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Urban stormwater management failures lead to floodingg. Potentially toxic elements (PTE) are commonly found in floods exposing population and ecosystems. Flooding is a persistent problem in the city of Hermosillo, Sonora thus PTE concentrations were determined, including threats to receiving ecosystems and population. The PTE concentrations were determined by MP-AES and compared to national and international guidelines. The non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic health risks were evaluated for adults and children following the EPA protocols. Al, Fe and Zn showed the highest concentrations. The concentrations exceeded consulted guideline criteria. PTE groups were identified relating to their sources and origin: (1) Fe, Mn, Ti and Al, (2) Cu, Cd and Cr, (3) Pb, Ni and Zn. Non-carcinogenic health effects and cancer risk were observed in the analyzed floodwater indicating that management measures should be taken to protect the flood-affected population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemical contamination of drinking water is of great concern for public health. Chemical analyses are used for monitoring of selected chemicals, however, no information on unknown chemicals or potential toxicity of the mixture of chemicals in a water sample is obtained. Effect‐based methods in cells are new high throughput tools, to evaluate the hazard of the whole mixture of chemicals present in drinking water. These methods can be used together with chemical analysis for assessment of the chemical safety of drinking water. This article will review the principle of effect‐based methods in cells and how they compare to traditionally used chemical analysis and effect‐based methods in whole organisms. Further, this article will give examples from the literature, highlighting how cellular effect‐based methods can be used in different practical applications to improve drinking water safety; for example, for monitoring of drinking water quality and evaluation of treatment efficiency in drinking water processing. Finally, this article will review the current regulatory and water sector acceptance of these methods and discuss future expectations on the role of effect‐based methods for improved drinking water safety. This article is categorized under:Engineering Water > Water, Health, and SanitationScience of Water > Water Quality [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: daily, workers in beauty salons and parlors use different cosmetic products made of various chemicals. This study aimed to determine the knowledge, practices, and self-reported health outcomes related to chemical use and safety among workers in beauty salons and parlors. Methods: a quantitative, cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among 145 participants, randomly selected using a simple random sampling design. A self-administered questionnaire was used to assess the Knowledge, practices, and self-reported health outcomes related to chemical safety. Pearson´s correlation was used to assess the correlation between perception, awareness, and other study determinants. Results: fifty-seven percent of participants had been working with chemicals for more than two years, and only 5% were smokers. There was a positive relationship between age and years of experience in the beauty and salon industry (r= 0.385; p < 0.001), while significant positive correlations between knowledge score with educational levels (r=0.444; p= <0.001) and formal training as a salon and beauty parlor worker (r=0.504; p= <0.001) were also found. Participants also reported symptoms such as headache (43%), nausea (23%), skin irritation (48%), eye irritation (39%), and respiratory illness-related symptoms (62%). Conclusion: there is a need for health and safety training in beauty salons and parlors, with emphasis on the correct use of personal protective equipment (PPE). The findings of this study may serve as the baseline for the development of safety policies for all beauty salons and parlors in South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Due to the increasing prevalence of equine non-infectious respiratory disease, the air contamination in equine housing (Stables A-C) and training facilities (indoor riding arenas A - C) was investigated. The aim of the study was to monitor gaseous pollutants, bioaerosols, and dust concentrations at three different sites (stables and riding halls), where different floor materials were used in the riding halls. Materials and methods: Air quality was monitored in housing for horses and in riding halls in terms of dust concentration, the presence of gaseous chemical pollutants, and concentrations of biological aerosol. Statistical analysis was performed using analysis of variance (ANOVA). The levels obtained were compared with acceptable limits. Results: Among the gaseous pollutants identified, the highest concentration was obtained for ammonia in stables B and C (16.37 and 22.39 mg/m3, respectively). Standards for total dust were exceeded in stables B and C and in riding halls B and C. The highest numbers of bacteria and fungi were recorded in stables A and C and in riding hall B. Ulocladium sp. had the highest percentage share among the moulds identified. Conclusions: The results confirm that the wrong choice of bedding in the stable and indoor riding arenas may contribute, even in short training periods, to equine non-infectious respiratory disease (equine asthma). Bioaerosol suspended in the air together with released gaseous pollutants can exacerbate this phenomenon, which even in the case of short training periods can lead to equine asthma of varying degrees of severity. For this reason, the choice of floor material in riding halls should be treated as a priority, as the wrong decision can shorten the period during which the horse can be used for recreational purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we establish a new vision of the importance of teaching laboratory safety, whereas some past views of safety education fade away. Here, we present an approach to teaching this important subject as an independent course by Massive Open Online Course (MOOC). In this article, we introduce the advantages of safety education by MOOC, the construction and content of the MOOC "Safety in the Chemical Laboratory", and the practices for safety education through MOOC resources in colleges and universities in mainland China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Firefighters are exposed to occupational hazards and have a higher prevalence of health issues. The gut microbiota plays a crucial role in the immune, endocrine, and neural systems, and disruptions in its composition can impact health outcomes. This pilot study aimed to investigate the potential association between occupational factors, changes in gut microbiota, and the development of adverse health outcomes in firefighters. To test this hypothesis, we recruited 15 firefighters and age/sex-matched controls to investigate the relationship between occupational environment and gut microbiota. Firefighters exhibit lower intestinal bacterial alpha diversity and a higher presence of pathogenic bacteria than the control. Moreover, unique gut bacterial taxa were observed in firefighters with high post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) scores, which could contribute to immune dysregulation and higher susceptibility to pathogen colonization. These preliminary findings suggest that occupational factors, including exposure to traumatic stressors and chemicals, may influence firefighters' health by modulating their gut microbiota. The observed changes in gut microbiota composition and the potential link to occupational hazards highlight the need for further research in larger sample-size studies. Understanding the role of gut microbiota in firefighter health may have implications for preventive measures and interventions to mitigate occupational health risks and improve overall well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Painters experience occupational exposure through inhalation and skin absorption to various chemicals that are used as ingredients of paint mixtures and other related painting trades. Although