bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mental health, psychological safety and psychosocial safety – same but different?
Authors: Wentzel Nada
Published: May 2023

Mental health is a hot topic right now. As is well-being, psychological safety, diversity and inclusivity, respect@work, and psychosocial risk. Recent changes in Work Health and Safety (WHS) Laws have created a buzz around these words. They have caused organisations to scramble to understand their legal obligations and implement strategies to satisfy their obligations. Often these terms are interchanged, implying they mean the same thing. Often, there is a tussle between two or more parts of the business – where does psychosocial safety sit? Human Resources, Health, Safety or Operations? The confusion and ambiguity in definition, approach and responsibility can lead to reactive strategies which whilst they intend to ‘fix’ the problem, inadvertently lead to an increased likelihood of psychosocial risk. Having clear definitions, accountabilities and a simple strategy are key to success. Culture gets created in conversation. If the conversation is murky, the culture is murky. This paper provides a simple framework to help organisations navigate the perceived complexity in this space and create their own blueprint.
Are all contingent resources equal? A short history of outcomes in contingent resources bookings
Authors: Van Der Haar Katarina
Published: May 2023

Petroleum Resources Management System (PRMS) definitions tell us that contingent resources are quantities of petroleum estimated to be potentially recoverable from known accumulations but are not yet considered mature enough for commercial development due to one or more contingencies. The following sub-classes of contingent resources exist based on the number and nature of the contingencies: Development Pending; Development on Hold; Development Unclarified; and Development Not Viable. Are all contingent resources equal? Or do the sub-classes portray a vast range in the ‘maturity’ of contingent resources – from resources that are on the verge of being declared reserves, to discoveries that have little or no chance of ever being developed commercially? The choice of sub-class has an impact on a company’s current and future balance sheet. It is therefore important for those reporting reserves/resources to be realistic about the differentiation between reserves and contingent resources, be realistic about the sub-class in which a contingent resource belongs and be clear about the reasons for the categorisation. In this paper, we will look at a cross section of publicly available reserves and resource assessments from Australia and see what happened to them. Was the allocation of reserves and resources category appropriate? In the case of contingent resources, was the allocation of the sub-class appropriate and if not, why not?
An industry business case for diversity, equity, and inclusion
Authors: Calderon Cynthia
Published: May 2023

The business case for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) comes from the need for diversity of thought; we need to be able to offer our clients the best engineering and construction solutions. Those solutions are our differentiator. The more diverse the workforce, the more diverse the thinking, and the more well-rounded the solution. As a business that differentiates itself based on our people’s innovative thinking, we must have access to the largest resource pool available, and so we must be able to attract, recruit, support, and retain a diverse range of candidates and employ their skills irrespective of their gender identity, nationality, background, age, religion, physical ability, or sexual orientation. Clough started its DEI journey around six years ago and we recognise that we have work to do before we achieve all our goals in this space, but it is important to celebrate the achievements and progress we have made along the way and we are eager to share our learnings so others in the industry can learn from it. Background: Clough received the recognition as Employer of Choice for Gender Equality (EOCGE) by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) for the second time in a row (2020–2022/2022–2024). This is a significant achievement as only a few organisations in the engineering and construction industry carry this recognition. Clough has also been recognised by Work180 Equity Audit as one of the two organisations (from a pool of hundreds) that showed ‘strong’ strategic results.
What lies beneath – a review of frontier exploration for deep plays in the Bowen Basin
Authors: Johnson Jr Raymond L. , Parker Nathan
Published: May 2023

Recent coal seam gas to liquefied natural gas developments have revitalised the Bowen and Surat basins and provided the impetus to explore further for plays with sufficient scale to target both export and domestic markets. Over the last decade, several wells were drilled through Permian-age sediments in the southern Bowen Basin and stimulated to assess the commerciality of various tight gas formations. Thorough data collection included log, core, injection testing, and observations from hydraulic fracturing operations and diagnostics. These data validated the play while providing a picture of the reservoir and in-situ stress conditions; however, challenges exist that will require further wells and studies. We will summarise and highlight the key data collected, review the fracture treatments that were largely ineffective and discuss the implications for further developments in these low-permeability, tight gas targets.
The surface challenges of underground hydrogen storage – pre-feasibility studies at the Otway International Test Centre, Victoria
Authors: Whittam David , Pandit Jai , Chan Kwong Soon , Watson Max , Raab Matthias
Published: May 2023

Underground hydrogen storage (UHS) has the potential to overcome the infrastructure and safety challenges of large-scale hydrogen storage, support long-term supply security and decrease delivery costs through economies of scale. Depleted hydrocarbon reservoirs and saline aquifers are likely to be significant contributors to UHS capacity in Australia. The principles of subsurface hydrogen storage in porous reservoir rocks are based on experience from both natural gas and carbon dioxide storage projects. However, as field-scale testing is required to demonstrate and mature the technology, a pre-feasibility study of the potential for an early UHS demonstration at the Otway International Test Centre (OITC) has been undertaken. Pre-feasibility studies have shown that while the characterisation of the subsurface storage reservoir is the most important aspect of the site-selection process, above-ground factors, such as facilities design, the logistics of hydrogen supply and the regulatory environment, significantly affect project design. Existing technologies require only minor adaptation to provide the surface infrastructure for a UHS project, but the logistics of hydrogen supply may be a significant factor in the scope of a demonstration project.
Connecting a digital path from plan to execution to enhance efficiency
Authors: Barhate Abhijit , Schibevaag Bjørn Audun
Published: May 2023

