational surveillance. Full article

Background: In forensic ballistics, identifying ammunition types on physical evidence is critical, particularly when metallic residues are minimal. This study comparatively analyzes the elemental signatures deposited by two common projectiles—Full Metal Jacket (FMJ) (Cu/Zn jacket) and Lead Round Nose (LRN) (exposed Pb core)—on complex targets, including pig bone/tissue and mango wood. Methods: Using a semi-automatic handgun at an intermediate range of 5.0 m, residues were examined through high-resolution benchtop Micro-XRF (M4 Tornado) for micro-spatial analysis and Portable XRF (Elio) for rapid field characterization. Additionally, fresh pork leg samples were subjected to a 3-month environmental degradation period to assess trace persistence. Results: Observations indicated that LRN projectiles exhibit markedly elevated Lead (Pb) concentrations along the wound track in bone, hence confirming Pb as a reliable indicator for unjacketed ammunition; specifically, the median Pb concentrations at bullet wiping were 10.39 wt% for M4 and 7.34 wt% for Elio. Conversely, FMJ traces remain strictly confined to the surface bullet wipe area, with median concentrations of Pb, Cu, and Zn being 2.21 wt%, 0.24 wt%, and 0.59 wt% via M4, respectively. Statistical analysis showed a strong correlation for high-concentration elements on tissue, but significantly greater variance on wooden surfaces where FMJ traces exhibited a very weak negative correlation (r = −0.2774) due to minimal and irregular metal transfer. Taphonomic evaluation revealed that the Pb signature from LRN is exceptionally stable (r ≈ 0.9999) even after decomposition, while FMJ signatures are highly sensitive to environmental exposure. Conclusions: This research underscores the necessity of high-sensitivity Micro-XRF (M4) for definitive ammunition verification, providing a refined analytical framework for shooting incident reconstruction even involving degraded remains or complex environmental scenes. Full article

We present the design and characterization of a fully automated free-standing liquid crystal (FSLC) film holder, enabling remote and precise control of liquid crystal (LC) volume release, wiping speed, and temperature. Using 4-octyl-4′-cyanobiphenyl (8CB) as a test material, we systematically investigated the influence of formation parameters on the resulting film thickness and temporal evolution. Thickness measurements performed by monitoring the difference in optical path lengths of two arms of a standard optical intensity autocorrelation setup reveal that the wiping speed is the dominant factor determining both the initial film thickness and the subsequent annealing dynamics, while temperature becomes relevant only at the highest wiping speeds. Faster wiping speeds consistently produce thinner and more uniform FSLC films on the order of 3 µm, due to reduced LC mass deposition. Time-resolved optical and X-ray scattering measurements confirm the presence of an annealing phase following film formation, which can last for between 1 s and 10 min time scales, until a stable smectic configuration is reached. The holder provides a reliable and fully remote tool for generating high-quality FSLC films at rates up to 1 Hz, suitable for optical to hard X-ray experiments where direct access to the sample environment is limited. Full article

Cosmetic wipes are made for multiple functions, baby care, hand washing, feminine and personal cleansing, removing makeup, and applying products such as deodorants and sunless tanners among other uses. Despite the presence of preservatives, cosmetic wipes can become contaminated during processing steps and usage, which may lead to skin infections and other health issues for consumers. No validated method exists for the microbiological testing of cosmetic wipes. The goal of this study was to develop and validate a specific sample preparation method for the quantitative detection of microorganisms in cosmetic wipes for inclusion in the FDA Biological Analytical Manual (BAM). Ten wipe types differing in their composition and preservative combinations were inoculated with Bacillus cereus spore suspensions at three concentration levels and aged for 14 days. Three extraction methods were compared: mBAM1g (reference method using 1 g samples), mBAMww (whole wipe method based on BAM Chapter 23), and ISOww (whole wipe method based on ISO method without Tween 80). For commercial wipes, mBAMww and ISOww, using whole wipes, performed similarly (p ≥ 0.05) or significantly better (p < 0.05) than mBAM1g. For laboratory-made wipes, 1 g samples showed higher recovery rates than whole wipes, likely due to cell loss during aging. Inoculation method and preservatives affect microbial distribution, survival, and recovery rates. T80 may have a positive effect on the recovery of B. cereus from wipes. This study recommends mBAMww for the microbiological analysis of cosmetic wipes. Full article

