The main objective of this review is to determine the main risks that agricultural workers are ex... more The main objective of this review is to determine the main risks that agricultural workers are exposed to during pesticide application, which may have a harmful effect on their health and on public health. This systematic review was based on the PRISMA guidelines. A search for articles was conducted in the Medline/PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Web of Science databases. Fifteen articles were selected considering their assessment of agricultural workers' knowledge, perceptions, attitudes, practices, and behaviours, identifying the main risks and risk factors for disease associated with the unsafe handling of pesticides. The main risk factors identified were age, education, pesticide safety training, farming experience, and contact with other farmers/intermediaries resulting in pesticide access. The most frequent risk behaviours were: application of pesticides without personal protective equipment (PPE), incorrect disposal of empty packaging and waste, and undervaluation of label info...
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) noise may be stressful to preterm infants.This research evalu... more Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) noise may be stressful to preterm infants.This research evaluated the newborns exposure to noise during several health care activities of two NICU. The measurements of the equivalent continuous A-weighted sound pressure level and peak sound pressure level were carried were performed with a sound level meter, as close as possible of the newborn.The results showed that sound pressure levels were excessive in all the evaluated tasks, exceeding international guidelines. The levels ranged between 46.6 dBA to74.6 dBA. There is a need for more research in order to verify the effectiveness of specific strategies to reduce the impact of noise in NICU.
Strategies for incorporating proper training in occupational safety at secondary schools are impo... more Strategies for incorporating proper training in occupational safety at secondary schools are important, since young workers are more likely to be injured at work. However, for a successful educational intervention, an effective Occupational Safety Programme (OSP) with appropriate training methods should be designed and implemented. This study intends to analyze and compare the effects of an OSP in students from diverse school settings, when different training methods are applied. An OSP was designed focusing on the risks related to handling machinery and maintenance tasks and delivered to 301 students from two secondary schools and two vocational schools from the North of Portugal. The sample was divided into three groups, and for each group, a different training method was applied: theory-based; demonstration-based or testimonies-based. To assess its effectiveness, a questionnaire was developed for evaluating the following dimensions: risk acceptance, safety commitment, intended safety behaviors and safety knowledge. The questionnaire was applied two weeks before and after the OSP. A significantly positive effect of the OSP was identified in all dimensions. Comparisons between the three methods showed a greater effect of the testimonies-based intervention in risk acceptance and intended safety behaviors; however, for safety knowledge and safety commitment this was the least effective method. The influence of school type was observed for the safety behaviors and safety commitment dimensions. In conclusion, this study's results suggested that more engaging methods had larger effects on student risk acceptance and intended safety behaviors, while expositive and demonstrative methods were more suitable to improve safety knowledge and commitment.
Advances in Noise Analysis, Mitigation and Control, 2016
The "NeoNoise Project: Integrated Approach to Minimize Sound Pressure Levels in Neonatal Intensiv... more The "NeoNoise Project: Integrated Approach to Minimize Sound Pressure Levels in Neonatal Intensive Care Units" is being conducted by the Research Group on Occupational and Environmental Health of the Research Center on Health and Environment in neonatal intensive care units, since exposure to sound pressure levels in these spaces has been recognized as a factor that influences the quality and well-being of the occupants (workers and others), as well as the recovery of premature infants who are hospitalized. This work reports the rationale and the design of the NeoNoise project as well as the methods used for data collection. A brief review on the results published and available for the scientific community is also made. In general, NeoNoise project intends to make an integration of all relevant factors, with the intention of presenting a guiding document to change the working practices and occupant's behaviors. So far, this study provided data on sound pressure levels by objective and subjective approaches, as well as information about the exposure factors and sensitivity of the occupants to noise.
Journal of toxicology and environmental health. Part A, 2015
It is well recognized that professional musicians are at risk of hearing damage due to the exposu... more It is well recognized that professional musicians are at risk of hearing damage due to the exposure to high sound pressure levels during music playing. However, it is important to recognize that the musicians' exposure may start early in the course of their training as students in the classroom and at home. Studies regarding sound exposure of music students and their hearing disorders are scarce and do not take into account important influencing variables. Therefore, this study aimed to describe sound level exposures of music students at different music styles, classes, and according to the instrument played. Further, this investigation attempted to analyze the perceptions of students in relation to exposure to loud music and consequent health risks, as well as to characterize preventive behaviors. The results showed that music students are exposed to high sound levels in the course of their academic activity. This exposure is potentiated by practice outside the school and other...