To be capable of drilling a well autonomously there is a need for robots, algorithms, data and context. This paper focusses on contextualising the data and information out of scattered data and information to be able to start experimenting with autonomous drilling. The contextual part often feeds into the ‘autonomous’ systems manually. The result is often a static document like a PDF, and the contextual information remains in static documents all the way to execution. The Drilling Operations Procedures (DOP) or the Detailed Drilling Program (DDP) are typically created in Word as is the Standing Instructions to Driller (SID). The well plan is where most of the contextual information commences. It describes time, material and personnel with related costs and design. This is not static information and will change on its way to execution. Several stakeholders are involved in drilling a well and need access to this information in an updated form at any time. This can be done by digitising the static documents and making the content or data available through a ‘hub’ that can be accessed by all stakeholders. This paper will address how this can be done in a way that makes contextual data available from planning through to execution.
Greenhouse gas emissions tracking: making it count
Authors: Terzini Fabio , Hayes Esther
Published: May 2023

Climate change and the energy trilemma – affordability, security and sustainability – have become increasingly important concerns that affect all sectors of the economy. As governments tighten regulations in a bid to keep alive a 1.5°C pathway aligned with the Paris Agreement, the focus for many energy companies has been on addressing and complying with environmental policies, including greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions accounting and reporting. Traditionally, operators have developed tools in Microsoft Excel to perform the calculations to comply with National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting (NGER) scheme. Due to the flexibility and accessibility of Excel, these have become large, unwieldy, poorly documented and hard to maintain. In this paper, we discuss the benefits of having a Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Energy application aligned with the Production Allocation system in a centralised and structured database. Various implementations across Australia have shown that key factor such as transparency, auditability, data management and validation, as well the intrinsic relationship between production allocation and emissions, make the Production Allocation system the best place to calculate and report GHG emissions and energy.
An automated and universal approach for characterising cored formation intervals: gaining more insight from comparing zonation results – according to geological facie, rock type and hydraulic units
Authors: Behrenbruch Peter , Doan Trevor , Dohuu Phil , Goda Hussam , Quam Spencer
Published: May 2023

Formation characterisation of cored intervals presents an important challenge in defining reservoir parameters for integration of subsurface data, to gain understanding and subsequently use this information for other tasks, for example geological correlation, petrophysical calibration with open-hole logs and vertical grid definition for dynamic reservoir simulation. This paper demonstrates a fully automated and comparative analysis approach to define formation characteristics: based on geological and core description, linked to logs and pore structure – pore throat size and sorting, based on hydraulic parameters. Such comparison leads to greater understanding and more meaningful integration, taking into account all available data and ensuring consistency. Methodologies employed make use of cluster analysis and pattern recognition and use a six-parameter model space, a so-called global characteristics envelope (GCE): considering porosity, permeability, hydraulic radius, porosity group – porosity/grain volume, flow zone indicator – linked to pore-throat grain size/sorting. Comparative perspectives presented give greater insight to formation characteristics than more conventional approaches. The extended catalogue of models presented, not previously published, can be universally applied to all conventional formations, clastics and carbonates. Facie types are identified by different cluster situations exhibited in GCEs. Consistent diagenetic intervals form a base model. Very uniform intervals are those with uniform porosity or permeability, or both (a cluster). More heterogeneous intervals are highly varying diagenetic intervals; interbedded diagenetically-driven intervals, e.g. pyritisation; and alternating thinly-bedded intervals of different lithologies and fining sequences. A detailed case history is presented involving a cored formation interval exceeding 110 m plus one other example.
Tiny trains – new hope? Or the same issues in a smaller box?
Authors: Aston Andy
Published: May 2023

The report card from Australia’s decade-long liquefied natural gas (LNG) construction boom makes for sobering reading. From 2009 to 2019, there were 15 new trains turned on, which lifted LNG production to a record 77 million tonnes in 2019. They are clearly big plants, with big production trains and with big capital expenditure to match. But the plants seemed to come with big problems. Not just in construction, but sometimes in production too. Now times have changed. Advances in technology, together with new market dynamics, have sparked new interest in small trains. A number of projects in the USA are now being proposed with multiple smaller units rather than the big trains that have dominated the last decade. For Australian owners and operators a new questions emerges. Do these ‘tiny trains’ represent a new step on the journey to a more efficient and effective commercialisation of region gas? Or will the new trains deliver the same issues, just in a smaller box? This paper provides: lessons learned from the Australian LNG boom between 2009 and 2019, an overview of the new ‘small train’ technologies including real world examples, a discussion of the risks and benefits of this approach, a case study from US owners/operators and discussion of where this approach might suit the needs of Australian LNG. The paper will appeal to oil and gas producers, major contractors and service providers.
Stepping off the edge: the geological framework of deepwater northern Australia
Authors: Lavin Ciaran , Goody Angus , Longley Ian
Published: May 2023

