Objectives. Biological monitoring of occupational sensitizers, such as 1,5-naphthalene diisocyanate (NDI) and 4,4'-methylenediphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) is of high importance. In this study, 1,5-naphthalenediamine (NDA) and 4,4'-methylenedianiline (MDA) in hydrolysed urine and plasma were evaluated as biomarkers of exposure to NDI and MDI, respectively. Methods.The air exposure to NDI and MDI was monitored for 30 exposed workers at four different plants. In parallel, urinary as well as blood plasma samples were collected.Biomarker levels were determined in hydrolysed urine and plasma by means of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.Results. Air exposure to both MDI and NDI was correlated to their corresponding urinary and plasma biomarkers. The correlation coefficients for the associations between air and biomarker levels were in the range of 0.51-0.65 and 0.53-0.96 for MDI and NDI, respectively. For NDI, but not for MDI, the significance and correlation coefficients were increased by adjusting the urinary biomarker levels for creatinine content or density. Conclusions.Biomarker and air levels of MDI and NDI were correlated, but there was a large individual variation.

Occupational exposure to toluene diisocyanate (TDI) is a known occupational hazard and the occupational exposure limits in air are very low. One of the most common methods to monitor exposure to isocyanates is to sample air through filters impregnated with 1-(2-methoxyphenyl) piperazine (2MP). In one earlier field study it was found that long-term sampling with 2MP-filters underestimated the exposure compared with consecutive short term samples of TDI. The aim of this study was to confirm that finding in a controlled atmosphere in the laboratory. A test atmosphere of 2,4-TDI or 2,6-TDI was generated in a small test chamber and parallel long-term samples and consecutive short-term samples were collected. A total of 159 filters were exposed. The long-term samples collected significant lower amounts of TDI than the sum of the short-term samples. For a 4-hour sampling, the air levels were calculated to underestimate the exposure for 2,4-TDI by a factor 1.4 and for 2,6-TDI by a factor 1.3. The calculated underestimation was lower than earlier reported.

Water damages in buildings in the Nordic countries results in costs amounting to several billion Euros each year as well as a great deal of unpleasantness. The vast majority of the water damages cost in Sweden is caused by leaks from buildings services in the form of piping such as tap water, sewage, drainage and heating, as well as through insufficiently waterproof layers in wet rooms. The economic potential for making measures to prevent water damages on building services and wet rooms is enormous and savings could be used for other sustainability measures in the built environment. The aim of this paper is to review statistics of damages caused in cold outdoor climates. This is done by an analyse of empirical damage statistics by a literature review of both scientific literature and in retrievable cases from practical experience. The result will be a help to focus on the right damage types in colder climate and will make a foundation for future research on how to prevent water damages. The cold climate in the Nordic countries seems to be a factor for the number of water damages due to freezing that are described in the statistics and it could be established that the impact of the climate should be considered and that it need to be constructed and designed for in a larger extent.

This extended abstract compiles statistics and information regarding the process of gathering water damage statistics. A questionnaire was used to determine similarities, differences, and tendencies in the water damage statistics, in the Nordic countries Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Iceland. The study aimed to answer what lessons were learned and what knowledge could be shared between the Nordic countries to reduce water damage. Several suggestions and tendencies between the counties are introduced and what obstacles are hindering a deepened cooperation, based on the answers from the statistic-gathering companies acting in the five countries, such as insurance-and industry organizations. A first step should be to increase the number of buildings included in the statistics, such as multi-family and public.Peer-review under the responsibility of the organizing committee of the ICMB23.