several investigations indicated significant contribution of exposure via skin absorption to exhibit harmful effects on health among painters, assessment of the skin absorption hazards of the paint chemicals is limited. Here, we evaluated the skin absorption of a number of organic chemicals relevant to painting trades using mathematical models. For this purpose, we estimated the skin permeability coefficient of the chemicals using the Potts and Guy correlation equation. The estimated permeability coefficients were further utilized to estimate the maximum flux of the non-volatile chemicals across the skin. The skin permeability coefficient and maximum flux of the chemicals across the skin were compared to those of the chemicals to which the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) assigned a "skin" notation. We critically analyzed the estimated maximum fluxes and the acute toxicity data of the chemicals available in the literature that helped to identify the chemicals posing a significant skin absorption hazard. The analyses suggest that triethanolamine and m-phenylenediamine pose significant skin absorption hazards, though these chemicals have not yet been assigned a "skin" notation in the ACGIH TLV book. The ratio of dermal uptake directly from air to inhalation intake of volatile solvents used in paint mixtures was estimated for a typical occupational setting. N-Methyl-2-pyrrolidone showed significant dermal uptake fraction compared to its intake via inhalation route. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Identification of potential hazards, their adverse health effects, and predisposing factors in the workplace are critical to improving safety. The objective of the study was to assess the knowledge of occupational hazards, the prevalence of perceived health problems and their predictors among textile dye workers in Abeokuta Nigeria who work in unsupervised settings. Materials and Methods. In this cross-sectional study, data were collected from 199 participants using a validated semi-structured interviewer-administered questionnaire. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to determine the predictors of knowledge while Pearson Chi-square was employed to test the association between perceived health problems, sociodemographics and work environment characteristics. Results. The mean age of the respondents was 40 (SD=12) years with an average work experience of 19 years. The majority of respondents 139 (69.8%) had lower than average scores on knowledge of 25 questions on chemical hazards. There was no correlation between knowledge score and work experience (P=0.492) or age (P=0.462) but the knowledge was significantly associated with exposure score (P=0.004), gender (P=0.002) and adherence to instructions on chemicals usage (P=0.041) after adjusting for safe practice. The most frequent health problems among the dye workers were respiratory disorders (53.8%), allergies (51.8%), and skin disorders (24.1%). Airborne gaseous pollutants from the mixing of chemicals were associated with allergies (P=0.045), circulatory (P=0.02) and skin disorders (P=0.049) while air-borne textile fiber/dye particles could predict allergies (P=0.028). Conclusions. Findings revealed that exposure, gender and adherence to instruction labels on dye/chemical containers could determine knowledge of chemical hazards while physical work environment characteristics could determine health problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Risk perceptions are critical in determining individual's engagement in safe (or risky) actions. This study examined the effect of toolbox training on risk perception dimensions measured as knowledge, dread, and control among a group of employees in a bleach processing plant. Methods: the safety intervention consisted of a 20 min toolbox training covering aspects related to chemical substances, risk identification, health effects, incident pathway, personal protective equipment (PPE), and routine tasks performed. Day and night shift workers were included in the sample since their tasks performed varied considerably, with night shift workers being less likely to be exposed to chemical substances. Perceptions were collected from bleach manufacturing workers via a pre- and postintervention survey. Results: a slight improvement was observed in participants' knowledge, while the dread dimension showed a significant reduction in the mean score post intervention. No changes were identified in the control dimension. Night shift workers gained more knowledge than day workers. Job title and work tenure had no significant impact on any of the risk perception dimensions. Conclusions: the results indicated that toolbox training on hazardous chemicals can impact risk perception dimensions, particularly dread, providing workers with more ways to identify risk levels and addressing any discrepancies that may exist with employees' perception of risk based on their position or tenure within the organization. Organizational training policies should go beyond financial benefits or fulfill regulatory requirements and acknowledge the impact training methods may have on other elements of the safety and health management systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Main group of contaminants including toxic compounds be formed during food processing and packaging (incidental group) and fungal toxins have been listed as critical challenge for food safety and human health. Because of absorption and transferring of these compounds into the human body and accumulation of them in different organs, several chronic diseases have been observed. The levels of these toxicants have been seriously monitored using analytical techniques. In this review, formation mechanism, toxicological effect and analytical methods of biogenic amines, furfural, hydroxymethylfurfural, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, acrylamide, bisphenol A, nitrosamine and aflatoxin were discussed in different food samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protection against the safety of people is enforced for the certain occupations when they might be exposed to hazardous chemicals during handling. This research provides an importance of chemical protective clothing, along with its necessity during various industrial applications. The aim of the research is to develop more comfortable and efficient protective cloth for the chemical industry workers. Developed multilayer fabric is to protect them from harmful chemical hazards with five layers, the outer shell made of polyester as it has low absorption and carbon fabric for its higher support. It provides a good strength to the fabric and polyester has a good resistance to lab grade chemicals. The middle layer comprises spun-bonded non-woven sandwiched with carbon fiber. The inner layer is made up of cotton fabric as it gives good absorbency and comfort. In this research, 100% polyester fabric, polyester/cotton fabric and 100% knitted polyester fabric have been used as a comparison in chemical protective clothing. Scanning electronic microscope (SEM) was used to observe the morphology of coated surfaces of protective for process versatility and the highly specific surface area. In this paper, the thermal properties of developed multilayered structures were statistically investigated. The chemical protection, good air permeability, abrasion resistance, fabric stiffness and tearing strength have been performed. The results provide new insights into the development of functional garments/materials and better methods for evaluating the performance of these materials under hazardous work environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Additive manufacturing, enabling rapid prototyping and so‐called on‐demand production, has become a common method of creating parts or whole devices. On a 3D printer, real objects are produced layer by layer, thus creating extraordinary possibilities as to the number of applications for this type of devices. The opportunities offered by this technique seem to be pushing new boundaries when it comes to both the use of 3D printing in practice and new materials from which the 3D objects can be printed. However, the question arises whether, at the same time, this