The northern part of deepwater Western Australia and the adjacent Indonesian territory is a vast, underexplored region which includes an area of Triassic geology atypical of the region. Seismic data highlights a substantial elongate Triassic depocentre mappable from the northern margin of the Browse Basin northwards to the Timor Trough. This is informally named the Outer Ashmore Trough. The Outer Ashmore Trough is bounded by an inboard hinge-zone. The axis of the trough extending beneath the Ashmore Reef-1 and North Hibernia-1 wells. The western flank (only partially mappable) is a steeply dipping hinge-zone bounded by an outer high. The trough is mappable northwards, until it is incorporated into the imbricate wedge of the Timor Trough. The trough is floored by thickened Early Triassic shales of the Mount Goodwyn Formation (coeval to the Bedout petroleum system in the vicinity of the Dorado Field). This shale-prone marine interval is succeeded by a thick shallow marine clastic interval incorporated into seaward-dipping gravity-driven faults with an interpreted decollement in the Early Triassic shales. The Norian was dominated by a broad carbonate platform not observed elsewhere on the north-western Australian margin. This interval shares similarities with the outcropping Triassic in Timor Leste. A likely interpretation is that the Outer Ashmore Trough succeeds hyperextended Late Permian rifting. The trough and its adjacent margins offer prospectivity of a potentially significant scale.
Woodside offshore dry deluge testing
Authors: Bastani Katy
Published: May 2023

Wet deluge testing of firewater systems is considered a recognised contributing factor to accelerated corrosion on offshore facilities. Spraying sensitive equipment and structures with sea water is not only disruptive to the facility, it can also cause process upsets and is labour intensive with set-up and subsequent fresh water washdown. While ensuring the performance of this safety-critical system is vital through regular testing, adopting new methods with less adverse impacts is of high importance. Dry deluge testing using a propylene glycol-based vapour as an alternate testing medium has been adopted on offshore facilities in the US, Dutch, Danish and UK sectors, significantly reducing the frequency of wet testing. A generator is used to produce smoke-like vapour, which is then pumped into the system piping through existing test connection points while the system remains online. The vapour migrates throughout the distribution piping, ultimately exiting the deluge nozzles to visually identify any blockages. This method of testing will reduce costs to businesses, not only for deluge testing itself, but more importantly from an asset fabric maintenance perspective. Woodside Energy successfully carried out the first offshore dry deluge testing in Australia on the Okha FPSO (floating production, storage and offloading) in 2021. The testing covered varied deluge and foam system arrangements with different nozzle types. This paper details the dry deluge tests conducted on Okha, the results gathered, main operational and implementation concerns of the testing and recommendations on further collaboration and improvements for adopting this test method across the Australian oil and gas industry.
Carbon capture and storage – a safe and reliable monitoring and verification plan developed using oil and gas industry core skill sets
Authors: Western Anthony
Published: May 2023

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is a necessary technology essential for meeting global emissions targets and limiting the impact of climate change – all identified pathways to global net-zero 2050 emissions targets require significant scale-up and deployment of CCS. The Moomba CCS project is an example of the type of projects that will reduce emissions and enable decarbonisation technology such as Direct Air Capture (DAC). The first phase of the project will utilise depleted hydrocarbon fields in the Cooper Basin, South Australia, to safely capture and permanently store 1.7 Mtpa CO2 that is currently vented. This paper will highlight the oil and gas industry’s unique skill sets that make it ideally placed to measure, monitor and verify the permanent storage of CO2 in geological formations. A monitoring and verification plan (M&V plan) has been developed based on SEO and ISO standards that encompasses four key elements: injection telemetry, reservoir surveillance, well integrity and environmental assurance. The plan was developed using a methodical approach to identify key risks, evaluate consequences, take preventative actions and put mitigating controls in place. Core oil and gas industry skill sets were utilised for the evaluation such as geomechanical and geochemical analysis, seal analysis, fault interpretation and reservoir modelling of CO2 migration. A program of surveillance activities will be undertaken to monitor and verify CO2 containment within the storage complex on an ongoing basis for the life of the project, and the M&V plan sets out a response plan and actions that will be taken in the case of deviation from expected performance.
On Reading Berlant Reading the World
Authors: Wiegman Robyn
Published: May 2023

This essay offers a close reading of Lauren Berlant’s posthumously published book, On the Inconvenience of Other People (2022), while addressing its place in the critic’s body of work, especially in relation to the field changing project of Cruel Optimism (2011).This is a Lauren Berlant book . . . which means that readers are tasked with following a critical eye that has grown increasingly more interested in when and how clarity falters . . . than in marshaling cultural criticism to shore up the pretense of understanding and knowing.
148 Keynote: Should We Rely on Air Monitoring? What Can Biomonitoring Bring to the Party?
Authors: Sepai Ovnair
Published: May 2023

