The contribution of biological and environmental monitoring to the risk assessment of occupational exposure to lead (Pb), arsenic (As), and antimony (Sb) was studied in 18 workers at a birdshot factory (Exposed) and in 18 control workers (Controls) by the determination of both airborne Pb (PbA) and airborne As (AsA) only in the exposed workers and blood Pb (PbB), erythrocytic zinc protoporphyrin (ZPP), urinary Sb (SbU), and the urinary As species in exposed workers and controls. PbA (12-42 μg/m) and AsA (1-4 μg/m) were strongly correlated (r = .95). PbB, ZPP, and the sum of As+As+MMA were significantly higher in the exposed workers. As was higher than the limit of detection in 14 exposed workers and 1 control, As only in 1 exposed worker, SbU in all the exposed workers and in 4 controls. Monitoring for more metallic elements reveals a wider spectrum of exposures than can be achieved by lead surveillance alone and is preferable for characterizing occupational risk wherever possible.

This survey aimed to evaluate the applicability of the Nordic Occupational Skin Questionnaire (NOSQ) as a preliminary screening tool to investigate the presence of contact dermatological disorders in sea fishermen. The Italian version of the NOSQ was administered to 143 male fishermen working at an Apulia (Southern Italy) Fisheries, and 136 male workers who had never worked as sea fishers (controls). A significantly higher rate of frequency of transient itchy wheals on the hands, wrists, and forearms was recorded in the fishermen as compared to the controls (49.6% vs. 8.1%; p < 0.001), while there was no significant difference in the frequency of eczema (8.4% vs. 6.6%). In 46.1% of the fishermen, the onset of transient itchy wheals was associated with contact with specific agents and the most common causes were algae and aquatic plants (49.3%) and seabed sludge (25.3%). In conclusion, the administration of the NOSQ can be useful in preliminary screening for dermatitis in fishermen, although it could show a possible overestimation of the prevalence of transient itchy wheals.

IntroductionDNA repair enzymes could modulate the individual susceptibility to the genotoxic effect of exposure to ionising radiation (IR).MethodsThe influence of polymorphisms of XRCC1, XRCC3 and XPD genes on the onset of chromosomal and DNA damage has been investigated in 43 workers exposed to low levels of IR, including 36 healthcare professionals and 7 industrial radiologists (exposed workers), and 43 subjects not occupationally exposed to IR (controls), matched for age. Chromosomal aberrations (CA) and micronuclei (MN) frequencies in peripheral blood lymphocytes were measured according to standard procedures and used as cytogenetic biomarkers, while Tail Intensity (TI) was the parameter of the Comet test used to evaluate oxidative DNA damage. Genotypic variants Arg194Trp, Arg280His and Arg399Gln for XRCC1, Thr241Met for XRCC3 and Lys751Gln for the XPD genes were analysed using the restriction fragment length polymorphism technique.ResultsBoth total CA and chromosome breaks frequencies were significantly higher in the exposed workers than controls (p<0.05 and p<0.01 respectively), while no significant differences between the two groups were observed in terms of chromatid breaks and MN frequencies as well as the TI. In the controls only, TI was significantly higher in females than males, whereas a smoking habit did not affect the biomarkers investigated. The genetic polymorphisms of XRCC1, XRCC3 and XPD, individually analysed, did not influence any of the genotoxicity and oxidative damage biomarkers studied, either in the exposed workers or the controls.DiscussionChromosome breaks frequency resulted a valid cytogenetic biomarker for the monitoring of workers exposed to low doses of IR. The presence of single genetic variants reducing the activity of DNA repair enzymes does not seem to determine an increased risk of genotoxic effects of low doses of IR.