Particulate Matter as a Health Hazard

What is particulate matter? Particulate matter is a term used for a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets found in the air.  Particulate matter is a mixture with physical and chemical characteristics varying from location to location. There are two types of particles that circulate through the air, visible and those that are not visible to the naked eye. Particles that can be seen include dust, smoke, dirt and many more. “Particles can either be directly emitted into the air through primary particulate matter. Or be formed in the atmosphere from gaseous precursors such as sulfur dioxide, oxides of nitrogen, ammonia and non-methane volatile organic compounds which are considered secondary particles.”

There are many health hazards and effects that particulate matter can have on people. The effects of particulate matter can be caused by the exposure over time, whether it is short term, or long term. “Particulate matter can cause respiratory and cardiovascular morbidity, such as aggravation of asthma, respiratory symptoms and an increase in hospital admissions. It can also cause mortality from cardiovascular and respiratory disease and from lung cancer.” There are groups of people who are more susceptible to getting ill from particulate matter, than others. People who have pre-existing health conditions, the elderly, and children are more vulnerable to becoming ill if exposed to a dangerous particulate matter. “It is estimated that approximately 3% of cardiopulmonary and 5% of lung cancer deaths are attributed to particulate matter globally. A recent study indicates that the burden of disease is related to ambient air pollution, may be even higher.” Particulate matter plays a large role in air quality and pollution. “There is consistent evidence that lower air pollution levels following a sustained, long term intervention result in health benefits for the population, with improvements in population health occurring soon after the reduction in pollution.”

http://www.epa.gov/pm/basic.html

http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/189051/Health-effects-of-particulate-matter-final-Eng.pdf

Local Exhaust Ventilation

Topic: What is Local Exhaust Ventilation?

 

Local Exhaust Ventilation also known as LEV is a type of ventilation system designed to capture contaminants at the point of generation. The primary advantage of using a local exhaust ventilation system is the ability it has to effectively remove the contaminant from the work area. Local exhaust ventilation systems are designed for specific application and tend to be more efficient in terms of energy consumption. A local exhaust ventilation system is made up of five components: a hood, ducts, an air cleaner, a fan and the exhaust.  

The first component of the LEV system is the hood, the hood captures the contaminants. There are three basic types of hood designs that can be used in the LEV system, one being the capture hood, the enclosing hood and the receiving hood. According to Basics of Industrial Hygiene the design and placement of the hood are crucial to the effectiveness of the LEV system; if the hood does not capture the contaminant, the entire system is not able to perform its intended function. The second component of the LEV system is the ducts. The purposes of the ducts are to carry the air and contaminants toward the outlet at the end of the LEV system. There are multiple different sizes of ducts; the size is related to energy loss. The third component of the LEV system is an air cleaner. “An air cleaning device is recommended and in some cases detected by regulations, for all air contaminants that pose a human or environmental hazard.”  Air cleaning devices can move many particles from the air including dust, and fumes. The fourth component in the LEV system is the fans. They are placed toward the end of the system, and are a crucial element in the system because they create the pressure difference that ultimately makes the entire system work. Lastly is the exhaust piece of the system. “The best design will allow release of air with minimal added pressure.” 

Basics of Industrial Hygiene by Debra Nims

Wheatstone Bridge Circuit

Charles Wheatstone was the developer of the Wheatstone Bridge Circuit. This is a circuit designed to measure an unknown resistance or a change in resistance by comparing it to known resistances. There is a catalytic combustion censors used which contains a heated filament that makes up a portion of the Wheatstone Bridge Circuit. “The filament is coated with a catalyst that reacts with a combustible gas and generates heat.” This meaning that the filaments electrical resistance creates an imbalance in the circuit. 

The Wheatstone Bridge Circuit is one of the most precise ways of measuring changes in resistance. There are many reasons one might be sampling air quality. With there being multiple methods of sampling air, knowing what to sample for can ultimately help pick what method to use.  There are many limitations when it comes to sampling air, and many factors that should be taken into consideration. When testing the quality of the air it is important to do multiple testings to come up with the overall average. 