Measuring concentrations of chemicals in media air, water and soil is inadequate for assessing human exposures and the effects of exposure. Human biomonitoring (HBM) offers an improved understanding of potential health risks through the detection of “biomarkers” of exposure that indicate the progressive response to exposures in the human body that lead to disease… before disease occurs. Do you agree? From a public health perspective HBM was used to reduce human exposures to lead, PCB’s and the pesticide DDT. Examples of how UKHSA (formerly PHE) has used HBM to protect human health illustrate the need for HBM data. The use of HBM data as well as measurements of arsenic in drinking water is an example of the need for both. UKHSA is planning a national HBM program for the UK building on the work of the European HBM Initiative - HBM4EU. Public health risk assessments are based on evaluation of environmental exposure compared to Tolerable Dailey Intakes: HBM data can reduce uncertainty in human health risk assessment. But HBM is not a magic bullet and there are ethical issues that need to be considered.
149 Keynote: Air Sensor Performance Testing in the AQ-Spec Program
Authors: Papapostolou Vasileios
Published: May 2023

The Air Quality Sensor Performance Evaluation Center (AQ-SPEC) at the South Coast Air Quality Management District in Southern California was initiated in 2014 as a leading-edge program to gauge the capabilities of low-cost, commercially-available air sensors against reference air monitors. AQ-SPEC is in the unique position of having evaluated over 210 sensors to date, allowing us to provide independent commentary on the overall state of performance of sensors available on the market. The array of testing resources available within AQ-SPEC, as well as the various sensor evaluation methods the program can execute will be covered, including the program’s long-standing field and laboratory evaluation protocols for sensors measuring criteria pollutants. New tools and increased interest in diverse sensor applications have motivated AQ-SPEC’s involvement in, and development of, many innovative sensor testing approaches, including mobile measurement protocols, indoor PM2.5 and CO2 sensor testing protocols, and laboratory evaluation of VOC sensors. The AQ-SPEC program is poised to transition to the latest sensor testing techniques and provide services that enable the comparison of sensors against performance targets.
150 Keynote: A New Aerosol Mass-Spectrometer for Simultaneous Detection of Health-Relevant Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, Soot and Inorganic Components from Individual Airborne Particles
Authors: Zimmermann Ralf , Passig Johannes , Irsig Robert , Czech Hendryk , Martens Patrick , Adam Thomas , Schade Julian , Ehlert Sven
Published: May 2023

Air pollution by fine particles represents a severe environmental health-risk. The particle’s content of toxic compounds, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), elemental carbon/soot or redox-active transition metals (e.g. Fe), is highly relevant for their toxicity. The particulate matter (PM) composition can be determined by chemical analysis of PM-loaded filter samples but no information on the mixing state of toxicants, i.e. the distribution of toxicants within the particle ensemble, is obtainable by this approach. The mixing state, however, is a crucial parameter to assess health effects as the toxicants may either be equally distributed over many particles (internally mixed) or could be highly concentrated within a small particle sub-population (externally mixed). In the latter case, the few particles with a very high concentration of toxicants can induce stronger cellular effects at the lung-deposition site. A new approach is based on single particle mass spectrometry (SPMS) but introduces a novel, tailored laser ionisation process. Aerosol particles are on-line sampled from the air and size-characterized by laser velocimetry. The organic coating of individual particles is desorbed by intense IR-laser pulses and subsequently the relevant toxicants (transition metals, PAH and soot) are ionized and MS-detected particle-by-particle, using a novel combined UV-laser ionization scheme (Schade et al. Anal., Chem. 2019; Passig et al. ACP 2022). The novel SPMS system offers the characterisation of the most relevant PM-toxicants (soot, metals, PAH) on a sized-resolved, single particle-basis and gives insight into their mixing state. First SPMS-ambient air monitoring results for PAH or metals show that, depending on conditions, the toxicants indeed either are concentrated on a very small fraction of the particle-ensemble or are rather uniformly distributed over all particles. Future application concepts of the new SPMS-technology in air monitoring and environmental health research are discussed.
1 Comparison of Ni Speciation Using Methods of Sequential Leaching and Quantitative Mineralogy for Workplace Aerosol at a Stainless Steel Plant
Authors: Verpaele Steven
Published: May 2023