solution is safe enough to be used without limitations, wherever and by everyone. According to the scientific reports, three‐dimensional printing can pose a threat to the user, not only in terms of physical or mechanical hazards, but also through the potential emissions of chemical substances and fine particles. Thus, the presented publication collects information on the additive manufacturing, different techniques, and ways of printing with application of diverse raw materials. It presents an overview of the last 5 years' publications focusing on 3D printing, especially regarding the potential chemical and particle emission resulting from the use of such printers in both the working environment and private spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intestinal barrier damage induced by different doses of acrylamide in mice was evaluated from the molecular, cellular and protein levels. Through different concentrations The mouse model of acrylamide exposure was used to observe the relationship between the dose of acrylamide and intestinal barrier damage. The results showed that 10-30 mg•kg -1 .bw dose range Continuous intragastric administration of acrylamide for 30 days can cause different degrees of damage to the small intestinal barrier in mice. It provides a theoretical basis and research basis for dietary prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chemical safety of poly (butylene adipate- co -terephthalate) (PBAT) based food contact articles (FCAs) has aroused increasing toxicological concerns in recent years, but the chemical characterization and associated risk assessment still remain inadequate as it fails to elucidate the distribution pattern and discern the potential genotoxic and carcinogenic hazards of the identified substances. Herein, the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in 50 batches of PBAT-based FCAs of representative categories and 10 batches of PLA and PBAT pellets were characterized, by which 237 VOCs of 10 chemical categories were identified and exhibited characteristic distribution patterns in the chemical spaces derived from their molecular descriptors. Chemical hazards associated with the identified VOCs were discerned by a hazard-driven classification scheme integrating hazard-related knowledge from multiple publicly available sources, and 34 VOCs were found to bear genotoxic or carcinogenic hazards and to feature higher average molecular weight than the other VOCs. Finally, the Risk and hazard quotient (HQ) calculated as the metrics of risk suggested that all identified VOCs posed acceptable risks (Risk<10–4 or HQ < 1), whereas oxolane, butyrolactone, N,N-dimethylacetamide, 2-butoxyethanol, benzyl alcohol, and 1,2,3-trichloropropane posed non-negligible (Risk>10–6) genotoxic or carcinogenic risk and thus should be of prioritized concern to promote the chemical safety of PBAT-based FCAs. [Display omitted] • VOCs in 50 batches of PBAT-based FCAs characterized by untargeted HS-SPME-GC-MS. • 213 VOCs of 10 chemical categories identified in 5 categories of the FCAs. • A hazard-driven scheme was proposed for classifying chemical hazards of the VOCs. • 34 VOCs found to be associated with genotoxic or carcinogenic hazards. • Acceptable risk for all VOCs but 6 VOCs need attention due to non-negligible risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of insects as food and feed is widespread worldwide due to their attractive nutritional profile comparable to that of conventional livestock. In particular, edible grasshoppers act as a food source to many tribes in East and Central Africa but still harvested from their natural habitats. In this perspective, the health hazards associated with consumption of grasshoppers ought to be investigated. The present review assesses the risks (microbiological and heavy metals hazards) of wild-harvested Ruspolia differens (Serville) (Orthoptera: Tettigonidae) and compares with the levels recommended for minced meat as an indicator of food safety for edible insects. In addition, the effect of common processing methods in reducing the risks is stated. Due to the scarcity of the data, other edible grasshoppers within the order Orthoptera have been included in the review. The risks identified as main hazards include: (1) high total viable counts; (2) high counts of Enterobacteriaceae and lactic acid bacteria; (3) high counts of yeasts and moulds; and (4) accumulation of lead and other heavy metals. Conventional processing methods are effective in reducing microbiological hazards except for bacterial endospores. Important data gaps regarding edible grasshoppers and their safety include: (1) lack of data on bacterial communities (raw and processed); (2) fungal communities and mycotoxins-producing fungi; (3) studies on shelf life of processed edible grasshoppers; (4) limited data on heavy metals on whole grasshoppers and derived products; and (5) lack of data on parasites, viruses, antimicrobial resistance and veterinary medicinal products. Future aspect should focus on sustainable farming of grasshoppers using different diets in controlled environments and risks profiling. The present review explores food safety risks related to consumption of edible grasshoppers, from wild collections to consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current work was performed to investigate the safety of Halewet El-Moulid and cream cake handled in the local Egyptian market. Four kinds of Halewet El-Moulid samples were collected from 5 governorates. The potential chemical and microbiological hazards of collected samples were assessed. The obtained results reveal that all Halewet El-Moulid samples did not contain aflatoxins; however, their lead and copper content were varied between 0.02 - 0.71 and 0.62 - 3.8 ppm, respectively. Moreover, 50% of the extracted oil from samples containing oily seeds had peroxide values greater than the maximum acceptable limit. In spite of salmonella and fungal counts, all other measured microbiological cream cake sample hazards were unacceptable. These results indicate the necessity of imposing safety programs during processing, storage, and retail of food products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current work was performed to investigate the safety of Halewet El-Moulid and cream cake handled in the local Egyptian market. Four kinds of Halewet El-Moulid samples were collected from 5 governorates. The potential chemical and microbiological hazards of collected samples were assessed. The obtained results reveal that all Halewet El-Moulid samples did not contain aflatoxins; however, their lead and copper content were varied between 0.02 - 0.71 and 0.62 - 3.8 ppm, respectively. Moreover, 50% of the extracted oil from samples containing oily seeds had peroxide values greater than the maximum acceptable limit. In spite of salmonella and fungal counts, all other measured microbiological cream cake sample hazards were unacceptable. These results indicate the necessity of imposing safety programs during processing, storage, and retail of food products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article compares and contrasts microbial and chemical risk assessment methodologies in order to evaluate the potential for a common framework for ranking of risk of chemical and microbiological hazards, and developments needed for such a framework. An overview of microbial (MRA) and chemical (CRA) risk assessment is presented and important differences are highlighted. Two microbiological and two chemical hazard-food combinations were ranked based on both a margin of exposure and a risk assessment approach. The comparisons illustrated that it is possible to rank chemical and microbiological hazard-food combinations with traditional approaches from each domain and indicated that the rank order but not the absolute measures is similar using either approach. Including severity in the assessment using DALY reduced differences between hazards and affected the outcome more than which approach was used. Ranking frameworks should include assessment of uncertainty as an integral part of the ranking, and be based on assessment of risk, not safety, and expressed in a common health metric such as disease burden. Necessary simplifications to address data