Michael S. Bisesi

Comfort of personal protective equipment

The degree of comfort of personal protective equipment (PPE) was investigated in an automobile encapsulating plant. Up to 96.2% of employees used one or a combination of PPE. Only 8% of the workers felt their respirators were comfortable, 30% tolerated their respirators, and 62% rated them as uncomfortable. The percentage of employees who rated their PPE (other than a respirator) as comfortable ranged from 32 to 52%. For comfort factor, coveralls/aprons rated 52%, safety glasses 51%, rubber gloves 42%, and hearing protectors 36%. PPE was tolerable (just acceptable) for about 30% of the employees. To increase the effectiveness and safety of PPE, the human-factor aspects of PPE design should be emphasized more and quality improvement should cover the wearability of PPE.

Prevalence of infectious diseases and associated symptoms in wastewater treatment workers

Wastewater treatment workers (WWTW) are potentially exposed to a variety of infectious agents and toxic materials. We conducted a retrospective epidemiological study to examine the prevalence of infectious diseases and associated symptoms in WWTW. From a possible 242 WWTW, 150 completed a questionnaire that provided data pertaining to the diagnosis of an infectious disease or the prevalence of associated symptoms over a 12-month period. Comparison data were obtained from questionnaires completed by 54 college maintenance and oil refinery workers. The WWTW exhibited a significantly higher prevalence of gastroenteritis, gastrointestinal symptoms (specifically abdominal pain), and headaches. No significant differences were found with regard to respiratory and other symptoms. Employees classified by exposure categories did not exhibit significant differences in the prevalence of symptoms. While significant differences were found with regard to the health status of WWTW and controls, it appears that these risks are confined to symptoms and infectious diseases associated with the gastrointestinal system and are not inclusive of all such symptoms or diseases.

Comparisons of microbiological evaluations of selected kitchen areas with visual inspections for preventing potential risk of foodborne outbreaks in food service operations.

Most local health departments utilize visual, but not microbiological, methods when inspecting food service operations. To evaluate the marginal utility of microbial testing for minimizing potential risks of foodborne outbreaks in restaurants, swab samples were taken from handwashing sink faucets, freshly cleaned and sanitized food-contact surfaces, and from cooler or freezer door handles in 70 of 350 category-three (high-risk) food service operations in Toledo, Ohio. The swabs were inoculated onto different selective media, and standard procedures were used to identify pathogenic and nonpathogenic bacteria. Microbiological evaluations of the sampled food service operations were compared with visual inspection reports, using a numeric rating scale. Enteric bacteria (that may indicate fecal contamination) were found on food contact surfaces, on cooler or freezer door handles, and on handwashing sink faucets in 86, 57, and 53% of the food service operations, respectively. Approximately 27, 40, and 33% of the restaurants received visual ratings of very poor to poor, fair, and good to very good, respectively. In comparison, 10, 17, and 73% of the restaurants received microbiological rating scores of very poor to poor, fair, and good to very good, respectively. Restaurants with trained personnel received significantly higher visual rating scores than restaurants without trained personnel (P < 0.01). Although more restaurants received poor rating scores by visual inspection than by microbiological evaluation, the presence of fecal bacteria from different sites in more than 50% of the food service operations indicated that visual inspection alone might not be sufficient for minimizing potential risk for foodborne disease outbreaks. Therefore, we recommend periodic microbiological evaluation of high-risk food service operations, in addition to visual inspection, for minimizing the risk of foodborne disease outbreaks.

Use of Earthworm Biotechnology for the Management of Effluents from Intensively Housed Livestock

With a rapidly expanding world population, growing use of intensive animal husbandry, and increasingly stringent waste disposal legislation, the problem of disposing of livestock effluent is already severe. This article discusses, both qualitatively and quantitatively, how such organic waste can be effectively disposed of on a large scale by systematically managing the destructive and productive activities of earthworms.

