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Private consumers and professionals may experience acute inhalation toxicity after inhaling aerosolized impregnation products. The distinction between toxic and non-toxic products is difficult to make for producers and product users alike, as there is no clearly described relationship between the chemical composition of the products and induction of toxicity. The currently accepted method for determination of acute inhalation toxicity is based on experiments on animals; it is time-consuming, expensive and causes stress for the animals. Impregnation products are present on the market in large numbers and amounts and exhibit great variety. Therefore, an alternative method to screen for acute inhalation toxicity is needed. The aim of our study was to determine if inhibition of lung surfactant by impregnation products in vitro could accurately predict toxicity in vivo in mice. We tested 21 impregnation products using the constant flow through set-up of the constrained drop surfactometer to determine if the products inhibited surfactant function or not. The same products were tested in a mouse inhalation bioassay to determine their toxicity in vivo. The sensitivity was 100%, i.e., the in vitro method predicted all the products that were toxic for mice to inhale. The specificity of the in vitro test was 63%, i.e., the in vitro method found three false positives in the 21 tested products. Six of the products had been involved in accidental human inhalation where they caused acute inhalation toxicity. All of these six products inhibited lung surfactant function in vitro and were toxic to mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated a number of biomarkers, associated with systemic inflammation as well as genotoxicity, in 53 young and healthy subjects participating in a course to become firefighters, while wearing personal protective equipment (PPE). The exposure period consisted of a 3-day training course where the subjects participated in various live-fire training exercises. The subjects were instructed to extinguish fires of either wood or wood with electrical cords and mattresses. The personal exposure was measured as dermal polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations and urinary excretion of 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP). The subjects were primarily exposed to particulate matter (PM) in by-stander positions, since the self-contained breathing apparatus effectively prevented pulmonary exposure. There was increased dermal exposure to pyrene (68.1%, 95% CI: 52.5%, 83.8%) and sum of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (ΣPAH; 79.5%, 95% CI: 52.5%, 106.6%), and increased urinary excretion of 1-OHP (70.4%, 95% CI: 52.5%; 106.6%) after the firefighting exercise compared with the mean of two control measurements performed 2 weeks before and 2 weeks after the firefighting course, respectively. The level of Fpg-sensitive sites in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was increased by 8.0% (95% CI: 0.02%, 15.9%) compared with control measurements. The level of DNA strand breaks was positively associated with dermal exposure to pyrene and ΣPAHs and urinary excretion of 1-OHP. Fpg-sensitive sites were only associated positively with PAHs. Biomarkers of inflammation and lung function showed no consistent response. In summary, the study demonstrated that PAH exposure during firefighting activity was associated with genotoxicity in PBMCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) can still be measured in indoor air in many buildings built or renovated within the period from approximately 1950 until the late seventies. The increasing evidence of the importance of indoor exposure to PCBs has led to the initiation of remediation actions in many countries. Understandably, primary sources with original PCB content have been the main focus of the actions. However, removal of primary sources alone has shown to be insufficient in decreasing the high indoor PCB concentrations in contaminated buildings. The aim of this study was to investigate the importance of tertiary PCB sources to indoor air concentrations and identify predictors of PCB air concentrations in contaminated buildings. In this study, 24 PCB congeners were measured in the indoor air of 83 contaminated apartments as well as in sealants sampled in a random subset of 20 apartments. The sealants were identified to be the primary source containing the original PCBs. For total PCBs, the median air concentration was 859 ng/m3 and the median concentration in contaminated sealants was 16.5% by weight. Analyses performed in the present study indicate that the influence of tertiary sources on indoor air concentrations may be substantial and that removal of tertiary sources may be needed when performing PCB remediation in buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Skin disorders accounted for one third of all recognised occupational diseases in Denmark in 2010. Wet work is a risk factor for the development of occupational hand eczema. The consequences of occupational hand eczema include sick leave, loss of job and impaired quality of life. Objectives The aim of the present study was to investigate exposures related to cleaning and the effect of an evidence-based educational intervention on the prevention of hand eczema among hospital cleaners. Patients/Materials/Methods The intervention consisted of a 1 hr course in hand protective behaviour. All full-time cleaners working at Bispebjerg Hospital in January 2013 were