gaps can involve the use of default scenarios. Challenges include comparisons of case-based vs. non-case-based health-endpoints, e.g. biomarker concentration, and integration of the severity of health effects into ranking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Exposure to chemical compounds occurs in numerous occupational settings, among which the research and healthcare laboratories have not been adequately investigated. These settings are characterized by an extreme variability of the used compounds and by the frequent turnover of young researchers. The main objectives of the study were to explore the occupational exposure to hazardous chemical substances among research laboratory workers; to assess their awareness and perceptions regarding chemical hazards; to investigate adherence to guidelines on safe handling of chemical compounds; and to analyze the effects of several factors on these outcomes of interest. Methods: The survey was conducted among research laboratories workers who were exposed to chemical substances during their activity. Subjects completed a questionnaire exploring knowledge, attitudes and behaviors related to chemical hazards involved in research activities. Results: Enrolled subjects were 237, for an 81.7% response rate. More than 90 hazardous chemical substances were used in the surveyed laboratories. A correct knowledge on hazardous chemicals was significantly more likely in younger researchers, in those manipulating a higher number of hazardous chemicals, and in those with a higher number of years of training in the attended laboratory; 54.4% of the workers said they felt very exposed to chemical risk. Correct practices in the laboratories were significantly more likely in researchers who perceived to have a low exposure to chemicals, but a high exposure to biological risk, who agreed with the statement that colleagues handle chemicals following safety procedures and who perceived to have received an adequate training in the management of accidents and first aid. Conclusions: Our results showed significant gaps in knowledge and scarce preparedness in the adherence to safety processes to prevent and contain risks related to use of chemical compounds in research laboratories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemical hazards in their various forms deteriorate the quality of air in the work environment. The way of introduction of toxicants into the human body and the transformation pathways are the main factors that influence the realization of harmful effects. Due to the high prevalence in various industries, the attention of occupational professionals working in the quality of the working environment has been directed towards formaldehyde, over the last decades. The paper presents the essential characteristics of formaldehyde and the health effects caused by exposure to different concentration levels of this hazard. Emphasis is put on employees in medical laboratories where formaldehyde is used as a disinfectant and agent for the conservation of specimens in anatomy laboratories. The experimental part of the work was carried out in the laboratories of the Department of Anatomy, where FA concentration levels were monitored in different rooms to evaluate the exposure of employees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethnic foods are nowadays increasingly consumed by Western citizens. However, deficiencies in traceability and poor hygiene conditions have been often reported for ethnic foods. In this study, seafood products (fish, crustaceans and seaweeds) purchased in Southern Italy from ethnic food stores were analysed to assess their labelling compliance with EU law (Regulation EU No 1169/2011 and Regulation EU No 1379/2013) and the presence of microbiological, chemical and physical hazards. Over 96% of the collected products were found as non-compliant with EU law on labelling. Regarding biological contamination, the quantification of enterococci (22.1% of the samples), moulds -including the potential aflatoxigenic Aspergillus flavus - (36.4% of samples) and the detection of Vibrio alginolyticus (7.8% of samples) should be emphasized. The presence of foreign bodies (physical contamination) in 18.2% of the samples highlighted the lack of targeted control systems. Overall, the major concerns arose from the chemical contamination related to the presence of variable percentages of metals derived from anthropogenic activities. This hazard was especially found in seaweeds products, which should be therefore better monitored throughout the food chain in order to protect public health. Outcomes from this study integrates the scarce data present in the literature and provide an overview of the major risks related to the consumption of ethnic seafood sold within EU market. • In this study, seafood products purchased in Southern Italy from ethnic food stores were analysed. • The percentage of products non-compliant EU labelling requirements was high (96%). • Biological, chemical and physical contamination were found in some products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Combinations of semiconductor metal oxide (SMO) sensors, electrochemical (EC) sensors, and photoionization detection (PID) sensors were used to discriminate chemical hazards on the basis of machine learning. Sensing data inputs were exploited in the form of either numerical or image data formats, and the classification of chemical hazards with high accuracy was achieved in both cases. Even a small amount of gas sensing or purging data (input for ∼30 s) input can be exploited in machine-learning-based gas discrimination. SMO sensors exhibit high performance even in a single-sensor mode, presumably because of the intrinsic cross-sensitivity of metal oxides, which is otherwise considered a major disadvantage of SMO sensors. EC sensors were enhanced through synergistic integration of sensor combinations with machine learning. For precision detection of multiple target analytes, a minimum number of sensors can be proposed for gas detection/discrimination by combining sensors with dissimilar operating principles. The Type I hybrid sensor combines one SMO sensor, one EC sensor, and one PID sensor and is used to identify NH 3 gas mixed with sulfur compounds in simulations of NH 3 gas leak accidents in chemical plants. The portable remote sensing module made with a Type I hybrid sensor and LTE module can identify mixed NH 3 gas with a detection time of 60 s, demonstrating the potential of the proposed system to quickly respond to hazardous gas leak accidents and prevent additional damage to the environment. [Display omitted] • High-interference MOS sensors employ machine learning for gas discrimination. • Hybrid MOS/EC/PID sensors were synergistically integrated with machine learning. • Hybrid sensor arrays can accurately discriminate among multiple toxic gases. • Input data size/type minimally impact machine learning-based gas identification. • A portable remote AI sensor hybrid was deployed in a gas leak accident scenario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of food hazard factor (FHF) detection has been tending towards on-site inspection and mobile law enforcement, and simple, fast and affordable analysis technology is especially needed to ensure food safety and quality. This review comprehensively summarizes the progress in research on smartphone-assisted MIP optosensors, including their construction, molecular recognition and signal response mechanisms, and promising applications for on-site FHF detection. The types of fluorescent response elements and the methods for achieving integration between fluorescent response elements, and MIPs are further discussed. Importantly, state-of-the-art applications of smartphone-assisted MIP sensors in the field of food safety for on-site FHF detection based on single-, dual-, and multi-emission fluorescence responses are comprehensively summarized. This review focuses on the key issues of the accuracy and sensitivity of smartphone-assisted sensors and notes that the integration of highly selective MIPs and highly sensitive fluorescent response elements can significantly improve the feasibility of smartphone-assisted on-site detection. [Display omitted] • This review focuses on the key