"Air sampling data are often accepted as an indication of the actual level of exposure of the workers and are assumed to be an indication of an absorbed dose." It is important to take into account the different variables that can affect the amount of containment that workers face on a daily basis. Some of these factors are: gender, age, health status, the nature of the work that is being done and the persons breathing rate. Sampling air can be done for a variety of reasons, when sampling it is important to know if what you are sampling for is in any way hazardous. Also, when sampling the air they need to know if workers have been overexposed in any way and if so how to take immediate precaution. Since the Wheatstone Bridge Circuit is such a precise method, it is used well in correlation with measuring the quality of air. "The Wheatstone bridge comprises the detection circuit in many direct reading instruments used for evaluating the presence of combustible gases."

Basics of Industrial Hygiene by Debra Nims

Particle Size in Relation to Disease

Pneumoconiosis is the disease associated with inhaling dust particles, and is defined as the reaction of the lung tissue to the presence of dust. When inhaling dust particles or any other type of particle into your lungs, it may cause some kind of effect on the body, or may show no signs at all. Inhaling dust particles can stimulate different reactions and cause an increase in the production or secretion of mucus, when breathing in these particles they can also cause an inflammation of tissues. “Many dusts, when inhaled, can cause changes in lung tissue that affect the lungs breathing or gas exchange functions. The most sever response would be changes in the tissues that lead to sever lung damage or to the development of cancer.”

According to the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, “inhalation is the most important route of exposure in the workplace.” Particulates deposited in the lungs can happen through interception, impaction, sedimentation and diffusion. Interception is when a particle is stopped when reaching the surface of the airway passage. Impaction is when the particles are dispersed into the air and travel on the original path. Sedimentation is the gravitational forces and resistance of the particle staying up and diffusion is the motion of particles, this form deposits the particles on the lung walls. 

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health stated, “Studies have indicated that low solubility nanoparticles are more toxic than larger particles on a mass for mass basis.” When breathing in different types of particles our bodies are exposed to a large number of diseases. Many are not detected immediately; they can develop or worsen over time. The Environmental Protection Agency states that “the size of particles is directly linked to their potential for causing health problems. Small particles less than 10 micrometers in diameter pose the greatest problems because they get deep into your lungs and some may even get into your bloodstream.”

Basics of Industrial Hygiene by Debra Nims

http://www.epa.gov/pm/health.html

http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/chemicals/lungs_dust.html

http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/

Botox

Question: Botox, what toxin is injected, how much is injected, how long does it last for, how does it temporarily eliminate wrinkles?

OnabotulinumtoxinA, also known as Botox is a prescription medicine that is injected into muscles to help certain muscular conditions or can be used to temporarily improve wrinkles.  Botulinum toxin being one of the most toxic to humans, when being injected it has to be in small dosages.  For glabellar lines administration is 0.5 mL into five sites for a total of 2.3mL. Lateral canthal lines administration is a little more being 0.6 mL which is four units of the toxin injected into three different areas sites.  Botox lasts for three to six months and after that time frame can be re-administered to the patient. There are two strengths for injections 50 units and 100 units of vacuum dried powder in a single use vial for reconstitution.

Botox temporarily eliminates wrinkles by blocking the acetylcholine receptors on the muscle side of the junction, meaning that it is essentially paralyzing the muscles for a short duration. “When Botox is injected into a muscle that causes a wrinkle from forming. The effects of Botox are most noticeable in dynamic wrinkles, or wrinkles that are only present when the muscle contracts.” When going through with the procedure of injecting Botox into your body it is always necessary to research the possible side effects that it could have on you. Normally the risks are not sever it can cause minor headaches and the individuals may have pain by the injection sites.

Botox injections are among the most commonly sought after cosmetic procedures in the United States. Gregory Evans the president of The American Society of Plastic Surgeons said, “For the third consecutive year, the overall growth in cosmetic surgery continues to be driven by significant rise in minimally invasive procedures, while surgical procedures remain relatively stable.” Meaning Botox and other smaller procedures are becoming more of a norm, as opposed to more intensive procedures.

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/02/20/demand-for-botox-fillers-drives-us-cosmetic-surgery-growth/

http://www.allergan.com/assets/pdf/botox_cosmetic_pi.pdf

http://dermatology.about.com/od/cosmeticprocedure/a/botox.htm