invited to participate. The outcome measures were self-reported skin behaviour, exposures, knowledge of skin protection and hand eczema severity index ( HECSI). Results One hundred and five cleaners were invited to participate, of these 86 (82%) were included. At follow-up after 3 months there was a shift towards fewer daily hand washings and hand disinfections ( p < 0.001 and p = 0.001 respectively). The number of correct answers to the knowledge questions rose from 6.3 to 7.3 ( p = 0.006). The mean HECSI score decreased from 2.8 to 1.8 at follow-up ( p = 0.002). Conclusions Data indicates a positive effect of a low-cost on-site educational intervention for hospital cleaners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Skin diseases are the most commonly recognized occupational diseases in Denmark, and occupational contact dermatitis (OCD) comprises ∼95% of all cases. Objectives To prevent occupational contact dermatitis, it is important to specifically identify exposures and work routines related to outbreak of the disease. The aim of this study was to give an overview of exposures for patients with occupational contact dermatitis in Denmark in 2010, and relate this to line of work and disease severity. Material and methods The study was a descriptive, register-based study including patients with recognized occupational contact dermatitis in Denmark in 2010. Data were obtained from the National Board of Industrial Injuries in Denmark, and comprised information about the skin disease as well as the occupation/industry of employment and exposures. Results One thousand five hundred and four patients, 1020 women and 484 men, were included in the study. Irritant contact dermatitis accounted for 70% of all cases; 68% of these were caused by wet work. Forty-six per cent of all patients were employed either in the healthcare sector, in cleaning, or as kitchen workers. Among contact allergies, the most common were to rubber additives from gloves and epoxy in patients employed in the windmill industry. Conclusion The data are important for planning preventive efforts in the future. The workers in the healthcare sector, kitchen workers and cleaners constitute almost half of all cases, and future preventive efforts should be directed at these occupations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The incidence of occupational hand eczema is approximately 0.32 per 1,000 person years. The burden of the disease is high, as almost 60% has eczema-related sick leave during the first year after notification, and 15% are excluded from the workforce 12 years after disease onset. New treatments and prevention strategies are needed. Methods/design Trial design: The PREVEX trial is a randomised, parallel-group, superiority trial. Participants: All individuals from the Capital Region of Denmark and Region Zealand with a suspected occupational skin disorder notified to the National Board of Industrial Injuries between June 2012 and December 2013 are invited to participate in the trial. Inclusion criteria are: self-reported hand eczema and informed consent. Exclusion criteria are: age <18 years or >65 years; permanent exclusion from the workforce; inability to understand the Danish language; any serious medical condition; and lack of written informed consent. We plan to randomise 742 participants. Interventions: The experimental intervention is an educational course in skin-protective behaviour and written information about skin care related to their specific occupation. Also, a telephone hotline is available and a subgroup will be offered a work-place visit. The experimental and the control group have access to usual care and treatment. All participants are contacted every eighth week with questions regarding number of days with sick leave or other absence from work. 12 months after randomisation follow-up is completed. Objective: To assesses the effect of an educational course versus treatment as usual in participants with newly notified occupational hand eczema. Randomisation: Participants are centrally randomised according to a computer-generated allocation sequence with a varying block size concealed to investigators. Blinding: It is not possible to blind the participants and investigators, however, data obtained from registers, data entry, statistical analyses, and drawing of conclusions will be blinded. Outcomes: The three co-primary outcomes, assessed at 12 months, are: total number of selfreported days with sick leave; health-related quality of life; and subjective assessment of hand eczema severity. Explorative outcomes are: self-reported eczema-related sick leave, absence from work registered by the DREAM-register and by self-report, risk behaviour, knowledge of skin protection and performance management (self-efficacy; and self-evaluated ability to self-care). Discussion The PREVEX trial will be the first individually randomised trial to investigate the benefits and harms of group-based education in patients with newly notified occupational hand eczema. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents an overview of a study which examined the incidence of skin cancer as an occupational disease in Denmark from January 1, 2000-December 31, 2009. The study used the records of the National Board of Industrial Injuries (NBII), which revealed that workers had acquired squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), basal cell carcinoma (BCC), pre-malignant disease and erytroplasia of Queryat. The implication of the study for further evaluation of occupational diseases is mentioned.