issues of the accuracy and sensitivity of smartphone-assisted optosensors. • It notes that the integration of highly selective MIPs and highly sensitive fluorescent response elements. • It can significantly improve the feasibility of smartphone-assisted on-site detection. • Smartphone-assisted MIP optosensors for the on-site detection of FHFs are very economical. • Realize the full-coverage, multitarget detection of different kinds of hazards in foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper aims to carry out an external analysis of Romania's proposal to regulate the regulatory framework in the field of milk production and processing, to establish the way of marketing of dairy products, to increase consumer confidence in domestic dairy products, to eliminate falsified products from the market dairy products, to facilitate the identification of authentic products by consumers and, last but not least, to the increase in milk production due to all the measures mentioned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monitoring programs for food safety hazards are increasingly set up on a risk basis. In order to include the most relevant chemical substances for food products within such a program, a prioritization is needed. Within this research, decision trees were developed to rank chemical substances that may occur in food products. The decision trees focus on red meat, but can also be applied for other animal products. Three decision trees were developed, one for each of the following groups of chemical substances: prohibited substances, environmental contaminants and authorized substances. The decision trees focused on human health risks including the occurrence of a chemical substance and the human health effects. Substances are subsequently classified into high, medium and low priority for monitoring. The decision trees were tested with a selection of chemical substances for each of the three groups of chemical substances. Scientific information (such as EFSA opinions) and (national) monitoring data were used to answer the questions in the decision trees. Results showed that the developed decision trees are helpful in classifying chemical substances and as such can be used as a tool to set up risk based monitoring plans. It is recommended to establish a working group containing a broad range of experts to prioritize the substances and to re-evaluate the list of prioritized substances frequently using the most current (monitoring) information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Reverse Osmosis desalination has become a technological option to guarantee an adequate drinking water supply in zones with water scarcity. Nevertheless, the process is accompanied by potential adverse impacts on the coastal ecosystem, mainly due to chemical discharges. Taking into account the environmental risk presented by these chemical mixtures, in this work we used a short-term toxicity bioassay with Artemia franciscana nauplii expressed in lethality to exposures individually and their combinations. Results showed that toxicity degree from single exposures was C5H8O2 > NaClO > CuSO4 > KMnO4 > FeCl3, indicated that C5H8O2 was the most toxic biocide. However, all compounds in combination with C5H8O2 exhibited a very strong antagonism. Except, in mixtures, NaClO/FeCl3 and CuSO4/KMnO4 resulted in an additive effect. This environmental assessment will allow reducing risk significantly on the concentrate considering the sensitivity of the marine ecosystem to the application of chemical agents during the desalination process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Risk ranking is a versatile tool used to prioritise activities performed by public health regulatory bodies. It also allows efficient communication between all stakeholders in the process of risk analysis. However, risk ranking methods are still not optimal. Because of the different approaches employed in the risk assessment of microbiological agents and chemicals, it is difficult to rank them together using the same metrics. In our work, we first discuss differences and commonalities between chemical and microbiological risk assessment to provide a starting point for consideration of a common risk ranking platform. In the second part, we perform risk ranking of contaminants and regulated chemicals using the recently developed Risk Thermometer tool. In this approach, chemicals are not ranked solely on the basis of the margin of exposure between a reference value and the exposure, but also by considering the severity of the critical health effects used. The results show that ranking using both methods provides different results from the use of either method alone. Overall, specific chemical groups (i.e. heavy metals, pesticides, etc.) do not generally rank higher or lower, but individual compounds are scattered in the rankings from low to high. Risk ranking methods demand further development to gain wide acceptability and recognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrate and nitrite content was determined on a total of 900 samples of vegetables and cured meat and the nitrite and nitrate exposure assessment was evaluated for central Italy population based on the food consumption data reported by the national dietary surveys. The highest average content of nitrate was detected in rocket salad (4415 mg/kg) and radish (3817 mg/kg) and for cured meat in "Bresaola" (188 mg/kg) and in Bacon (178 mg/kg). The nitrite content was negligible both in vegetables than in cured meat. The average consumption among population resulted 3.45 g/kg bw/die and 0.62 g/kg bw/die for vegetables and cured meat respectively. The obtained data confirm that nitrate ADI was higher than the limits of 3.7 mg/kg bw/die for infants and was the highest exposure level for people of all ages. Cured meat consumption did not contribute to nitrate ADI exceedance neither as a mean nor as 99th percentile of exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The aim of this study was to create awareness and precautions to be taken while handling the chemicals in the laboratory among the dental students. Introduction: All the chemical products must be stored and labeled in accordance with the instructions on the safety sheet. Chemicals must not be stored together with inflammable material and gas cylinders. Based on handling the chemicals, it is advisable to read the safety data listed in it and must be familiar with the risks in handling it. Use of personal protection equipment is necessary. Immediately wash off chemical traces from the skin. There must be a safety data sheet for every chemical product that is hazardous to health or environment or is inflammable; hence, we are aware of the risks. Materials and Methods: The survey was conducted by an online survey platform-survey planet. A questionnaire of 15 questions was circulated among the students using an online link regarding the laboratory safety. Conclusion: From the results, it is clear that some of the students were not aware. This survey has helped to spread awareness among the dental students about all the precautions to be followed to lead a healthy life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silage may contain several agents that are potentially hazardous to animal health, the safety of milk or other animal food products, or both. This paper reviews published literature about microbial hazards, plant toxins, and chemical hazards. Microbial hazards include Clostridium botulinum, Bacillus cereus, Listeria monocytogenes, Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli, Mycobacterium bovis, and various mold species. High concentrations of C. botulinum in silage have been associated with cattle botulism. A high initial concentration of C. botulinum spores in forage in combination with poor silage fermentation conditions can promote the growth of C. botulinum in silage. The elevated pH level that is generally associated with aerobic deterioration of silage is a major factor influencing concentrations of L. monocytogenes, Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, and molds in silage and may also encourage survival and growth of M. bovis, the bacterium that causes bovine tuberculosis. Soil is a major source of B. cereus spores in