Environmental and Occupational Health Practice
Online ISSN : 2434-4931
Current issue
Displaying 1-11 of 11 articles from this issue
Original Articles
  • Yosuke Shimada, Satoshi Hori, Hiroshi Fukuda, Narimasa Katsuta, Mizue ...
    Article type: Original Article
    2024 Volume 6 Issue 1 Article ID: 2024-0007-OA
    Published: 2024
    Released on J-STAGE: December 25, 2024
    Advance online publication: December 17, 2024
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    Objectives: To investigate whether the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) positivity (16 and above) is a risk factor for breakthrough infections of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a matched case-control study was conducted among hospital employees. Methods: Participants were matched based on known risk factors, including serum SARS-CoV-2 anti-S antibodies. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted with CES-D score measured at baseline as the explanatory variable and the presence of breakthrough infection after a specified period as the outcome variable, and gender, age, and other covariates were included. Results: Logistic regression analysis showed that CES-D positivity was significantly associated with the breakthrough COVID-19 infections (odds ratio 4.393; 95% confidence interval, 1.318–14.642, P=0.016). Conclusions: An increase in the number of hospital employees with CES-D positivity during the pandemic might contribute to a rise in breakthrough infections. It is considered necessary to alleviate people’s stress levels through the enhancement of mental health care interventions, complementing infection control measures.

  • Ayaka Hayase, Takeshi Onoue, Kazuki Nishida, Yoshio Nakata, Fumi Hayas ...
    Article type: Original Article
    2024 Volume 6 Issue 1 Article ID: 2024-0011-OA
    Published: 2024
    Released on J-STAGE: September 30, 2024
    Advance online publication: September 25, 2024
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    Supplementary material

    Objectives: Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a significant health concern in the working-age population. Since 2008, Japan has mandated health insurers to implement Specific Health Checkups to identify individuals with MS and preliminary groups, making Specific Health Guidance (SHG) compulsory for these groups. People receiving SHG multiple times is increasing as it is conducted as an annual public program. Therefore, we evaluated the influence of a health guidance history on the effectiveness of subsequent guidance. Methods: Using data from 10,191 participants in the 2017 Motivational Health Guidance (a type of SHG involving a single session), this longitudinal study assessed the changes in health checkup findings from 2017 to 2018. Participants were categorized based on their previous year’s (2016) SHG eligibility and participation: Group 1 (n=3,903) met the 2016 SHG criteria and participated, Group 2 (n=2,305) met the criteria but did not participate, and Group 3 (n=3,983) had no MS risk factors and did not need to participate in the 2016 SHG. Results: The entire cohort and Groups 2 and 3 exhibited significant weight loss after 1 year. Group 1 showed a significant negative association, with a 3% (odds ratio [OR] 0.64; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.55–0.75) and 5% body weight loss (OR 0.66; 95% CI, 0.54–0.81) than Group 3. Men in Group 1 showed a significant association with new-onset MS (OR 2.56; 95% CI, 1.93–3.40). Conclusions: The findings suggest that participants with a history of health guidance in the previous year may have low rates of achieving weight loss and a high incidence of new-onset MS after 1 year.

Recommendation of occupational exposure limits (2024-2025)
  • The Japan Society for Occupational Health May 22, 2024
    2024 Volume 6 Issue 1 Article ID: ROEL2024
    Published: 2024
    Released on J-STAGE: September 30, 2024
    Advance online publication: September 06, 2024
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    The Japan Society for Occupational Health (JSOH) recommends the Occupational Exposure Limits (OELs) as reference values for preventing adverse health effects on workers caused by occupational exposure to chemical substances, continuous or intermittent noise, impulsive or impact noise, heat stress, cold stress, whole-body vibration, hand-arm vibration and time-varying electric, magnetic and electromagnetic fields and ultraviolet and ionizing radiation.

Original Articles
  • Pooja Kumari, Lisasha Poudel, Laxmi Chaudhary, Bishnu Prasad Choulagai
    Article type: Original Article
    2024 Volume 6 Issue 1 Article ID: 2024-0003-OA
    Published: 2024
    Released on J-STAGE: September 30, 2024
    Advance online publication: August 28, 2024
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    Objective: This study aimed to measure the prevalence of respiratory symptoms/illnesses and evaluate their association with similar exposure groups among brick kiln workers in Nepal. Methods: This cross-sectional survey used a modified Nepali version of the American Thoracic Society Division of Lung Diseases (ATS-DLD) questionnaire to measure the respiratory symptoms and illnesses of 390 brick kiln workers. Logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the association between respiratory symptoms and illnesses with similar exposure groups, age, duration of work, and smoking among brick kiln workers. Results: A significant number of workers reported experiencing chronic cough (12.3%), chronic phlegm (10.8%), wheezing (9.2%), chronic bronchitis (10.8%), and asthma (3.6%). Interestingly, people with similar exposure groups, such as coal crushers, were almost four times more likely to have chronic coughs and asthma. Also, coal crushers had higher rates of chronic phlegm (odds ratio [OR] 2.89; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.26–6.61), and chronic bronchitis (OR 2.41; 95% CI, 1.02–5.65). Firemen were also twice as likely to have wheezing and chronic bronchitis. Similarly, individuals transporting red bricks were more likely to report chronic phlegm (OR 2.78; 95% CI, 1.41–5.49). Green brick stacking/carrying was used as the reference group for similar exposure groups. Conclusion: A higher significance of respiratory issues is reported in coalmen, firemen, and red brick loaders. Technology transfer and natural gas substitution are necessary to protect workers.

