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Compliance with 24-h urine samples can be low in population-based studies and first morning void urine samples are often collected for convenience. Interpretation of arsenic concentrations in urine is influenced by a range of factors unrelated to exposure. To reduce the influence of such factors, creatinine adjustment is routinely used. This study aimed to determine whether first morning void urinary inorganic arsenic concentrations approximate 24-h urinary arsenic concentrations and whether creatinine adjustment improved the correlation between environmental arsenic concentrations and urinary inorganic arsenic concentrations. One hundred sixty spot samples and corresponding 24-h urine samples were collected from people living in areas with a range of environmental arsenic concentrations and analyzed for inorganic arsenic using borohydride arsine generation followed by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. There were no significant differences between the urinary inorganic arsenic concentrations for the different sample types or whether creatinine adjusted or not. Significant correlations were observed between adjusted and unadjusted samples. The data set was highly skewed and when only detectable arsenic samples were considered, the relationship between sample types became nonsignificant. The results of this study suggest that spot samples may be adequate for measuring short-term exposure, using inorganic arsenic as the outcome variable; however, additional work on a larger data set is required. Creatinine adjustment of urinary inorganic arsenic concentrations may not be required in population studies investigating environmental exposure. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The costs of global warming are substantial. These include expenses from occupational illnesses and injuries (OIIs), which have been associated with increases during heatwaves. This study estimated retrospective and projected future heatwave-attributable OIIs and their costs in Australia. Climate and workers' compensation claims data were extracted from seven Australian capital cities representing OIIs from July 2005 to June 2018. Heatwaves were defined using the Excess Heat Factor. OIIs and associated costs were estimated separately per city and pooled to derive national estimates. Results were projected to 2030 (2016–2045) and 2050 (2036–2065). The risk of OIIs and associated costs increased during heatwaves, with the risk increasing during severe and particularly extreme heatwaves. Of all OIIs, 0.13% (95% empirical confidence interval [eCI]: 0.11–0.16%) were heatwave-attributable, equivalent to 120 (95%eCI:70–181) OIIs annually. 0.25% of costs were heatwave-attributable (95%eCI: 0.18–0.34%), equal to $AU4.3 (95%eCI: 1.4–7.4) million annually. Estimates of heatwave-attributable OIIs by 2050, under Representative Concentration Pathway [RCP]4.5 and RCP8.5, were 0.17% (95%eCI: 0.10–0.27%) and 0.23% (95%eCI: 0.13–0.37%), respectively. National costs estimates for 2030 under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 were 0.13% (95%eCI: 0.27-0.46%) and 0.04% (95%eCI: 0.66-0.60), respectively. These estimates for extreme heatwaves were 0.04% (95%eCI: 0.02–0.06%) and 0.04% (95%eCI: 0.01–0.07), respectively. Cost-AFs in 2050 were, under RCP4.5, 0.127% (95%eCI: 0.27-0.46) for all heatwaves and 0.04% (95%eCI: 0.01-0.09%) for extreme heatwaves. Attributable fractions were approximately similar to baseline when assuming theoretical climate adaptation. Heatwaves represent notable and preventable portions of preventable OIIs and economic burden. OIIs are likely to increase in the future, and costs during extreme heatwaves in 2030. Workplace and public health policies aimed at heat adaptation can reduce heat-attributable morbidity and costs. [Display omitted] • Limited research on expenses from work injuries and illnesses during heatwaves. • Assessment of heatwave-attributable occupational injuries, illnesses and costs. • Increased injuries and illnesses during heatwaves both retrospectively and future. • Costs increased during heatwaves, with some evidence for projected increases. • Climate adaptation can potentially reduce occupational burden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background The thermal environment can directly affect workers' occupational health and safety, and act as a contributing factor to injury or illness. However, the literature addressing risks posed by varying temperatures on work-related injuries and illnesses is limited. Objectives To examine the occupational injury and illness risk profiles for hot and cold conditions. Methods Daily numbers of workers' compensation claims in Adelaide, South Australia from 2003 to 2013 (n = 224,631) were sourced together with daily weather data. The impacts of maximum daily temperature on the risk of work-related injuries and illnesses was assessed using a time-stratified case-crossover study design combined with a distributed lag non-linear model. Results The minimum number of workers' compensation claims occurred when the maximum daily temperature was 25 °C. Compared with this optimal