silage; growth of this bacterium in silage appears to be limited. Hazards from plant toxins include pyrrolizidine, tropane and tropolone alkaloids, phytoestrogens, prussic acid, and mimosine, compounds that exist naturally in certain plant species that may contaminate forages at harvesting. Another group of toxins belonging to this category are ergot alkaloids, which are produced by endophytic fungal species in forages such as tall fescue grass, sorghum, and ryegrass. Varying effects of ensiling on the degradation of these plant toxins have been reported. Chemical hazards include nitrate, nitrite, and toxic oxide gases of nitrogen produced from nitrate and high levels of butyric acid, biogenic amines, and ammonia. Chemical and microbiological hazards are associated with poorly fermented silages, which can be avoided by using proper silage-making practices and creating conditions that promote a rapid and sufficient reduction of the silage pH and prevent aerobic deterioration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Efficient recoveries of 565 chemical hazards were achieved via Fe 3 O 4 @poly(MAAM- co -EGDMA). • Fe 3 O 4 @poly(MAAM- co -EGDMA) was fabricated with MAAM and EGDMA through simple bulk polymerization. • The thickness of the polymer shell can be controlled by tuning the proportion of the MAAM/EDGMA. • Fe 3 O 4 @poly(MAAM- co -EGDMA) featured promising lipids adsorption in animal and vegetable oils. • The adsorption mechanisms for FFAs and TGs are electrostatic interaction and hydrogen bonding. Nontargeted analysis for chemical hazards is highly desirable in controlling food safety to ensure human health. As the dominating interference in fat-rich foodstuffs, lipids removal is a great challenge in sample pretreatment. Herein, diverse lipids from both animal and vegetable oils are effectively removed and 565 chemical hazards with various physicochemical properties are used for method validation. These benefits are from the designed magnetic amino-rich hyper-crosslinked core–shell polymeric composites (Fe 3 O 4 @poly(MAAM- co -EGDMA)) and the application of an auto extraction system. Among them, the amino groups are the key factors for lipid removal. Theoretical calculations, isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), and functional monomer replacement demonstrated that the mechanisms to universally capture free fatty acids (FFAs) and triglycerides (TGs) are electrostatic interaction and supplemented by hydrogen bonding. Overall, this work highlights the great application potentials of polymeric adsorbents as sample pretreatment materials for nontargeted analysis in food safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pork meat and processed pork meat products may carry some hazards that threaten the consumer's health. These hazards are related with animal health or with the way in which the raw materials are manipulated during slaughtering and manufacturing until the consumption. Substances having anabolic effects, the residues of veterinary drugs and chemical contaminants, some of them with origin in animal production but others produced during the transformation processes should be considered among chemical hazards. Concerning biological hazards, we can mention some parasites like Toxoplasma gondii, Trichinella spiralis, Taenia solium and also some bacteria like Salmonella spp., Campylobacter spp., Yersinia enterocolitica and Listeria monocytogenes. The physicochemical characteristics of fresh meat further facilitate the growth of various microorganisms, other than those mentioned above, which turns it into a highly perishable product. Several transformation processes of the raw material, provide different food products to consumers and constitute ways to increase its shelf-life. Drying, fermentation and cure are among these processing methods. In Portugal there is a wide variety of processed meat products, such as Chouriço, Paio, Presunto, Salsichão and Catalão many of them manufactured according to traditional techniques of their regions of origin. Some of these products have been studied at the Universidade de Évora. Some results, which show the favourable effect of a range of transformation processes in controlling some of the mentioned biological hazards, will be presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reporting of information is crucial to enable backward and forward tracing of food along the chain, which is of main importance in case of non-compliance with legal obligations on food safety. Thus, food business operators in the European Union (EU) must enable tracing of any foodstuff one step forward and one step back. However, flux of information relevant for traceability and food safety can be a challenge in the supply chains of dried culinary herbs and spices. Results of a survey among herb/spice businesses – either located within the EU or exporting dried herbs/spices to the EU – showed the widespread use of electronic systems for recording and processing of traceability/food safety data. However, automated capture of transaction data and automated read-out/processing of reported data were rare. The survey indicates that besides electronic documents, typed paper documents are often exchanged between businesses. For data delivery along the chain, paper documents filled in by hand are still used – even in the EU or upon import to the EU. The document type as well as the forms varied, particularly in case of incoming herbs/spices. The forms used for reporting by the survey participants or by their suppliers covered mostly individual/company-specific forms. Standardised forms provided by herb/spice associations were rarely shared between these businesses. The extent of reporting of traceability data upon import to the EU and within the EU appears to be sufficient. Some additional traceability data that promote product tracing, such as the country of harvest, were frequently reported. Same was true for information on food safety hazards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lignin, the most abundant source of renewable aromatic compounds derived from natural lignocellulosic biomass, has great potential for various applications as green materials due to its abundant active groups. However, it is still challenging to quickly construct green polymers with a certain crystallinity by utilizing lignin as a building block. Herein, new green lignin-based covalent organic polymers (LIGOPD-COPs) were one-pot fabricated with water as the reaction solvent and natural lignin as the raw material. Furthermore, by using paraformaldehyde as a protector and modulator, the LIGOPD-COPs prepared under optimized conditions displayed better crystallinity than reported lignin-based polymers, demonstrating the feasibility of preparing lignin-based polymers with improved crystallinity. The improved crystallinity confers LIGOPD-COPs with enhanced application performance, which was demonstrated by their excellent performances in sample treatment of non-targeted food safety analysis. Under optimized conditions, phytochromes, the main interfering matrices, were almost completely removed from different phytochromes-rich vegetables by LIGOPD-COPs, accompanied by "full recovery" of 90 chemical hazards. Green, low-cost, and reusable properties, together with improved crystallinity, will accelerate the industrialization and marketization of lignin-based COPs, and promote their applications in many fields. [Display omitted] • Low-cost porous covalent organic polymers (COPs) are fabricated with natural lignin. • Water is used as reaction solvent for one-pot green synthesis of lignin-based COPs. • The crystallinity of COPs is improved by optimizing synthetic methods and conditions. • Preparing lignin-based polymers with good crystallinity is demonstrated possible. • As-prepared lignin-based COPs work well in the non-targeted food safety analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The research purpose was to analyze data concerning chemical incidents in Poland collected in 1999-2009 in terms of health hazards.Material and Methods: The data was obtained, using multimodal information technology (IT) system, from chemical incidents reports prepared by rescuers at the scene. The final analysis covered sudden events associated