Biological Monitoring: Evidence for Reductions in Occupational Exposure and Risk
Jackie Morton1, Craig Sams1, Elizabeth Leese1
1Health and Safety Executive, Harpur Hill, Buxton, United Kingdom.
Frontiers in Toxicology
|April 7, 2022
Summary
Occupational exposure to lead, mercury, and benzene has significantly decreased in Great Britain. However, hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) exposure requires ongoing monitoring and intervention to maintain reductions.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Health
- Environmental Science
- Toxicology
Background:
- Biological monitoring data provides insights into worker exposure to hazardous substances.
- Over 20 years of data from the HSE database offers a valuable resource for trend analysis.
- Regulatory drivers have influenced occupational exposure levels over time.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze occupational exposure trends for lead, mercury, benzene, and hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) using biological monitoring data.
- To identify changes in exposure levels over a 20-year period (1996-2019).
- To correlate exposure trends with potential influencing factors such as regulatory actions and industry changes.
Main Methods:
- Extraction and categorization of biological monitoring results from the HSE database (1996-2019).
- Analysis of blood lead and urinary levels of mercury, benzene metabolite (SPMA), and HDI metabolite (HDA).
- Graphical reporting of 90th percentile (P90) results and sample numbers per year, with longer-term trend evaluation over 6-year periods.
Main Results:
- Significant reductions observed in P90 blood lead (53 to 24 μg/dl), urinary mercury (13.7 to 2.1 μmol/mol creatinine), and urinary SPMA (133.7 to 1.7 μmol/mol creatinine).
- HDI exposure showed an initial reduction (P90 from 2 to 0.7 µmol HDA/mol creatinine) but increased to 1.0 µmol HDA/mol creatinine in recent years.
- Exposure levels varied across occupational sectors, with waste/recycling and tunnelling identified as areas of concern.
Conclusions:
- Biological monitoring data confirms substantial decreases in occupational exposure to lead, mercury, and benzene in Great Britain.
- Reductions likely reflect regulatory actions, but industry shifts, automation, and substitution also play roles.
- Ongoing vigilance and refreshed interventions are necessary to sustain reduced HDI exposure levels, as trends can shift between sectors.
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