The Global One Health Paradigm: Challenges and Opportunities for Tackling Infectious Diseases at the Human, Animal, and Environment Interface in Low- Resource Settings

Zoonotic infectious diseases have been an important concern to humankind for more than 10,000 years. Today, approximately 75% of newly emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) are zoonoses that result from various anthropogenic, genetic, ecologic, socioeconomic, and climatic factors. These interrelated driving forces make it difficult to predict and to prevent zoonotic EIDs. Although significant improvements in environmental and medical surveillance, clinical diagnostic methods, and medical practices have been achieved in the recent years, zoonotic EIDs remain a major global concern, and such threats are expanding, especially in less developed regions. The current Ebola epidemic in West Africa is an extreme stark reminder of the role animal reservoirs play in public health and reinforces the urgent need for globally operationalizing a One Health approach. The complex nature of zoonotic diseases and the limited resources in developing countries are a reminder that the need for implementation of Global One Health in low-resource settings is crucial. The Veterinary Public Health and Biotechnology (VPH-Biotec) Global Consortium launched the International Congress on Pathogens at the Human-Animal Interface (ICOPHAI) in order to address important challenges and needs for capacity building. The inaugural ICOPHAI (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2011) and the second congress (Porto de Galinhas, Brazil, 2013) were unique opportunities to share and discuss issues related to zoonotic infectious diseases worldwide. In addition to strong scientific reports in eight thematic areas that necessitate One Health implementation, the congress identified four key capacity-building needs: (1) development of adequate science-based risk management policies, (2) skilled-personnel capacity building, (3) accredited veterinary and public health diagnostic laboratories with a shared database, and (4) improved use of existing natural resources and implementation. The aim of this review is to highlight advances in key zoonotic disease areas and the One Health capacity needs.

Evaluation of safety orientation and training programs for reducing injuries in the plumbing and pipefitting industry.

Construction workers are at increased risk for fatal and non-fatal injuries. This study examined the effectiveness of employee orientation and training in reducing injuries among plumbers and pipefitters. We searched the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s “recordable” injury data and “documentable” safety and training records for six plumbing and pipefitting employers in northwestern Ohio. During the period 1996 to 1998, 133 injuries were recorded with the duration of 2,541,432 working hours. The most common types of injuries were cuts, lacerations, and abrasions. The majority of injuries resulted from workers being struck by objects. The injury rate was significantly higher for small companies and longer working hours. No difference was found between traveling and local workers. Seventy-five percent of workers received safety orientations on injury prevention. Among workers who received safety orientations, only 3.4% experienced injuries, compared with 11.1% of workers without orientations. Safety orientations were associated with a significant reduction in injuries (odds ratio, 0.23; 95% confidence interval, 0.15 to 0.35). Proper safety orientation and training could reduce the risks for occupational injuries in construction workers.

Assessment of complete blood count variations among workers exposed to low levels of benzene.

The effect of benzene on white blood cell and red blood cell counts, hemoglobin level, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), and platelet count was investigated among workers in a small petroleum company. The investigated cohort consisted of 105 workers exposed to low levels of benzene between 1967 and 1994. The average level of benzene exposure per year ranged between 0.14 parts per million and 2.08 parts per million (8-hour time-weighted average). The mean complete blood count (CBC) demonstrated values within normal ranges. With the exception of white blood cells, all other CBC values were significantly reduced during the follow-up period. Length of employment was significantly related to the changes in MCV and platelet counts. The reductions in MCV were significant only among workers who had been employed for more than 10 years at this particular company. The findings of this study suggest that low levels of benzene may affect CBC values. CBC values may serve as a useful tool for biological monitoring for workers with low-level benzene exposure.