Based on epidemiological records of workers at Ni operations, regulatory guidelines often target specific Ni compounds for setting exposure limits. Thus, reliable methods of Ni speciation in airborne dust samples are required for effective monitoring of workplace exposure. In this study, Ni speciation of dust collected from a stainless steel operation was performed using a variety of methods: Zatka sequential leaching (original and modified protocols), soluble and insoluble Ni as described in ISO 15202, and quantitative mineralogy (QEMSCAN). Mineral characterization was also performed on bulk material collected from selected work areas at the plant. The quantitative mineralogical analysis determined that the Ni dust is composed of oxidic Ni (Ni in chromite and trevorite, > 80 % of the Ni in most samples) and metallic Ni (Ni-Fe alloy), and the results were validated against chemical assays and alternate methods of mineral characterization (Electron Probe Microanalysis, EPMA). In contrast, the original Zatka method erroneously identified soluble Ni as a major Ni contributor, whereas the modified Zatka method identified sulfidic Ni. The mineralogy identified ambient dust and grain sizes and textures of individual Ni compounds as potential factors that can affect leaching selectivity. Improving methods of sequential leaching is important because the resolution of quantitative mineralogical techniques diminishes at < 3 µm (respirable dust fraction). We recommend that quantitative mineralogy be performed in parallel with methods of sequential leaching to provide a robust system of characterization.
2 Low-Cost Pm Sensor Performance Testing
Authors: Kuo Yu-Mei , Weng Shin-Yu , Huang Sheng-Hsiu , Lin Chih-Wei , Chen Chih-Chieh
Published: May 2023

Low-cost particulate matters sensors (LCPMS) are widely used in indoor and outdoor air quality monitoring. Previous studies have explored the accuracy and precision of sensors, showing that LCPMS were most accurate for PM with diameters below 1 μm, and they poorly measured PM in the 2.5–5 μm range. The study aimed to investigate the aspiration and transmission efficiency of LCPMS, to set up a standard aerosol mass concentration generation system, to further comprehend the performance characteristics of LCPMS, and to examine the effect of aerosol loading. Three models of Plantower sensors were tested in this work. An ultrasonic atomizing nozzle was used to generate micrometer-sized NaCl aerosol particles. A TSI aerodynamic particle sizer was used to measure the aerosol concentrations and size distributions upstream and downstream of the LCPMS, to determine the aspiration and transmission efficiency. The mass concentration, from 20 µg/m3 to 200 mg/m3, could be varied by controlling the solution feeding rate and the solution concentration. The high mass concentration was mainly designed for aerosol loading study. The results showed that the aspiration efficiencies of the tested LCPMS were all almost 100% for particle smaller than 5 µm. The transmission efficiency of these sensors was function of particle size and strongly dependent on sampling flow. All sensors tested showed significant performance degrading when challenged with high mass concentration. The orientation of the sensor also played a role affecting the aerosol loading. These sensors performed better when mass concentration is below 100 µg/m3.
15 Monoclonal Antibodies for 1-Hydroxypyrene Glucuronide (1-OHPyrG), Lateral Flow (LF) Tests and the Development of On-Site Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) Biomonitoring
Authors: Ball Lathan , Baker Claire , Carter Harry , Porter Robert , Jones Kate
Published: May 2023

Objective

Anti 1-OHPyrG sheep Mabs have been raised, characterised and employed in a sensitive and specific ELISA. The development of a LF test will enable the manufacture of a simple, rapid and cost-effective point of use test. On-site screening will allow employers to immediately confirm safe working practice and significantly increase the efficacy of biomonitoring.

Methods

A quantitative LF test has been developed which employs an anti-1-OHPyrG sMab to capture the PAH metabolite. The captured metabolite is visualised through a second Mab raised against the sMab-1-OHPyrG immune complex. This sandwich assay provides a positive correlation between the assay signal and biomarker concentration. The LF test can determine biomarker concentrations in non-occupationally exposed individuals and performance has been determined in a comparative study.

Results

A specific LF immunoassay, with a measuring range of 20-500pg/ml of 1-OHPyrG, can detect increasing levels of PAH metabolite in urine due to lifestyle factors (e.g. smoking and consumption of chargrilled food) in samples from non-occupationally exposed individuals. The LF determined concentrations compared well to literature values. Urines determined by LF and ELISA were in excellent agreement (R2=97, N=8).

Conclusions

Antibodies enable the development of quantitative LF tests, providing "real-time" analysis to occupational health professionals. On-site testing allows the immediate confirmation of safe working practice and provides immediate reassurance to those involved in potentially hazardous activities. An ‘app’ to support LF testing is now under development and a survey of potential industry end-users has highlighted the desired features.
18 Effects of Rome Lockdown During COVID-19 Pandemic on Urinary Exposure Biomarkers of Urban Pollutants
Authors: Tranfo Giovanna , Borra Francesca , Buonaurio Flavia , Pigini Daniela , Paci Enrico , Spagnoli Mariangela , Giampaoli Ottavia , Sciubba Fabio , Miccheli Alfredo , Ancona Carla
Published: May 2023