Children's play paints are widely used as didactic products in preschool activities. Besides dire... more Children's play paints are widely used as didactic products in preschool activities. Besides direct skin contact, a great risk of oral exposure exists during its normal and foreseeable use. Due to the ubiquitous nature of most metals, their presence as impurities in all products is recognized as unavoidable. However, the toxic potential of most of them requires that their levels are kept as low as possible. The present study aimed to assess the content of selected heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Cr, Co, Ni, Mn, Cu and Zn) in "artist paints" (n=54) and "face paints" (n=12) commonly used in preschool establishments and available at low cost stores. Determinations were carried out by GFAAS (for Pb, Cd, Co, Cr and Ni) and FAAS (for Mn, Cu and Zn). The levels obtained [mean±SD (maximum)] were: 0.48±0.44 (1.98) µg g-1 for Pb; 0.04±0.04 (0.30) µg g-1 for Cd; 0.17±0.20 (1.47) µg g-1 for Co; 1.36±2.18 (9.40) µg g-1 for Cr; 0.63±0.56 (3.10) µg g-1 for Ni; 19.8±88.2 (718) µg g-1 for Mn; 108±260 (1458) µg g-1 for Cu; 130±564 (3478) µg g-1 for Zn. A safety assessment considering the estimated potential exposure and health-based limits (tolerable daily intakes) was performed. Overall, the results showed no reasons for safety concerns regarding the studied elements. Dear Editor, I am submitting the article titled: "Chemical safety of children's play paints: focus on selected heavy metals" for publication in Microchemical Journal.
Purpose Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a class of organic compounds commonly found a... more Purpose Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a class of organic compounds commonly found as soil contaminants. Fungal degradation is considered as an environmentally friendly and cost-effective approach to remove PAHs from soil. Acenaphthylene (Ace) and Benzo[a]anthracene (BaA) are two PAHs that can coexist in soils; however, the influence of the presence of each other on their biodegradation has not been studied. The biodegradation of Ace and BaA, alone and in mixtures, by the white rot fungus Pleurotus ostreatus was studied in a sandy soil. Materials and methods Experimental microcosms containing soil spiked with different concentrations of Ace and BaA were inoculated with P. ostreatus. Initial (t 0) and final (after 15 days of incubation) soil concentrations of Ace and BaA were determined after extraction of the PAHs. Results and discussion P. ostreatus was able to degrade 57.7% of the Ace in soil spiked at 30 mg kg −1 dry soil and 65.8% of Ace in soil spiked at 60 mg kg −1 dry soil. The degradation efficiency of BaA by P. ostreatus was 86.7 and 77.4% in soil spiked with Ace at 30 and 60 mg kg −1 dry soil, respectively. After 15 days of incubation, there were no significant differences in Ace concentration between soil spiked with Ace and soil spiked with Ace + BaA, irrespective of the initial soil concentration of both PAHs. There were also no differences in BaA concentration between soil spiked with BaA and soil spiked with BaA + Ace. Conclusions The results indicate that the fungal degradation of Ace and BaA was not influenced by the presence of each other's PAH in sandy soil. Bioremediation of soils contaminated with Ace and BaA using P. ostreatus is a promising approach to eliminate these PAHs from the environment.
Archives of environmental & occupational health, Jan 13, 2017
In NICU, systematic exposure to sound pressure levels above the recommended can affect both neona... more In NICU, systematic exposure to sound pressure levels above the recommended can affect both neonates and staff. This study aimed to evaluate the sound pressure levels in three Portuguese NICU and the noise perception of staff. The measurements were performed with a sound level meter, considering the location of the main sources of noise and the layout of the units. A questionnaire was applied to assess noise perception of professionals. The staff classified the environment (regarding noise) as "slightly uncomfortable" (41.1%) and 48.4% considered it as "acceptable." In addition, the majority (55.5%) considered "equipment" as the most annoying source of noise. The results showed that noise levels were excessive in all the evaluated areas of the NICUs, exceeding international guidelines, with the levels ranging between 48.7 dBA to 71.7 dBA. Overall, there is a need for more research in order to verify the effectiveness of some actions and strategies to re...