with uncontrolled release of hazardous chemical substances or mixtures, which may potentially lead to human exposure. Releases of unidentified substances where emergency services took action to protect human health or environment were also included.Results: The number of analyzed chemical incidents in 1999-2009 was 2930 with more than 200 different substances released. The substances were classified into 13 groups of substances and mixtures posing analogous risks. Most common releases were connected with non-flammable corrosive liquids, including: hydrochloric acid (199 cases), sulfuric(VI) acid (131 cases), sodium and potassium hydroxides (69 cases), ammonia solution (52 cases) and butyric acid (32 cases). The next group were gases hazardous only due to physico-chemical properties, including: extremely flammable propane-butane (249 cases) and methane (79 cases). There was no statistically significant trend associated with the total number of incidents. Only with the number of incidents with flammable corrosive, toxic and/or harmful liquids, the regression analysis revealed a statistically significant downward trend. The number of victims reported was 1997, including 1092 children and 18 fatalities.Conclusions: The number of people injured, number of incidents and the high 9th place of Poland in terms of the number of Seveso establishments, and 4 times higher number of hazardous industrial establishments not covered by the Seveso Directive justify the need for systematic analysis of hazards and their proper identification. It is advisable enhance health risk assessment, both qualitative and quantitative, by slight modification of the data collection system so as to enable the determination of released chemical concentration and exposed populations. Int J Occup Med Environ Health 2017;30(1):95-110. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fish and fish products are appreciated worldwide for their high nutritional value and delicate taste. To this end, it is extremely vital to guarantee the safety of edible fish in the international fish industry. Various research findings associated with the safety and quality of fish and fish products were discussed in the present review. The diverse hazard factors with regard to fish safety and quality were highlighted which could be classified into three groups; chemical factors, biological factors and physical factors. Many of these contaminants that accumulate in fish tissues are transferred to humans through the food chain and possible damage to human health. Hence, it is essential to develop analytical techniques to monitor these contaminants in fish prior to consumption for protecting of the consumers from potential risk of food-borne diseases. However, although most of these conventional analytical methods for fish contaminants determination are reliable and accurate, they are time-consuming, expensive and require highly skilled personnel. For that matter, there is no existing rapid detection system that could provide sufficient information associated with various of the contaminants for fish safety and quality evaluation. With the increasing demand of fish and fish products, there is the need for a rapid determination system for ensurence of fish safety and quality. The review would help to give some inspirations to the researchers studied in the areas of fish quality control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background E-waste includes electrical and electronic equipment discarded as waste without intent of reuse. Informal e-waste recycling, typically done in smaller, unorganized businesses, can expose workers and communities to serious chemical health hazards. It is unclear if formalization into larger, better-controlled electronics recycling (e-recycling) facilities solves environmental and occupational health problems. Objectives To systematically review the literature on occupational and environmental health hazards of formal e-recycling facilities and discuss challenges and opportunities to strengthen research in this area. Methods We identified 37 publications from 4 electronic databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Environmental Index, NIOSHTIC-2) specific to chemical exposures in formal e-recycling facilities. Discussion Environmental and occupational exposures depend on the degree of formalization of the facilities but further reduction is needed. Reported worker exposures to metals were often higher than recommended occupational guidelines. Levels of brominated flame-retardants in worker's inhaled air and biological samples were higher than those from reference groups. Air, dust, and soil concentrations of metals, brominated flame-retardants, dioxins, furans, polycyclic-aromatic hydrocarbons, or polychlorinated biphenyls found inside or near the facilities were generally higher than reference locations, suggesting transport into the environment. Children of a recycler had blood lead levels higher than public health recommended guidelines. Conclusions With mounting e-waste, more workers, their family members, and communities could experience unhealthful exposures to metals and other chemicals. We identified research needs to further assess exposures, health, and improve controls. The long-term solution is manufacturing of electronics without harmful substances and easy-to-disassemble components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, due to the increasing consciousness of food safety and human health, much progress has been made in developing rapid and nondestructive techniques for the evaluation of food hazards, food authentication, and traceability. Near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy and imaging techniques have gained wide acceptance in many fields because of their advantages over other analytical techniques. Following a brief introduction of NIR spectroscopy and imaging basics, this review mainly focuses on recent NIR spectroscopy and imaging applications for food safety evaluation, including (1) chemical hazards detection; (2) microbiological hazards detection; (3) physical hazards detection; (4) new technology-induced food safety concerns; and (5) food traceability. The review shows NIR spectroscopy and imaging to be effective tools that will play indispensable roles for food safety evaluation. In addition, on-line/real-time applications of these techniques promise to be a huge growth field in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Efficient recoveries of 407 chemical hazards were achieved via CTAB/TFBD-NH 2. • CTAB/TFBD-NH 2 was fabricated with CTAB and through a BBE strategy. • CTAB/TFBD-NH 2 featured promising lipids adsorption in animal and vegetable oils. • The adsorption mechanisms for FFAs are hydrogen bonding and size exclusion. • The adsorption mechanisms for TGs are size filling and H-π effect. Moving from the targeted to nontargeted analysis of chemical hazards in foods is an extremely challenging task for human wellbeing since various types of endogenous and exogenous substances are kept unknown for analysts. Lipids with a wide size distribution are the dominant interference in fat-rich foodstuffs. At present it is difficult to remove all lipids with one material. Herein for the first time, diverse lipids from both animal and vegetable oils are effectively removed and more than 400 chemical hazards with various physicochemical properties are recovered. Such unprecedented function is due to the rational designed three-dimensional (3D) macro/mesoporous amine-functionalized covalent organic framework (COF) nanospheres. In detail, the preparation of macro channels decreases mass transfer resistance. Amino groups and mesoporous are key factors for capturing lipids. Fundamentally it is found that the mechanisms to universally capture free fatty acids (FFAs) and triglycerides (TGs) are hydrogen bonding, size exclusion and size filling, H-π effect, respectively. This has been evidenced by theoretical calculations, isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), UPC2-Q-TOF/MS and UPC2-MS/MS. Overall, this work highlights the substantial application potential of COF to universal analysis in food safety and integrity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among the various hazards occurring