The 2020 lockdown represented a natural experiment to measure the effects of traffic pollution on human health, due to the restrictions during the Covid-19 pandemic. In Rome a reduction of 36% of road traffic and of 40% of airborne benzene were observed. A biological monitoring campaign was carried out on Rome residents, aimed at identifying the biomarkers of exposure for the main urban pollutants, such as benzene and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and biomarkers of oxidative stress to nucleic acids. A targeted analysis by liquid HPLC-MS/MS and an untargeted metabolomic analysis, with nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) were carried out on urine samples of 47 volunteers collected in 2020 and in 2021. The results show that urinary concentrations of the benzene metabolite (SPMA) and some PAHs are lower on average in 2020 than in 2021. Three oxidative stress analysed, 8- Hydroxyguanine, 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-guanosine and 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2’-deoxyguanosine are affected by the traffic reduction more than the dose biomarkers of the pollutants considered, suggesting an influence of the different lifestyle. The untargeted metabolomic analysis confirms the results of the targeted analysis, also highlighting an increase in succinic acid excretion in 2020 compared to 2021. The increase in urinary succinic acid concentration in 2020 is probably attributable to a different diet and a greater sedentary lifestyle during the lockdown period.
55 Validation of Diffusive Sampling Methods for Accurate Low-Dose Benzene Exposure Assessment, Inhalation Monitoring
Authors: Zaratin Laura , Boaretto Caterina , Schianca Riccardo Carnevale , Grignani Elena , Cottica Danilo , Pizzella Giulia , Gennart Jean-Philippe
Published: May 2023

The present research project is aimed at providing an accurate low-dose benzene exposure assessment method, by validating diffusive monitoring techniques for benzene personal exposure measurements at workplaces where low benzene concentrations are expected. The experiments have been conducted following the EN 838:2010 standard in the range of 16 to 320 µg/m3 (0.005 to 0.1 ppm). The study is part of the Concawe project on “accurate low-dose benzene exposure assessment, dose-specific metabolism and potential early markers” aiming at developing a methodology to monitor benzene exposures at low levels in environments typical of the petroleum industry. Diffusive sampling offers a reliable alternative to pumped sampling methods, intrinsic safety in potentially explosive atmospheres, lightness and ease of use. The tested diffusive sampler is radiello™, two alternative configurations of the sampler can be used: RAD130, packed with activated charcoal, suitable for solvent desorption and analysis by HRGC-FID, and RAD145, packed with graphitised charcoal, suitable for thermal desorption and analysis by HRGC-MS. For both configurations the sampler performances have fulfilled all requisites of the EN 838:2010 standard, in particular: bias due to the selection of a non-ideal sorbent is lower than 10% (no significant back diffusion of benzene due to concentration change in the atmosphere); bias due to storage of samples for up to 2 months is lower than 10%; nominal uptake rate for benzene on RAD130 is 74.6 ml/min and on RAD145 is 32.3 ml/min; expanded uncertainty of the sampling and analytical method is 20.2% on RAD130 and 26.1% on RAD145.
57 High-Sensitivity Monitoring for Airborne Asbestos Fibres
Authors: Howie Robin , Watson Adrian
Published: May 2023

On of the problems in the UK is that conventional sampling for asbestos for analysis by optical microscopy is of limited sensitivity. For example, for 480 litre samples and 200 fields counted on 25 mm diameter filters a count of 20 fibres give a Limit of Quantification of 0.01 fibres/ml: 10,000 fibres/m3. Given than an annual exposure of such concentration of amosite would generate a mesothelioma risk of about 450 per million for a new-born child with a life expectancy to age 100. To limit the risk of such child to the “acceptable” level of 1/million/year it is necessary to be able to quantify amosite concentrations of less than 2 fibres/m3. Using a combination of increased flow rates through reduced area filters, e.g. reducing the effective diameter of the filter to, say, 6 mm, counting more than 200 fields and adopting modified sample preparation, it has been found feasible to reduce the LoQ to 100 fibres/m3. It is anticipated that by adopting TEM with EDXA should further reduce the LoQ to about 10 asbestos fibres/m3. Assessment of improved analysis techniques are currently (March 2020) in hand.
69 S-Phenyl Mercapturic Acid as Urinary Biomarker of Indoor Exposure in Children
Authors: Radu - Corneliu Duca
Published: May 2023

Indoor air quality is particularly important for children since they spend more than 90% of their time inside. If outdoor levels of hazardous hydrocarbons are principally traffic related, indoor levels also depend on a variety of sources such as heating and cooking systems, stored products and human behavior (e.g. smoking, cleaning). In this context, within the ENVIRONAGE cohort, was investigated the relationship between SPMA urinary concentration in 214 children (4 to 6-year-old), and indoor sources of air pollution like heating and cooking methods (gas based vs electric) and traffic related air pollution (focusing on NO2 and black carbon). The SPMA urinary concentration was determined developing a high-sensitive UPLC-MS/MS method (LOQ: 0.05 ng/mL). Parents of the children were asked, throughout questionnaire, information about sources of indoor air pollution, such as wood-burning stove, fireplace and gas-based methods of heating or as energy source for the cooking stove and their frequency of using. Interpolation techniques was used to model the regional background levels of NO2 and black carbon for each child's residential address. The use of gas based cooking methods in the residential home of the child was associated with a 74% increase in the mean SPMA concentration of the child (95% Cl: 1.07 to 2.83), correcting for sex, age, BMI, waist circumference, passive smoking, education level of the parents, and time of the day. Consequently, this finding indicates that urinary SPMA can be used as biomarker for looking at indoor determinants of hazard hydrocarbons exposure.
77 Trends in Variability of Respirable Dust and Quartz Concentrations in the European Industrial Minerals Sector Over a 17-Year Period (2002-2018)
Authors: Zilaout Hicham , Houba Remko , Kromhout Hans
Published: May 2023