For musicians, the impact of noise exposure is not yet fully characterized. Some inconsistencies ... more For musicians, the impact of noise exposure is not yet fully characterized. Some inconsistencies can be found in the methodology used to evaluate noise exposure. This study aims to analyze the noise exposure of musicians in a symphonic orchestra to understand their risk for hearing loss, applying the methodology proposed by ISO 9612:2009. Noise levels were monitored among musicians during the rehearsal of eight different repertoires. Test subjects were selected according to their instrument and position in the orchestra. Participants wore noise dosimeters throughout the rehearsals. A sound meter was used to analyze the exposure of the conductor. The results showed that musicians are exposed to high noise levels that can damage hearing. Brass, woodwind and percussion and timpani musicians were exposed to noise levels in excess of the upper exposure action level of 85 dB (A), while the other instrumental groups had a lower exposure action level of 80 dB (A). Percussion musicians were exposed to high peak noise levels of 135 dB (C). Sound levels varied by instrument, repertoire and position. Octave frequency analyses showed differences among musicians. This study suggests that musicians are at risk for hearing loss. There is a need for more effective guidelines applicable to all countries, which should define standardized procedures for determining musician noise exposure and should allow exposure level normalization to the year, including different repertoires.
Prematurity and low birth weight of newborns lead to the need of a special care in neonatal units... more Prematurity and low birth weight of newborns lead to the need of a special care in neonatal units, and their permanence in these places can be extended for a long period. Indoor environmental conditions, such noise levels above the recommended, may induce some risks, not only for the newborns development, but also for health care staff. This literature review aims to examine the studies related to noise in neonatal intensive care units to understand the sources and effects of noise, as well as some strategies to reduce noise exposure. The search strategy included an electronic search in databases (ISI Web of Knowledge and PubMed) of scientific articles published in English/Portuguese between 2000-2017. Studies providing data on noise levels found in the neonatal units, the effects on health of newborns and staff and the measures to minimize these effects were included. The exclusion criteria were as follows: duplicate printings; nonEnglish/Portuguese language; editorials, letters, p...
The main objective of this review is to determine the main risks that agricultural workers are ex... more The main objective of this review is to determine the main risks that agricultural workers are exposed to during pesticide application, which may have a harmful effect on their health and on public health. This systematic review was based on the PRISMA guidelines. A search for articles was conducted in the Medline/PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Web of Science databases. Fifteen articles were selected considering their assessment of agricultural workers' knowledge, perceptions, attitudes, practices, and behaviours, identifying the main risks and risk factors for disease associated with the unsafe handling of pesticides. The main risk factors identified were age, education, pesticide safety training, farming experience, and contact with other farmers/intermediaries resulting in pesticide access. The most frequent risk behaviours were: application of pesticides without personal protective equipment (PPE), incorrect disposal of empty packaging and waste, and undervaluation of label info...
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) noise may be stressful to preterm infants.This research evalu... more Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) noise may be stressful to preterm infants.This research evaluated the newborns exposure to noise during several health care activities of two NICU. The measurements of the equivalent continuous A-weighted sound pressure level and peak sound pressure level were carried were performed with a sound level meter, as close as possible of the newborn.The results showed that sound pressure levels were excessive in all the evaluated tasks, exceeding international guidelines. The levels ranged between 46.6 dBA to74.6 dBA. There is a need for more research in order to verify the effectiveness of specific strategies to reduce the impact of noise in NICU.
Strategies for incorporating proper training in occupational safety at secondary schools are impo... more Strategies for incorporating proper training in occupational safety at secondary schools are important, since young workers are more likely to be injured at work. However, for a successful educational intervention, an effective Occupational Safety Programme (OSP) with appropriate training methods should be designed and implemented. This study intends to analyze and compare the effects of an OSP in students from diverse school settings, when different training methods are applied. An OSP was designed focusing on the risks related to handling machinery and maintenance tasks and delivered to 301 students from two secondary schools and two vocational schools from the North of Portugal. The sample was divided into three groups, and for each group, a different training method was applied: theory-based; demonstration-based or testimonies-based. To assess its effectiveness, a questionnaire was developed for evaluating the following dimensions: risk acceptance, safety commitment, intended safety behaviors and safety knowledge. The questionnaire was applied two weeks before and after the OSP. A significantly positive effect of the OSP was identified in all dimensions. Comparisons between the three methods showed a greater effect of the testimonies-based intervention in risk acceptance and intended safety behaviors; however, for safety knowledge and safety commitment this was the least effective method. The influence of school type was observed for the safety behaviors and safety commitment dimensions. In conclusion, this study's results suggested that more engaging methods had larger effects on student risk acceptance and intended safety behaviors, while expositive and demonstrative methods were more suitable to improve safety knowledge and commitment.
