MiXie, an Online Tool for Better Health Assessment of Workers Exposed to Multiple Chemicals

Abstract

There is increasing concern for workers facing multiple chemical exposure. The accumulation of information on occupational conditions indicates the need to incorporate the concept of multiple exposures in the risk assessment process and to develop tools for assessing the potential impacts of multiple exposures on workers’ health. Our objective is to describe the MiXie online decision-making tool that can be used to assess the risk of exposure to multiple chemicals. The description includes the development of MiXie, the structure of its toxicological database according to the target organ or the mode of action, and the algorithm for quantitative analysis of a mixture. Two case studies of its use in evaluating the risks of multiple exposures in real workplace situations are presented. The case study in the printing industry showed increased risk for four toxicological classes (central nervous system damage, ocular damage, skin damage, and ototoxicity) associated with co-exposure to four chemicals during maintenance operations. The MiXie analysis also showed the presence of carcinogenic substances in the mixture and a risk to the development of the foetus. The case study in nail salons showed the presence of carcinogenic and sensitizing chemicals and an increased risk to upper airways. MiXie helps preventers evaluate the possible additive effects of mixtures, providing an easy-to-read diagnosis to identify risks incurred by co-exposed employees. In addition, MiXie identifies risky occupational situations that would go unnoticed without a multiple substance approach.

Application of Pattern Mining Methods to Assess Exposures to Multiple Airborne Chemical Agents in Two Large Occupational Exposure Databases from France

“…Third, we did not take into account whether the substances in mixtures shared similar health effects, with the exception of carcinogens, because our primary aim was to describe how to apply FIM methods to identify coexposures that may be present in the workplace. The extension of FIM to provide information on mixtures sharing health effects, using tools, such as MiXie [34][35][36], to identify relevant health effects of coexposures, could be a valuable development to further assist in preventing and managing the health of workers.…”