H2: Research Roundup Hazard Recognition/Big Data

Volatile exposure biomarkers such as 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) and o-cresol in urine after hydrolysis (biomarkers for PAHs and toluene, respectively) are usually analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) techniques. GC techniques, however, require stringent sample preparation procedures that significantly reduce analysis throughput, have detection limits above the current biological exposure indices (BEI) suggested by ACGIH or are inconclusive due to interference. This presentation looks at new methods that use a derivation reaction (dansylation) to convert volatile exposure biomarkers into non-volatile derivates whose signal can be enhanced by liquid chromatography−tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The new LC-MS/MS methods are simple and allow measurements down to 5% of the ACGIH BEI for 1-OHP and o-cresol in urine after hydrolysis. 

The wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) index is the preferred environmental heat metric for heat-related illness (HRI) prevention in the workplace and is typically measured using a heat stress monitor. Utilizing a heat stress monitor to measure the on-site WBGT provides the most accurate assessment of a worker's environmental heat exposure. However, WBGT data may not always be easily accessible for worksite heat stress evaluation. An alternative tool for assessing environmental heat metrics in the workplace is the OSHA-NIOSH Heat Safety Tool, a mobile app that provides current and forecasted heat index and its corresponding risk. But the app has been found to be inaccurate in assessing high and extreme heat stress risks at different workloads. There is still a need for alternative WBGT-based tools, such as mobile apps, that are more accessible and cheaper for HRI prevention among outdoor workers. Research has been conducted that assessed the accuracy of calculating WBGT from other approaches, such as mathematical models, that utilize readily available weather station data. In 2008, Liljegren and others developed a heat and mass transfer algorithm that calculates WBGT using standard meteorological data. A web app prototype, using the Liljegren algorithm, was developed to calculate the current and forecasted WBGT index for a specific location. This is a promising tool for HRI prevention among outdoor workers, but it has not been tested for accuracy.