Documents Teixeira, João Paulo 2 results

"The ceramic industry is an industrial sector of great impact in the global economy that has been benefiting from advances in materials and processing technologies. Ceramic manufacturing has a strong potential for airborne particle formation and emission, namely of ultrafine particles (UFP) and nanoparticles (NP), meaning that workers of those industries are at risk of potential exposure to these particles. At present, little is known on the impact of engineered nanoparticles (ENP) on the environment and human health and no established Occupational Exposure Limits (OEL) or specific regulations to airborne nanoparticles (ANP) exposure exist raising concerns about the possible consequences of such exposure.
In this paper, we provide an overview of the current knowledge on occupational exposure to NP in the ceramic industry and their impact on human health. Possible sources and exposure scenarios, a summary of the existing methods for evaluation and monitoring of ANP in the workplace environment and proposed Nano Reference Values (NRV) for different classes of NP are presented. Case studies on occupational exposure to ANP generated at different stages of the ceramic manufacturing process are described. Finally, the toxicological potential of intentional and unintentional ANP that have been identified in the ceramic industry workplace environment is discussed based on the existing evidence from in vitro and in vivo inhalation toxicity studies."

"Formaldehyde (FA) is a high-volume production chemical manufactured worldwide to which many people are exposed to both environmentally and occupationally. FA was recently reclassified as a human carcinogen. Several epidemiological studies have revealed an increased risk of cancer development among workers exposed to FA. Although FA genotoxicity was confirmed in a variety of experimental systems, data from human studies are conflicting. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the occupational exposure to FA in a multistage approach relating the exposure with different biomarkers (dose and effect) and individual susceptibility. Air monitoring was performed to estimate the level of exposure to FA during shift work. Eighty-five workers from hospital anatomy-pathology laboratories exposed to FA and 87 controls were tested for cytogenetic alterations in lymphocytes (micronucleus, MN; sister-chromatid exchange, SCE) and T-cell receptor (TCR) mutation assay. The frequency of MN in exfoliated buccal cells, a first contact tissue was also assessed. Percentages of different lymphocyte subpopulations were selected as immunotoxicity biomarkers. The level of formic acid in urine was investigated as a potential biomarker of internal dose. The effects of polymorphic genes of xenobiotic metabolising enzymes and DNA repair enzymes on the endpoints studied were determined. The mean level of FA exposure was 0.38 ± 0.03 ppm. MN (in lymphocytes and buccal cells) and SCE were significantly increased in FA-exposed workers compared to controls. MN frequency positively correlated with FA levels of exposure and duration. Significant alterations in the percentage of T cytotoxic lymphocytes, NK cells and B lymphocytes were found between groups. Polymorphisms in CYP2E1, GSTP1 and FANCA genes were associated with increased genetic damage in FA-exposed subjects. The obtained information may provide new important data to be used by health and safety care programs and by governmental agencies responsible for setting the acceptable levels for occupational exposure to FA."