Advances in Noise Analysis, Mitigation and Control, 2016
The "NeoNoise Project: Integrated Approach to Minimize Sound Pressure Levels in Neonatal Intensiv... more The "NeoNoise Project: Integrated Approach to Minimize Sound Pressure Levels in Neonatal Intensive Care Units" is being conducted by the Research Group on Occupational and Environmental Health of the Research Center on Health and Environment in neonatal intensive care units, since exposure to sound pressure levels in these spaces has been recognized as a factor that influences the quality and well-being of the occupants (workers and others), as well as the recovery of premature infants who are hospitalized. This work reports the rationale and the design of the NeoNoise project as well as the methods used for data collection. A brief review on the results published and available for the scientific community is also made. In general, NeoNoise project intends to make an integration of all relevant factors, with the intention of presenting a guiding document to change the working practices and occupant's behaviors. So far, this study provided data on sound pressure levels by objective and subjective approaches, as well as information about the exposure factors and sensitivity of the occupants to noise.
Journal of toxicology and environmental health. Part A, 2015
It is well recognized that professional musicians are at risk of hearing damage due to the exposu... more It is well recognized that professional musicians are at risk of hearing damage due to the exposure to high sound pressure levels during music playing. However, it is important to recognize that the musicians' exposure may start early in the course of their training as students in the classroom and at home. Studies regarding sound exposure of music students and their hearing disorders are scarce and do not take into account important influencing variables. Therefore, this study aimed to describe sound level exposures of music students at different music styles, classes, and according to the instrument played. Further, this investigation attempted to analyze the perceptions of students in relation to exposure to loud music and consequent health risks, as well as to characterize preventive behaviors. The results showed that music students are exposed to high sound levels in the course of their academic activity. This exposure is potentiated by practice outside the school and other...
Children's play paints are widely used as didactic products in preschool activities. Besides dire... more Children's play paints are widely used as didactic products in preschool activities. Besides direct skin contact, a great risk of oral exposure exists during its normal and foreseeable use. Due to the ubiquitous nature of most metals, their presence as impurities in all products is recognized as unavoidable. However, the toxic potential of most of them requires that their levels are kept as low as possible. The present study aimed to assess the content of selected heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Cr, Co, Ni, Mn, Cu and Zn) in "artist paints" (n=54) and "face paints" (n=12) commonly used in preschool establishments and available at low cost stores. Determinations were carried out by GFAAS (for Pb, Cd, Co, Cr and Ni) and FAAS (for Mn, Cu and Zn). The levels obtained [mean±SD (maximum)] were: 0.48±0.44 (1.98) µg g-1 for Pb; 0.04±0.04 (0.30) µg g-1 for Cd; 0.17±0.20 (1.47) µg g-1 for Co; 1.36±2.18 (9.40) µg g-1 for Cr; 0.63±0.56 (3.10) µg g-1 for Ni; 19.8±88.2 (718) µg g-1 for Mn; 108±260 (1458) µg g-1 for Cu; 130±564 (3478) µg g-1 for Zn. A safety assessment considering the estimated potential exposure and health-based limits (tolerable daily intakes) was performed. Overall, the results showed no reasons for safety concerns regarding the studied elements. Dear Editor, I am submitting the article titled: "Chemical safety of children's play paints: focus on selected heavy metals" for publication in Microchemical Journal.
