Aircraft are constituted by modules that are covered by a “primer“ layer, then assembled and painted. Aviation industries often utilize primers containing hexavalent chromium, a well-known carcinogenic substance (IARC, group 1), and while the occupational exposure to CrVI during aircraft painting is ascertained, it must be verified in the case of assembly workers (assemblers). Here, three biological monitoring campaigns (BM-I,II,III) were performed, homogeneous groups of exposure (HGE) were defined on the basis of work programs and aircraft’s size and model, and urine samples from assemblers were collected for the determination of the total urinary chromium in end-shift-end-working-week samples (CrUeseww) and of the chromium concentration difference between end- and before-shift urines (CrU), as suggested by ACGIH for chromium occupational exposure evaluation. BM-I was based on 3 HGE (138 workers) and on 30 administrative employees, as control group; BM-II on 2 HGE; during BM-III, 19 workers and 6 controls chosen among previously monitored workers were investigated, but samples were collected after 3-4 days of absence from work. Information about lifestyle, working and smoking habits, drugs use and eventual pathologies were collected by administering a questionnaire to each examined worker. Due to the stochastic nature of cancer development, the Italian legislation gives no threshold limit values: the exposure levels to carcinogens must be the “minimum level that is technically possible”. Even if the CrUeseww measured during BM-I and –II were lower than occupational biological limits, they were higher than reference values, from non-exposed peoples, suggesting that the assembly-step could imply an occupational exposure to CrVI. As well as, CrU levels of urine samples collected before the working-shift were higher than reference values, too. As a consequence, BM-III was performed in order to highlight extraprofessional exposures. Despite the absence from working, urinary chromium concentrations were found still higher than references, likely due to the organism chromium accumulation and to the chromium urinary excretion kinetics. The obtained findings show that, when evaluating the occupational exposure to carcinogens, unsuspected jobs must also be considered in order to plan suitable prevention measures such as biological monitoring investigations.

Esposizione professionale a cromo nell’industria aeronautica: caso studio

MIRAGLIA, Nadia;SANNOLO, Nicola
2011

Abstract

Aircraft are constituted by modules that are covered by a “primer“ layer, then assembled and painted. Aviation industries often utilize primers containing hexavalent chromium, a well-known carcinogenic substance (IARC, group 1), and while the occupational exposure to CrVI during aircraft painting is ascertained, it must be verified in the case of assembly workers (assemblers). Here, three biological monitoring campaigns (BM-I,II,III) were performed, homogeneous groups of exposure (HGE) were defined on the basis of work programs and aircraft’s size and model, and urine samples from assemblers were collected for the determination of the total urinary chromium in end-shift-end-working-week samples (CrUeseww) and of the chromium concentration difference between end- and before-shift urines (CrU), as suggested by ACGIH for chromium occupational exposure evaluation. BM-I was based on 3 HGE (138 workers) and on 30 administrative employees, as control group; BM-II on 2 HGE; during BM-III, 19 workers and 6 controls chosen among previously monitored workers were investigated, but samples were collected after 3-4 days of absence from work. Information about lifestyle, working and smoking habits, drugs use and eventual pathologies were collected by administering a questionnaire to each examined worker. Due to the stochastic nature of cancer development, the Italian legislation gives no threshold limit values: the exposure levels to carcinogens must be the “minimum level that is technically possible”. Even if the CrUeseww measured during BM-I and –II were lower than occupational biological limits, they were higher than reference values, from non-exposed peoples, suggesting that the assembly-step could imply an occupational exposure to CrVI. As well as, CrU levels of urine samples collected before the working-shift were higher than reference values, too. As a consequence, BM-III was performed in order to highlight extraprofessional exposures. Despite the absence from working, urinary chromium concentrations were found still higher than references, likely due to the organism chromium accumulation and to the chromium urinary excretion kinetics. The obtained findings show that, when evaluating the occupational exposure to carcinogens, unsuspected jobs must also be considered in order to plan suitable prevention measures such as biological monitoring investigations.
2011
978-88-86293-18-1
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11591/174787
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