The unhygienic practices in retail poultry meat shops adversely affect chicken meat quality and shelf life. To address this issue, a meat-surface-decontaminating wipe was developed. Deionized water, jamun leaf (Syzygium cumini) extracts, and other generally recognized as safe ingredients were used to prepare a decontamination solution. A sterile non-woven cloth soaked in the solution was applied over the meat surface as a decontamination wipe. Treated and untreated meat samples were stored at 4 ± 1 °C under aerobic packaging conditions, and various meat quality parameters were evaluated at every 1-day interval until the onset of spoilage. It was observed that the wipe could significantly reduce 2.31 log microbial loads (p = 0.00005, CI-95%, 1.85, 2.77) over the meat surface. With the increasing storage intervals, the meat quality parameters changed significantly (p < 0.05), and the treated chicken samples spoiled on day 6, whereas the control spoiled on day 5. The meat spoilage was confirmed by the evaluation of quality changes in the stored meat. Additionally, the wipe could cause 1.14 (p = 0.00000, CI-95%, 1.01, 1.25) and 1.03 (p = 0.00005, CI-95%, 0.90, 1.16) log reductions of E. coli and S. aureus, respectively. Based on the results, it was concluded that the decontamination wipe could improve the meat quality and shelf life of retail chicken meat without affecting the sensory quality attributes. Full article

Firefighters are inherently exposed to soot and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) at work. In this repeated measures study, we assessed if three different interventions reduced PAH exposure. For each sub-study, the firefighters participated in two sampling periods and thereby served as their own controls. The first period served as baseline, while the second period was the intervention period where the participants received education on health effects of soot, information on own PAH exposure, and participated in one of three interventions: (1) sauna after fire calls, (2) use of fire suits with improved barrier, and (3) showering after every fire call. We recruited 26 firefighters from three different fire stations. Dermal wipes were assessed for 16 PAHs and spot urine for eight hydroxylated metabolites. Pre-shift PAH burden was significantly reduced compared to our previous biomonitoring study. Post-shift levels of two PAH metabolites (1-hydroxypyrene and 1-hydroxyfluorene) were increased for firefighters after a work shift without fire calls compared to pre-shift. The sauna intervention significantly reduced the levels of all the measured urinary PAH metabolites while the dermal PAH exposure remained unaffected. The fire suit intervention yielded more inconsistent results. While standard shower reduced dermal PAH levels, no additional effects were observed for the shower intervention. Full article

Background: This study presents an innovative approach to developing bioactive natural fabrics for healthcare and medical applications. Methods: An ethanol extract of Origanum vulgare L. (in further text: OE), exhibiting exceptional antioxidant (100%) and antibacterial activity (>99% against E.coli and S.aureus), was employed to biofunctionalize cotton, wool, and silk fabrics. Results: All biofunctionalized fabrics demonstrated strong antioxidant activity (>99%), while antibacterial efficacy varied by fabric: cotton > 54%, wool > 99%, and silk > 89%. OE-biofunctionalized wool possessed the highest release of OE’s bioactive compounds, followed by silk and cotton, indicating substrate-dependent release behavior. This tunable fabrics’ OE release profile, along with their unique bioactivity, supports targeted applications: OE-functionalized silk for luxury or prolonged therapeutic use (skin-care textiles, post-surgical dressings, anti-aging products), cotton for disposable or short-term use (protective wipes, minor wound coverings), and wool for wound dressings. The biocompatibility and cytotoxicity of OE-biofunctionalized wool were evaluated via in vitro assays using healthy human keratinocytes and in vivo testing in Wistar albino male rats. The obtained results revealed that OE-functionalized wool significantly accelerated wound closure (97.8% by day 14), enhanced collagen synthesis (6.92 µg/mg hydroxyproline), and improved tissue and systemic antioxidant defense while reducing oxidative stress markers in skin and blood samples of rats treated with OE-biofunctionalized wool. Conclusions: OE-biofunctionalized wool demonstrates strong potential as an advanced natural solution for managing chronic wounds. Further clinical validation is recommended to confirm its performance in real-world healthcare settings. This work introduces an entirely new application of OE in textile biofunctionalization, offering alternatives for healthcare and medical textiles. Full article