Purpose Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a class of organic compounds commonly found a... more Purpose Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a class of organic compounds commonly found as soil contaminants. Fungal degradation is considered as an environmentally friendly and cost-effective approach to remove PAHs from soil. Acenaphthylene (Ace) and Benzo[a]anthracene (BaA) are two PAHs that can coexist in soils; however, the influence of the presence of each other on their biodegradation has not been studied. The biodegradation of Ace and BaA, alone and in mixtures, by the white rot fungus Pleurotus ostreatus was studied in a sandy soil. Materials and methods Experimental microcosms containing soil spiked with different concentrations of Ace and BaA were inoculated with P. ostreatus. Initial (t 0) and final (after 15 days of incubation) soil concentrations of Ace and BaA were determined after extraction of the PAHs. Results and discussion P. ostreatus was able to degrade 57.7% of the Ace in soil spiked at 30 mg kg −1 dry soil and 65.8% of Ace in soil spiked at 60 mg kg −1 dry soil. The degradation efficiency of BaA by P. ostreatus was 86.7 and 77.4% in soil spiked with Ace at 30 and 60 mg kg −1 dry soil, respectively. After 15 days of incubation, there were no significant differences in Ace concentration between soil spiked with Ace and soil spiked with Ace + BaA, irrespective of the initial soil concentration of both PAHs. There were also no differences in BaA concentration between soil spiked with BaA and soil spiked with BaA + Ace. Conclusions The results indicate that the fungal degradation of Ace and BaA was not influenced by the presence of each other's PAH in sandy soil. Bioremediation of soils contaminated with Ace and BaA using P. ostreatus is a promising approach to eliminate these PAHs from the environment.
Archives of environmental & occupational health, Jan 13, 2017
In NICU, systematic exposure to sound pressure levels above the recommended can affect both neona... more In NICU, systematic exposure to sound pressure levels above the recommended can affect both neonates and staff. This study aimed to evaluate the sound pressure levels in three Portuguese NICU and the noise perception of staff. The measurements were performed with a sound level meter, considering the location of the main sources of noise and the layout of the units. A questionnaire was applied to assess noise perception of professionals. The staff classified the environment (regarding noise) as "slightly uncomfortable" (41.1%) and 48.4% considered it as "acceptable." In addition, the majority (55.5%) considered "equipment" as the most annoying source of noise. The results showed that noise levels were excessive in all the evaluated areas of the NICUs, exceeding international guidelines, with the levels ranging between 48.7 dBA to 71.7 dBA. Overall, there is a need for more research in order to verify the effectiveness of some actions and strategies to re...
For musicians, the impact of noise exposure is not yet fully characterized. Some inconsistencies ... more For musicians, the impact of noise exposure is not yet fully characterized. Some inconsistencies can be found in the methodology used to evaluate noise exposure. This study aims to analyze the noise exposure of musicians in a symphonic orchestra to understand their risk for hearing loss, applying the methodology proposed by ISO 9612:2009. Noise levels were monitored among musicians during the rehearsal of eight different repertoires. Test subjects were selected according to their instrument and position in the orchestra. Participants wore noise dosimeters throughout the rehearsals. A sound meter was used to analyze the exposure of the conductor. The results showed that musicians are exposed to high noise levels that can damage hearing. Brass, woodwind and percussion and timpani musicians were exposed to noise levels in excess of the upper exposure action level of 85 dB (A), while the other instrumental groups had a lower exposure action level of 80 dB (A). Percussion musicians were exposed to high peak noise levels of 135 dB (C). Sound levels varied by instrument, repertoire and position. Octave frequency analyses showed differences among musicians. This study suggests that musicians are at risk for hearing loss. There is a need for more effective guidelines applicable to all countries, which should define standardized procedures for determining musician noise exposure and should allow exposure level normalization to the year, including different repertoires.
Prematurity and low birth weight of newborns lead to the need of a special care in neonatal units... more Prematurity and low birth weight of newborns lead to the need of a special care in neonatal units, and their permanence in these places can be extended for a long period. Indoor environmental conditions, such noise levels above the recommended, may induce some risks, not only for the newborns development, but also for health care staff. This literature review aims to examine the studies related to noise in neonatal intensive care units to understand the sources and effects of noise, as well as some strategies to reduce noise exposure. The search strategy included an electronic search in databases (ISI Web of Knowledge and PubMed) of scientific articles published in English/Portuguese between 2000-2017. Studies providing data on noise levels found in the neonatal units, the effects on health of newborns and staff and the measures to minimize these effects were included. The exclusion criteria were as follows: duplicate printings; nonEnglish/Portuguese language; editorials, letters, p...
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