in fish and seafood chemical hazards and in particular toxins (ciguatera, scombroid fish poisoning, paralytic shellfish poisoning, neurotoxic (brevetoxic) shellfish poisoning, puffer fish poisoning, diarrhetic shellfish poisoning) have an important place in food poisoning cases. On the other hand, some of the chemical hazards are often due to the pollution of the environment (heavy metals, dioxins, polychlorinated biphenyls, and halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons) and their detection is neither rapid nor facile. As a result there was a great need for developing new rapid and effective methods toward the chemical hazards determination mainly because of their high toxicity. The aim of this review is to provide the information about the new up-to-date detection techniques (Immunological, Chemical and Biochemical, and Molecular assays) in conjunction with detection limits. The latter is made possible by means of inclusion of seven comprehensive and, in most case cases, very extended tables. A reference is also made on the risk characterization of toxins as regards their importance to food contamination or poisoning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Very few effect-based studies done on artificially-infiltrated drinking water sources. • Contamination of artificially-infiltrated groundwater can occur. • Arylhydrocarbon receptor activation most prevalent in raw water before infiltration. • Here, bioactivities from chemical hazards were reduced following artificial infiltration. Artificial infiltration is an established managed aquifer recharge method that is commonly incorporated into drinking water processes. However, groundwater sourced from this type of purification method is prone to contamination with chemical hazards. Such an instance was previously shown at a Swedish DWTP where the river water was contaminated by hazardous chemicals during artificial infiltration. Further, there remains a paucity of research studying the quality of drinking water following this type of treatment from an effect-based bioanalytical perspective. In the current study, an effect-based assessment for chemical hazards was conducted for a Swedish drinking water system comprised of two DWTPs fed artificially-infiltrated river water. In this system, artificial infiltration of the river water takes approximately six to eight months. A sampling event was conducted in the autumn season and the samples were enriched by solid phase extraction. A panel of cell-based reporter gene assays representing several toxicity pathways was selected: oxidative stress response (Nrf2 activity), aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) activation, and hormone receptor-mediated effects (estrogen receptor [ER], androgen receptor [AR]). AhR and ER bioactivities were detected in samples collected from the river intake and in the open-air infiltration basins prior to artificial infiltration. However, the AhR activity decreased and ER activity was effectively removed following artificial infiltration. In the Nrf2 and AR assays, no bioactivities above cut-off levels were detected in any samples collected along the entire treatment process of the drinking water production from source to tap. Using a suite of bioassays, the current study highlighted the effectiveness of artificial infiltration in reducing bioactive compounds in this raw river water. Although artificial infiltration is a common purification method in drinking water production, the limited number of effect-based studies evaluating the effectiveness of this method emphasizes the need for further research to better understand the risks and benefits of this water treatment process. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Meat is a very complex and continuously changing ex vivo system of various high- and low-molecular substances that can be used for satisfying needs of the human organism for metabolic energy, building material and fulfilling of the other vital functions. A great majority of these substances are useful and safe for the consumer. Yet, meat and meat products may always contain substances exerting detrimental effects to the consumer's organism. The present paper is a literature review of the most important potentially toxic substances found in meat and meat products; their classification, ways of getting into the meat or formation during meat processing, undesirable physiological outcomes and biochemical mechanisms of their toxic effects, and methods for reduction of these responses. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Part of risk based control is the prioritization of hazard-food combinations for monitoring food safety. The aim of the current study was to develop a method for risk ranking of chemical food safety hazards using a structured and transparent approach. The method established is semi-quantitative and uses scores on both severity and probability of the hazard. The method was applied in a case study on antibiotic residue monitoring in a variety of products in the Netherlands. Severity of the hazard was scored using the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) as well as a score on the severity of antimicrobial resistance. Probability of the hazard depended on the amount of product consumed and on the amount of antibiotics used in animals as well as evidence of residues found. Data were gathered using literature research and expert opinions. The method showed that antibiotics most relevant for monitoring were product specific. Overall, nitrofurans were amongst the most important antibiotics to be included in monitoring programs for the products studied: pork, beef, poultry, honey and shrimps. This was mainly due to the detection of residues in products imported from outside the EU. Oxytetracycline was another major important antibiotic for the products studied (both nationally produced and imported). The study showed that the method derived is capable of ranking antibiotic-food combinations and has potential for the application in other chemical hazard-food combinations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) are the foundation of worker right-to-know legislation for chemical hazards. Suppliers can use product test data to determine a product's classification. Alternatively, they may use evaluation and professional judgment based on test results for the product or a product, material, or substance with similar properties. While the criteria for classifying products under the new Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS) are different, a similar process is followed. Neither the current Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) nor GHS require suppliers to test their products to classify them. In this project 83 samples of products classified as flammable or combustible, representing a variety of industry sectors and product types, were collected. Flash points were measured and compared to the reported values on the MSDSs. The classifications of the products were then compared using the WHMIS and GHS criteria. The results of the study indicated that there were significant variations between the disclosed and measured flash point values. Overall, more than one-third of the products had flash points lower than that disclosed on the MSDS. In some cases, the measured values were more than 20°C lower than the disclosed values. This could potentially result in an underestimation regarding the flammability of the product so it is important for employers to understand the limitations in the information provided on MSDSs when developing safe work procedures and training programs in the workplace. Nearly one-fifth of the products were misclassified under the WHMIS system as combustible when the measured flash point indicated that they should be classified as flammable when laboratory measurement error was taken into account. While a similar number of products were misclassified using GHS criteria, the tendency appeared to be to “over-classify” (provide a hazard class that was more conservative). So the transition to GHS may potentially decrease the possibility of “under-classifying” flammable and combustible products where no test data on the product are available. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]