A Comparison of Sampling and Analytical Methods for Assessing Occupational Exposure to Diesel Exhaust in a Railroad Work Environment

Verma, Dave K.; Shaw, Lorraine; Julian, Jim A.; Smolynec, Kathy; Wood, C.L.; Shaw, Don

doi:10.1080/104732299302332

Cited by 27 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…However, Verma et al (1999) observed corresponding mean EC levels of from 4.4 to 17.8 lg/m 3 for the different exposure groups, which are much lower than the ARP levels reported by Woskie et al (1988a). Importantly, Verma et al (1999) showed that the exposure to EC was a minor part (2% to 16%) of railroad workers' exposure to respirable PM. Results are summarized in Table 3.…”

Section: Railroad Workerscontrasting

confidence: 65%

“…DE particles are primarily carbon and the EC method was developed subsequent to the study by Woskie et al (1988aWoskie et al ( , 1988b to reduce interference from other sources. A more recent industrial hygiene study of exposure to DE in a railroad work environment by Verma et al (1999) found total respirable PM concentrations in the same range as those reported by Woskie et al (1988a). However, Verma et al (1999) observed corresponding mean EC levels of from 4.4 to 17.8 lg/m 3 for the different exposure groups, which are much lower than the ARP levels reported by Woskie et al (1988a).…”

Section: Railroad Workerssupporting

confidence: 61%

“…The results of the more recent study by Verma et al (1999) and the lack of a specific and sensitive indicator of diesel exposure in the earlier studies by Woskie et al (1988aWoskie et al ( , 1988b raise the possibility that the earlier study overestimated the DE content of the respirable PM. The EC content of DE varies as shown earlier, but if the DE mass of the samples were twice the measured EC mass, DE would still be a small fraction of the respirable particulate exposure.…”

Section: Railroad Workersmentioning

confidence: 67%

“…A more recent industrial hygiene study of exposure to DE in a railroad work environment by Verma et al (1999) found total respirable PM concentrations in the same range as those reported by Woskie et al (1988a). However, Verma et al (1999) observed corresponding mean EC levels of from 4.4 to 17.8 lg/m 3 for the different exposure groups, which are much lower than the ARP levels reported by Woskie et al (1988a). Importantly, Verma et al (1999) showed that the exposure to EC was a minor part (2% to 16%) of railroad workers' exposure to respirable PM.…”

Section: Railroad Workersmentioning

confidence: 99%

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What is new in diesel

Bunn¹,

Valberg

Slavin³

et al. 2002

International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health

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We review information from the past 5 years on changes in diesel exhaust (DE) emissions and developments in the study of DE toxicity. New DE technologies have changed the composition of DE considerably, reducing emissions of many of the components of health concern. The increasing similarity of modern diesel and compressed natural-gas engine emissions needs to be reflected in any regulatory analysis. Even for historical DE emissions, considerable study of DE exposure in animals or humans has not produced data useful for risk assessment. DE inhalation exposure in most species (hamsters, guinea pigs, mice) does not produce lung tumors. Inhalation studies of DE in rats found lung tumors only with lung overload, and tumors also occurred when inert dusts were inhaled at overload concentrations. The animal data are reassuring and show that DE is not a concern at ambient exposure levels. Re-analyses of occupational epidemiology have been shown to have serious shortcomings that do not allow the derivation of a quantitative cancer risk. Studies of railroad workers found no dose response; rather cancer risk appeared to decrease for individuals with greater DE exposure. Studies of truck drivers also suffer from serious flaws because of misconceptions about the year that diesel was introduced, lack of an adequate latency period, and the realization that drivers exhibited increased lung cancer risk even prior to the diesel era. Recent industrial hygiene studies of drivers show that DE was not likely to be a primary source of particles or polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Further, there is no dose response across occupations. In fact, the occupation (underground miners) with the highest exposure to DE does not exhibit increased cancer risks. This new information seriously weakens earlier risk characterizations of DE by various regulatory groups. New research and better exposure measurements are needed before a reliable risk assessment of DE can be produced.

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Section: Railroad Workerscontrasting

confidence: 65%

Section: Railroad Workerssupporting

confidence: 61%

Section: Railroad Workersmentioning

confidence: 67%

Section: Railroad Workersmentioning

confidence: 99%

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What is new in diesel

Bunn¹,

Valberg

Slavin³

et al. 2002

International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health

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“…The results of the source characterization and source apportionment have been published in report form by Zielinska et al (2001) and will be submitted for publication in peer-reviewed literature. Previous studies on the composition of mine aerosols have focused primarily on the size distribution and EC content of mines (Tomb and Haney 1995;Birch and Cary 1996;Verma et al 1999). More comprehensive measurements made during the current study re ect the composition of the major contributors to mine air.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 86%

Characterization of Fine Particle Material in Ambient Air and Personal Samples from an Underground Mine

McDonald¹,

Zielińska²,

Sagebiel³

et al. 2002

Aerosol Science and Technology

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Personal samplers representing 4 job classi cations and stationary samplers at 2 locations in an underground mine were deployed to measure ne particle carbon (organic/elemental), ions (sulfate plus nitrate), elements (metals and others), and speciated organic compounds including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), oxygenated PAH, and hopanes/steranes. Chemically segregated size distribution was investigated after collection with a multistage impactor placed at 1 sampling site. All samples exceeded the currently proposed mine air standard of 160 ¹ g/m 3 total carbon, and most exceeded the interim standard of 400 ¹ g/m 3 . Carbon accounted for about 70% of the ne particle mass (described as a reconstructed mass of all measured chemical species); sulfate and ore/waste rock-derived metals constituted most of the remainder. Most of the personal samples were more concentrated than the ambient samples; 1 sample exceeded 2.5 mg/m 3 total mass. The PAH consisted mostly of gas-phase/semivolatile compounds and minor amounts of the particle-phase species, which is consistent with the composition of diesel exhaust, the major source of ne particle material in the mine. Size-segregated chemistry showed that the majority of the material below 1 ¹ m of aerodynamic diameter was carbon, with the largest amount at approximately 0.2 ¹ m. Metals, derived primarily from resuspended ore/waste rock, comprised the majority of the material above 1 ¹ m. Results are placed in context of current mine-monitoring techniques that aim to regulate diesel particulate material.

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