Background: Nail gels are decorative fingernail coatings based on (meth)acrylates that are photopolymerized on the nail surface. After polymerization, these coatings typically retain an uncured layer of monomers at the air interface due to oxygen inhibition, which may pose a risk of skin sensitization unless removed. No-wipe topcoats are formulated to address this issue by curing fully; however, no standard test method exists to verify a complete cure. This study presents a method to quantify residual uncured traces of several common nail gel monomers extracted from polymerized commercial no-wipe nail gels. Method: Commercially available no-wipe nail gels were formed into films of controlled thickness and polymerized using a standard UV-curing nail lamp. Solvent extraction was employed to eliminate residual uncured monomers, namely diethylene glycol dimethacrylate (DEGDMA), isobornyl acrylate (IBOA), and 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA). These monomers were quantified utilizing GC-FID and HPLC techniques. Method validation was conducted with samples of known monomer identity and concentration, thereby establishing specificity, linearity, precision, and detection limits. Results: Validated test protocols were established for the analysis of residual uncured traces of three commonly used monomers in nail gel coatings. In all instances, levels of monomer residue in a cured gel coating were found to range from 56 µg/g to 800 µg/g. Tests conducted on commercial products indicated that levels of these monomers fell within the expected normal ranges for such products. Conclusions: Through the utilization of two chromatographic techniques, three analytical methods were established for the simultaneous determination of ingredient concentrations and residual monomer quantities in unreacted bulk formula and cured UV-gel film. These methods and the resultant data facilitate the evaluation of curing completeness, which is essential for product development and safety assessments. Full article

Variations in ecological environments (including milk collection equipment and milk storage tanks in the pasture) and seasonal changes may contribute to raw milk contamination, thereby affecting food safety. The composition, structure, and relationships between raw milk and microbial communities in these environments are not well understood. In this study, 84 samples from spring and autumn in Luxian County, Yunnan Province, China, were collected for high-throughput sequencing technology. The results showed that the skin on the nipple surface and the environment (including the wiping samples of the automatic milking machine and the inner cover of the milk tank) had the greatest impact on microbial community composition in raw milk, followed by dung. In addition, microbial diversity in autumn samples was significantly higher, likely due to seasonal factors, including increased rainfall and reduced ultraviolet radiation. By analyzing the microbial community of raw milk and its environmental source, this study traced the origin of microorganisms in milk, providing insights for further exploration of the interaction between the pasture environment and raw milk microorganisms. Full article