  • Kazunari Takaya, Nobuyuki Shibata, Masayoshi Hagiwara, Mitsutoshi Taka ...
    Article type: Original Article
    2024 Volume 6 Issue 1 Article ID: 2023-0025-OA
    Published: 2024
    Released on J-STAGE: June 25, 2024
    Advance online publication: June 05, 2024
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    Objectives: Ion-mobility spectrometry (IMS) is a promising system for on-site real-time monitoring of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Calibration curves derived from shifts in nominal arrival-time spectra of chemical substances relative to those of water clusters enable quantitative analysis at high concentrations. Methods: This study investigated the adaptability of IMS to real-time monitoring of VOCs in the work environment, using toluene as a test case. Toluene concentrations were measured by IMS at one-minute intervals during a ten-minute simulated cleaning operation. Results: The arrival-time shift was lower at high concentrations because ion production saturates as the toluene concentration approaches the limit of ionizability, with a resulting decrease in slope of the calibration curve. The lower limit of quantification for toluene was assumed to be 13.3 ppm because no arrival-time shift was observed at lower concentrations. The time-averaged toluene concentration measured by IMS for 10 minutes of operation was 45.8 ppm, which is comparable to that measured by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS; 44.3 ppm) within ~3%. Conclusions: Our results indicate that the measurement of toluene concentrations is possible at one-minute intervals by IMS, making it possible to track rapid changes in workplace conditions. Therefore, IMS can measure exposure to VOCs in real-time with an accuracy similar to that of GC–MS.

Commentaries
Field Studies
  • Hiroshi Nakashima, Isamu Kabe, Satoko Iwasawa, Yuka Miyoshi, Itsumi Ha ...
    Article type: Field Study
    2024 Volume 6 Issue 1 Article ID: 2024-0002-FS
    Published: 2024
    Released on J-STAGE: June 25, 2024
    Advance online publication: May 10, 2024
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    Objectives: For occupational health staff, the health status of the worksite is an important matter, and a single index for presenting this health status is desired. We applied a stroke prediction model to employees of a Japanese non-iron metal company working at 10 worksites to present health status of the worksite. Methods: We applied a stroke prediction model of the Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study to 2,807 male employees without history of cardiovascular disease. We additionally applied models from the Japan Arteriosclerosis Longitudinal Study and from the Suita Study for validation. As the expected value for each employee at a worksite, we calculated the mean of employees’ predicted 10-year stroke risk for each worksite. To adjust difference in age distribution, the stroke risk of each worksite was age-adjusted using the direct method. The expected values were presented as the representative value of a worksite with the 95% confidence interval calculated using the bootstrap method. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to explore the reason why a worksite exhibits a high risk. We examined if partial regression coefficients of the worst worksite were affected by modifiable risk factors. Results: Three models predicted similar stroke risks for 10 worksites. Difference in the predicted stroke risk was observed among the worksites even after age-adjustment. Diabetes mellitus was found to affect partial regression coefficient of the worst worksite in any of three prediction models. Conclusion: The stroke prediction model was observed to be a comprehensive tool for presenting a worksite’s health status.

Original Articles
  • Hiromi Aono, Kumiko Arai, Mariko Ono-Ogasawara, Kenji Yamamuro, Masami ...
    Article type: Original Article
    2024 Volume 6 Issue 1 Article ID: 2023-0022-OA
    Published: 2024
    Released on J-STAGE: June 25, 2024
    Advance online publication: April 19, 2024
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    Objectives: This study aims to develop and validate a sampler to measure workers’ exposure to the vapor and mist of benzyl alcohol. Methods: Recovery rate, extraction and desorption rates, breakthrough, and storage stability were tested using Slim-J connected to a glass fiber filter upstream (the connected sampler). The recovery rate of the connected sampler was compared with that of XAD-7. Benzyl alcohol on the filter was extracted, and that in Slim-J resin was desorbed by methanol with an internal standard (N,N-dimethylformamide). Benzyl alcohol was quantified through gas chromatography using a flame ionization detector (GC/FID). Air sampling was conducted by attaching the connected sampler to the chest of a worker during bridge paint film removal. Results: Calibration curves showed linearity with correlation coefficients >0.999. The lower limit of quantification was 0.54 mg/m3 of the airborne concentration at 5-mL desorption with 120-L air sampling. The recovery rates of the connected sampler were 101–103%, whereas those of XAD-7 were 72–78%. The average extraction efficiency from the filters was 105.3%, whereas those from Slim-J were 94.5%. No breakthrough was recognized by aeration at 1 L/min for 120 min. Benzyl alcohol in the sampler was stable for up to 7 days. The sampled air by the connected sampler during bridge paint film removal indicated an isolated peak by GC/FID. Conclusions: The connected sampler is reliable and suitable for measuring levels of personal exposure to benzyl alcohol in vapor and mist phases.

Occupational Health and Safety in the World
  • Nuri Purwito Adi, Bonnie Medina Pahlavie, Koji Mori
    Article type: Occupational Health and Safety in the World
    2024 Volume 6 Issue 1 Article ID: 2023-0018-OW
    Published: 2024
    Released on J-STAGE: March 25, 2024
    Advance online publication: January 16, 2024
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    Indonesia is an archipelago nation that structures its health services through a stratified system. The public health center serves as the institution responsible for providing primary care services and undertaking various public goods initiatives, including promoting occupational health among workers in the informal sector. Integrated Occupational Health Services Post (Indonesian: Pos Upaya Kesehatan Kerja [Pos UKK]) is a community-based initiatives supported by public health centers that aims to address health-related issues among workers through a community participation model. Although the program appears to be well-suited to the country’s conditions, several challenges have emerged. This paper introduces the practical application of the program in the Province of Jakarta.

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