More than two decades ago it was shown that temporal variability in exposure concentrations outweighed personal variability in exposure concentrations among workers performing similar jobs at the same location. Temporal variability appeared distinctly influenced by environmental and production factors. The IMA Europe Dust Monitoring Programme database contains more than 40.000 personal measurements of respirable dust and quartz and allows estimation of temporal and personal variability over 17-years. We compared variability of respirable dust and quartz concentrations and studied differences across jobs. In addition we correlated trends in exposure variability with temporal trends in median exposure concentrations. As expected temporal variability was considerably higher than variability in average personal exposures. Median fold-range in exposure concentrations from day-to-day amounted to a factor 10 for respirable dust and were almost twice as high for respirable quartz. Remarkably, median fold-ranges of differences between workers performing similar jobs at the same location were small (factor 1.3 and 1.8 respectively for respirable dust and quartz) and hardly changed over time. In contrast temporal variability did change considerably and followed temporal trends in median concentrations. We hypothesize that exposure to respirable quartz is harder to control than exposure to respirable dust. This could be due to quartz being present in smaller dust fractions which ae more difficult to contain. In addition, changes in task content and efficiency of control measures will result in less or more temporal variability, consequently leading to down- or upward trends in exposure levels. Increasing (temporal) variability in exposure concentrations should immediately trigger exposure control.
78 Application of End-of-Shift Respirable Crystalline Silica Monitoring to Construction
Authors: Harper Martin
Published: May 2023

Pilot project was conducted to determine the effect of common construction dusts as interferences in a new portable end-of-shift (EoS), direct-on-filter (DoF) sampling and analysis method for respirable crystalline silica (RCS), in this case quartz. The sampling and analysis system was developed by NIOSH (USA) for mineral dusts containing quartz in the mining environment. Construction dusts were prepared from plaster, drywall, cement and brick by grinding bulk materials to dust, aerosolizing the dust, and collecting the respirable fraction with high flow-rate respirable cyclones. Laboratory samples were generated by loading filters with different levels of Min-u-Sil 5 α-quartz, and different levels of the interfering dusts, singly and in combination. Samples were analyzed by the EoS-DoF FTIR procedure and some samples were sent for confirmatory XRD analysis. Good correlations were found between nominal quartz loading (0 µg, 25 µg, 50 µg, and 100 µg) adjusted for quartz in the interfering dust and FTIR absorbance alone and in the presence of all interfering dusts. In the important range of adjusted nominal quartz values (25-110 µg) the slopes of the correlations are similar. The presence of cement leads to lower quartz values and brick leads to higher values, but overall, 92% of the quartz contents predicted from the averaged calibration data agreed within 50% of the adjusted nominal loadings. This result is encouraging given the high levels of interfering dusts. Samples loaded with smaller amounts of all four dusts in combination gave even better results, with all nine results within 25% of the adjusted nominal loadings.
83 Development of a New Xrd Method to Evaluate Exposure to Respirable TiO2 in Workplace Air
Authors: Bertier Pieter , Verpaele Steven
Published: May 2023

ECHA classified TiO2 particles with an aerodynamic diameter ≤10 μm as carcinogen. Although the OELV for TiO2 is still related to inhalable particles in many jurisdictions, NIOSH recommended a REL of 2.4 mg/m3 for fine TiO2, and 0.3 mg/m3 for ultrafine TiO2. The latter implies the development of a more robust method for measuring TiO2 in workplace air. X-ray diffraction (XRD) is a powerful laboratory method for quantifying crystalline matter and is frequently used to measure respirable crystalline silica in workplaces. Rutile and anatase powders were obtained from a commercial vendor and a size fraction smaller than 10 µm was separated from these powders and used to prepare a calibration series in a calm-air dust chamber. The methodology for quantifying the rutile or anatase is performed as described in ISO 16258-1:2015 for measuring respirable crystalline silica. The limit of detection and quantification (LOD/LOQ) were for rutile 0.8/1.4 µg and anatase 0.6/1.1 µg, respectively. From these measurements, we conclude that direct on filter XRD is a powerful method for analyzing respirable TiO2 samples. Further validation of the XRD method was performed by comparing the results of 177 respirable personal samples collected on 25 mm MCE filters using Casella-HD cyclone samplers at nine TiO2 production plants with ICP-MS data gained from the same samples. Excellent correlations were obtained between the XRD and ICP-MS data for each sampling site but observed consistent site-dependent deviations explained by differences in crystallinity of the TiO2 phases and the presence of titanium-containing minerals other than rutile and anatase.
85 Workers’ Exposure to Respirable and Inhalable Particles During Filling of Containers with Bulk Material and Efficacy of Protective Measures
Authors: Hebisch Ralph , Karmann Jörg , Prott Ulrich , Woznica Anita
Published: May 2023