Silane-based passivation films have been widely utilized for corrosion protection in metal materials. In order to further improve the anticorrosion performance of the silane passivation film, this paper adopts the hydrolysis method to add graphene oxide (GO) to the silane coupling agent (3-(2,3-glycidoxy)propyltrimethoxysilane) (KH560). The synthesized KH560-GO passivation solution was then mixed with epoxy resin (EP) to prepare a silane composite passivation film layer (KH560-GO/EP) containing GO and epoxy resin. For comparison, EP and KH560-GO films were also prepared, and the corrosion performance of the composite film was compared with that of the single film. The structure of the KH560-GO film was characterized by X-ray diffraction analyzer (XRD) and infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The microstructure of the composite film was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), while its corrosion resistance was tested through polarization curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Additionally, neutral salt spray tests were conducted to evaluate the corrosion resistance of the samples, and rubber wiping tests were performed to assess the adhesion of the film. The results demonstrated that the KH560-GO/EP film exhibited a higher corrosion potential (E_corr) of −0.239 V compared to the EP and KH560-GO films, along with the lowest self-corrosion current density (I_corr) of 6.157 × 10⁻⁷ A/cm². These findings indicate that the KH560-GO/EP film possesses excellent corrosion resistance. The results showed that the corrosion potential (E_corr) of the KH560-GO/EP film was higher than that of EP and KH560-GO film layer is −0.239 V, and the self-corrosion current density (I_corr) is the smallest, which is 6.157 × 10⁻⁷ A/cm². The KH560-GO/EP film layer shows excellent corrosion resistance. Experiments show that the KH560-GO/EP passivated film has excellent bonding properties and corrosion resistance. Full article

This study presents the first instance of determining environmental uric acid in urban dust using high-performance anion exchange chromatography coupled with electrochemical detection. The optimum chromatographic conditions were identified as a 10 mm × 4.6 mm, 10 µm anion exchange column with a mobile phase of pH 8 50 mM phosphate buffer. Cyclic voltametric investigations over a pH range of 2 to 12 showed that uric acid gave a single diffusion-controlled peak. Hydrodynamic voltametric studies of uric acid using a mobile phase of 50 mM pH 8.0 phosphate buffer over the range 0.0 V to +1.4 V (vs. stainless steel) showed a similar single oxidation wave, which plateaued at potentials more positive than +0.7 V (vs. stainless steel). An applied potential of +0.90 V (vs. stainless steel) was chosen for further investigations, and a linear range of 0.10 to 100 mg/L was obtained, with a detection limit of 0.866 mg/L based on a signal-to-noise ratio of 3. Dust wipe samples were extracted in pH 8, 50 mM phosphate buffer with the aid of sonication. Recoveries of 99.6% (% CV = 4.52%) were achieved for the dust wipe fortified with 16.8 µg of uric acid. Nitrate, nitrite, chloride, acetate, and sulfate ions were found not to interfere. The dust wipe samples were found to have uric acid levels of between 32.6 µg/m² and 3.98 mg/m². Full article

In recent years, the use of non-invasive host and environmental samples for the detection and monitoring of equine respiratory pathogens has shown promise and a high overall agreement with the gold standard of nasal secretions. The present study looked at comparing nose wipes, stall sponges, and air samples with nasal swabs collected from 27 horses involved in an equine influenza (EI) outbreak. The outbreak involved 5 clinical, 6 subclinical, and 16 uninfected horses. Samples sets were collected at the onset of the index case and retested every 2–3 days thereafter until all horses tested qPCR-negative for EI virus (EIV). Nose wipes and stall sponges identified EIV in all clinical cases, and air samples identified EIV in 4/5 clinical horses. The overall agreement with all nasal swabs collected from clinical cases was 89% for nose wipes, 78% for stall sponges, and 44% for air samples. Due to the shorter shedding time in subclinical cases, nose wipes and stall sponges detected EIV in 5/6 and 4/6 subclinical horses, respectively. Only one single air sample tested qPCR-positive for EIV in a subclinical shedder. When compared to the gold standard of nasal secretions in subclinically infected horses, the overall agreement was 54% for stall sponges, 50% for air samples, and 45% for nose wipes. The collection of non-invasive contact and environmental samples is a promising alternative to nasal swabs for the detection of EIV in clinically and subclinically infected horses. However, they should always be considered as a second-choice sample type to the more accurate nasal swabs and used to test refractory horses or large populations during outbreaks. Further, the pooling of identical or different samples collected from the same horse for the qPCR testing of EIV increases the accuracy of detecting EIV, especially in subclinically infected horses. Full article