Crystalline Silica Dust and Respirable Particulate Matter During Indoor Concrete Grinding—Wet Grinding and Ventilated Grinding Compared with Uncontrolled Conventional Grinding

The effectiveness of wet grinding (wet dust reduction method) and ventilated grinding (local exhaust ventilation method, LEV) in reducing the levels of respirable crystalline silica dust (quartz) and respirable suspended particulate matter (RSP) were compared with that of uncontrolled (no dust reduction method) conventional grinding. A field laboratory was set up to simulate concrete surface grinding using hand-held angle grinders in an enclosed workplace. A total of 34 personal samples (16 pairs side-by-side and 2 singles) and 5 background air samples were collected during 18 concrete grinding sessions ranging from 15–93 min. General ventilation had no statistically significant effect on operators exposure to dust. Overall, the arithmetic mean concentrations of respirable crystalline silica dust and RSP in personal air samples during: (i) five sessions of uncontrolled conventional grinding were respectively 61.7 and 611 mg/m 3 (ii) seven sessions of wet grinding were 0.896 and 11.9 mg/m3 and (iii) six sessions of LEV grinding were 0.155 and 1.99 mg/m3. Uncontrolled conventional grinding generated relatively high levels of respirable silica dust and proportionally high levels of RSP. Wet grinding was effective in reducing the geometric mean concentrations of respirable silica dust 98.2% and RSP 97.6%. LEV grinding was even more effective and reduced the geometric mean concentrations of respirable silica dust 99.7% and RSP 99.6%. Nevertheless, the average level of respirable silica dust (i) during wet grinding was 0.959 mg/m3 (38 times the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists [ACGIH] threshold limit value [TLV] of 0.025 mg/m 3 ) and (ii) during LEV grinding was 0.155 mg/m 3 (6 times the ACGIH TLV). Further studies are needed to examine the effectiveness of a greater variety of models, types, and sizes of grinders on different types of cement in different positions and also to test the simulated field lab experimentation in the field.

Health Survey of Residents Living Near Farm Fields Permitted to Receive Biosolids

The authors studied the health status of residents living in Wood County, OH, near farm fields that were permitted to receive biosolids. They mailed a health survey to 607 households and received completed surveys from 437 people exposed to biosolids (living on or within 1 mile of the fields where application was permitted) and from 176 people not exposed to biosolids (living more than 1 mile from the fields where application was permitted). The authors allowed for up to 6 surveys per household. Results revealed that some reported health-related symptoms were statistically significantly elevated among the exposed residents, including excessive secretion of tears, abdominal bloating, jaundice, skin ulcer, dehydration, weight loss, and general weakness. The frequency of reported occurrence of bronchitis, upper respiratory infection, and giardiasis were also statistically significantly elevated. The findings suggest an increased risk for certain respiratory, gastrointestinal, and other diseases among residents living near farm fields on which the use of biosolids was permitted. However, further studies are needed to address the limitations cited in this study.

Activities of phosphomonoesterase and phosphodiesterase from Lumbricus terrestris

Abstract The relationship between enzymes that can hydroryze p-nitrophenylphosphate and bis[p-nitrophenyl]phosphate from the earthworm Lumbricus terrestris was investigated. In contrast to what occurs with most alkaline phosphatases from other species, the hydrolysis of both substrates was significantly inhibited by dithiothreitol, but not by the thiol-directed inhibitors iodoacetamide and p-chloromercuribenzcnesulfonic acid, suggesting that a sulfhydryl group is not directly involved in catalysis. The enzymes were inhibited by Zn, but not significantly affected by Mg. The enzymes were activated by Ca and addition of EDTA to incubations in the absence of exogenously added Ca slightly decreased activity. The presence of the organophosphate trichlorfon did not result in reduced activity with either substrate, suggesting that the active sites for the phosphoesterases may not be involved in the hydrolysis of aliphatic organophosphates and that cholinesterase is not involved in the hydrolysis of these substrates. Gel filtration revealed two peaks of alkaline phosphatase activity at 230 and 40 kDa. The major fraction of phosphodiesterase activity was associated with the peak at 230 kDa. The peak at 40 kDa was incapable of hydrolyzing bis[p-nitrophenyl]phosphate, suggesting the presence of at least two alkaline phosphatase isoenzymes in Lumbricus terrestris.