Containers are filled with bulk material in many enterprises. To assess workers´ exposure to respirable and inhalable particles we have performed workplace measurements in ten enterprises. Beside personal air sampling stationary samplers were used in the filling zone at the exhaust ventilation and in the work area. Additionally, the PIMEX system with a direct reading light scattering photometer was used for visualisation of exposure. Workers filled containers with automatic and semi-automatic filling stations or manually using hand shovels. For all solids the dustiness for boths particle fraction has been determined using the continuous drop method (EN 15051). The estimated dustiness for both particle fractions shows a good correlation for their conversion using an exponential function. The results were splitted into two similar exposure groups: manual filling and semi-automatic/automatic filling. For personal air sampling, no correlation was found between airborne concentration of the respirable particle fraction and the corresponding dustiness. On the other hand, the measurement results for the inhalable particle fraction and dustiness correlate well for both SEGs. Therefore, the exposure potential may be categorised using dustiness of the inhalable particle fraction. Furthermore, for conversion of inhalable to respirable particle fraction a power function proved to be most suitable. This conversion is much better suited for more standardised activities such as automatic/semi-automatic filling compared to manual filling where workers´ individual behaviour is determining their exposure. Nine video clips have been produced showing the efficacy of protective measures. For visualisation, the videos are superimposed by signals of a light scattering photometer.
86 Fungi and Mycotoxins Occupational Exposure – Unveiling the Contamination in Different Settings from Portugal
Authors: Viegas Carla , Cervantes Renata , Dias Marta , Gomes Bianca , Pena Pedro , Carolino Elisabete , Twaruzek Magdalena , Kosicki Robert , Caetano Liliana Aranha , Viegas Susana
Published: May 2023

This study intends to present an overview from the assessments of fungal contamination and mycotoxins performed in three different occupational environments (Firefighters headquarters - FFH; Waste collection trucks – WCT and; Cemeteries - CM). Active sampling (impaction and impingement methods) and several passive sampling methods (swabs, settled dust, settled dust filters, electrostatic dust cloths – EDC, cleaning materials,…) were employed. Azole resistance screening, the molecular detection of Aspergillus sections, as well as mycotoxin analysis were also conducted. In FFH microbial contamination didn´t comply with Portuguese IAQ legal requirements in most of the FFH, the widespread of Aspergillus section Fumigati in all the FFH was observed, as well as a trend of multidrug resistance with focus on Fumigati isolates. Several mycotoxins (fumonisin B2, nivalenol, mycophenolic acid and sterigmatocystin) were detected. Concerning WCT Aspergillus sp. (4.18 %) was one of the most prevalent species. Aspergillus section Fumigati was detected in 5 samples. Mycotoxins were detected in filters (N=1) and in settled dust samples (N=16). The mycotoxin detected in the filter was fumonisin B1 and the most detected in settled dust was mycophenolic acid. In what concerns CM, Aspergillus sp. presented the highest counts in DG18 (18.38%) and it wasn´t observed in azole-supplemented SDA media. Mycophenolic acid was detected in one settled dust sample.Overall, our study reveals that a comprehensive sampling approach and combined analytic methods is an important asset in microbial exposure assessments. Furthermore, in all the three occupational environments mycotoxins were detected unveiling this occupational health threat.
96 Optimization of the Preparation of Cascade Impactors Collection Media for Airborne Metallic Ultrafine Particles Sampling
Authors: Matera Virginie , Gaudel Naima , Bau Sébastien
Published: May 2023

For some years, the characterization of workers' exposure to airborne metallic ultrafine particles (UFP) has been an increasing issue. Many industrial processes may generate UFP, which are characterized by constituent particle diameter less than 100 nm, and refer to nanosized particles not intentionally produced (welding, thermal spraying, 3D-printing ...). Thus, determining the size distribution of such an aerosol together with its chemical composition provide a real contribution to the understanding of UFP exposures and associated health effects. In the framework of proposing characterization methods adapted to occupational situations, the optimization of metallic aerosol sampling using cascade impactors is studied in order to improve the reproducibility of these samplings. Cascade impactors represent a valuable help since both the size distribution of an aerosol and its chemical characterization can be obtained from the samples collected. A welding fume bench was used to generate a highly reproducible test aerosol of metallic UFP (mass median aerodynamic diameter MMAD = 430 nm, ρeff = 0.55 g.cm-3). Four different cascade impactors were involved (DLPI+, MARPLE, SIOUTAS and Minimoudi 135-8). Our investigations allowed the lubrificating procedure of the collection supports (membranes, filters) to be optimized by determining the nature and the quantity of grease, which is of significative influence in the collection efficiency. Furthermore, under optimized conditions, the Minimoudi 135-8 (intended for personal sampling) leads to results very close to those stemming from the reference low pressure cascade impactor, DLPI+, thanks to its high resolution in terms of number of stages (8) and lowest cutoff diameter (180 nm).