DSA - Posters/abstracts em congressos internacionais
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Browsing DSA - Posters/abstracts em congressos internacionais by Author "Aguiar, Fátima"
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- Asbestos – identification on bulk materialsPublication . Proença, Maria do Carmo; Aguiar, Fátima; Rosa, NunoAsbestos is the generic term for various types of natural silicates of magnesium and / or iron, which have fibrous forms. Due to its properties, asbestos has been widely used in industry, it is estimated that is present in approximately three thousand different products. It is currently known that asbestos causes, various types of diseases in exposed human beings, such as asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma (cancer of the pleura or peritoneum). Although the use of asbestos is already prohibited, its extended use in the past, requires the adequate surveillance in places where it is applied in order to reduce as much as possible the risk of exposure to this agent. The Air and Occupational Health Unit of the National Institute of Health Doutor. Ricardo Jorge (INSA) identifies since 1985, the presence of asbestos fibers in materials, using the Polarised Light Microscopy, method 9002 of NIOSH, Manual of analytical methods, fourth edition. Since its ban in 2005, by the Community Directive 2003/18/EC, requests for such assessments have risen considerably (about 300%) mainly in the assessment of air surveillance in schools. Requests for asbestos identification in materials, had a very significant increase since 2014, when the government undertook to carry out a survey of “materials suspected of containing asbestos” (MCA) in buildings, facilities and public facilities provided for in Law No. 2/2011 but, to date, it had not yet been made. This study aims to make the evaluation of the results for all material samples analyzed in INSA since 2012, with regard to asbestos detection. Conclusions from that study demonstrate that in 75% of the analyzed materials was not detected the presence of asbestos. The majority (84%) of materials where the presence of asbestos fibers was detected corresponds to asbestos cement sheets containing asbestos chrysotile type and in older cement sheets asbestos chrysotile and crocidolite type in accordance with the expectable.
- Occupational Exposure to Biological Agents in Wastewater Treatment PlantsPublication . Pires, Ana Filipa; Aguiar, Fátima; Rosa, Nuno; Cano, ManuelaPoor risk assessment is one of the emerging issues related with the occupational exposure to biological agents. The Directive 2000/54/EC lays down the principles for the management of biological risks, however, in order to protect workers, the state of knowledge on biohazards still needs improvement. Employers are responsible for ensuring the management of biological risks, but the correct approach is difficult due to the lack of information on the biological agents present in each workplace, lack of validation and harmonization of detection methods for those agents. In wastewater treatment plants the exposure to biological agents is indirect, as an unintended result of the work processes. Correct risk assessment, based on the nature, degree and duration of exposure, is necessary in order to lay down adequate measures to protect workers’ health. Due to the lack of adequate analytical methods and the variability of biological agents present in a wastewater, it is impossible to identify the whole spectrum. However, gathering all the available information on the potentially present agents (risk group) and data on exposure, is possible to assess the risk. Aiming to establish the risks associated with routine tasks in wastewater treatment plants, culturable microorganisms were collected using a MAS-100 impactor with Trypticase Soy Agar, MacConkey Agar and Malt Extract Agar as culture media for total bacteria, Gram-negative bacteria and fungi, respectively. As expected, the higher concentrations were obtain in the plant facilities were the wastewater is agitated (screening and aeration tank) and sludge areas. Once the assessment is complete, it is essential to adjust the control measures in order to minimize the health effects on workers.
- Tobacco Smoke Occupational Exposure: Biomarkers of Biological DamagePublication . Simões, Tânia; Milic, Vukosava D.; Pacheco, S.A.; Aguiar, Fátima; Gomes, Filomena; Louro, Henriqueta; Vital, Nádia; Antunes, Susana; Charro, Nuno; Bruno, Alexandre; Vaz, Fátima; Lopes, C.; Marçal, N.; Fragoso, E.; Proença, C.; Sekera, M.; Hagenfeld, Manuela; Silva, Maria João; Almeida, A.B.; Penque, Deborah; Ruivo, P.High concentration of toxic substances emanated from tobacco smoke in entertainment places such as restaurants, bars and nightclubs may compromise indoor air quality (IAQ) generating environments of likelihood health risk. Their employees, particularly those exposed to second-hand smoke, are at increased risk for developing chronic respiratory diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma and lung cancer. Objectives In this work, we aimed at evaluating relationships between occupational ETS exposure, biological damage (DNA or proteome alterations) and putative respiratory dysfunctions. Materials and Methods A group of restaurants located in Lisbon has been studied, in which fine particles (smaller than 2.5µm; PM2.5), indicative of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) contamination, were measured. After informed consent, workers were evaluated for acute exposure to ETS based on cotinine levels in urine and clinically evaluated for their respiratory health by spirometry measurements and chestpiece auscultation. Effects of ETS exposure on genotoxic lesions were evaluated by measuring DNA/chromosomes breaks in peripheral blood lymphocytes and buccal mucosa cells. Effects of ETS exposure on plasma proteins is being studied using a 2D-DIGE-MALDI-TOF/TOF approach. To achieve that goal, global proteome characterization is being carried based on the same individual plasma samples collected for genotoxic studies and were pooled according to previous criteria. Results Results have confirmed higher respirable particle levels in smoking-designated areas of those entertainment places, indicating an ETS contamination. Leukocytes from ETS-exposed-workers presented lower levels of genotoxic-induced damage in comparison with non-exposed workers, suggesting an ETS-induced stress adaption response in exposed-workers. By proteomics, we are now to investigating those workers for putative alterations on their plasma proteome to provide additional insights on the adaptative response mechanisms that might be activated by ETS exposition. Conclusion Altogether, this study provides information on indoor air quality of Lisbon smoking entertainment places, in particular ETS contamination, and may provide biomarker candidates for occupational ETS-exposure which might precede respiratory diseases on their employees.