temperature, extremely hot temperatures (99th percentile) were associated with an increase in overall claims (RR: 1.30, 95%CI: 1.18–1.44) whereas a non-significant increase was observed with extremely cold temperatures (1st percentile, RR: 1.10 (95%CI: 0.99–1.21). Heat exposure had an acute effect on workers' injuries whereas cold conditions resulted in delayed effects. Moderate temperatures were associated with a greater injury burden than extreme temperatures. Conclusion Days of very high temperatures were associated with the greatest risks of occupational injuries; whereas moderate temperatures, which occur more commonly, have the greatest burden. These findings suggest that the broader range of thermal conditions should be considered in workplace injury and illness prevention strategies. Highlights • We examined the impact of ambient temperatures on work-related injuries and illnesses and quantified the associated burden. • Temperatures above and below the optimum of 25oC increased the risk of work-related injuries and illnesses. • Vulnerable groups varied according to occupation and work environments. • Moderate temperature ranges had the greatest burden yet the greatest risk was observed at extreme temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2014, wildfires ignited a coal mine in Australia, burning for 6 weeks, releasing large amounts of fine particulate matter ≤2.5 μm in diameter (PM 2.5). We investigated the association between individual PM 2.5 exposure and emergency department presentations (EDPs) within 5 years post-fire. Survey and exposure data for 2725 residents from an exposed and unexposed town were linked with ED administrative data from 2009 to 2019. The association between individual PM 2.5 and EDPs was assessed using recurrent survival analysis. A 10 μg/m3 increase in PM 2.5 was associated with a 10% increase in respiratory EDPs (HR = 1.10; 95%CI:1.00–1.22) over 5 years post-fire. Increased risks of EDPs for ischaemic heart disease (HR = 1.39; 95%CI:1.12–1.73), atherothrombotic disease (HR = 1.27; 95%CI:1.08–1.50), and cardiovascular disease (HR = 1.10, 95%CI:0.99–1.22) were evident within 2.5 years. PM 2.5 exposure from a 6-week mine fire increased the 5-year risk of respiratory conditions. An increased risk of CVD within 2.5 years post-fire subsided after this time. • PM2.5 exposure from a 6-week mine fire increased the 5-year risk of respiratory related hospital emergency department presentations (EDPs). • An increased risk of cardiovascular related EDPs in the first 2.5 years post-mine fire, subsided after this time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purposes of this study were: i) to demonstrate the assessment of personal exposure from various RF-EMF sources across different microenvironments in Australia and Belgium, with two on-body calibrated exposimeters, in contrast to earlier studies which employed single, non-on-body calibrated exposimeters; ii) to systematically evaluate the performance of the exposimeters using (on-body) calibration and cross-talk measurements; and iii) to compare the exposure levels measured for one site in each of several selected microenvironments in the two countries. A human subject took part in an on-body calibration of the exposimeter in an anechoic chamber. The same subject collected data on personal exposures across 38 microenvironments (19 in each country) situated in urban, suburban and rural regions. Median personal RF-EMF exposures were estimated: i) of all microenvironments, and ii) across each microenvironment, in two countries. The exposures were then compared across similar microenvironments in two countries (17 in each country). The three highest median total exposure levels were: city center (4.33 V/m), residential outdoor (urban) (0.75 V/m), and a park (0.75 V/m) [Australia]; and a tram station (1.95 V/m), city center (0.95 V/m), and a park (0.90 V/m) [Belgium]. The exposures across nine microenvironments in Melbourne, Australia were lower than the exposures across corresponding microenvironments in Ghent, Belgium ( p <0.05). The personal exposures across urban microenvironments were higher than those for rural or suburban microenvironments. Similarly, the exposure levels across outdoor microenvironments were higher than those for indoor microenvironments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For six weeks from February 9, 2014, smoke and ash from a fire in the Morwell open cut brown coal mine adjacent to the Hazelwood power station covered parts of the Latrobe Valley, in south eastern Australia. To evaluate the health impact of the mine fire, daily counts of ambulance attendances from July 2010 to March 2015 were analysed. Time series models were used to evaluate the relative risk of ambulance attendances during the mine fire, in comparison with the remainder of the analysis period, and to also assess the risk of ambulance attendances associated with lagged effects of exposure to mine fire-related PM 2.5 levels. The models controlled for factors likely to influence ambulance attendances including seasonality, long-term temporal trends, day of the week, daily maximum temperature and public holidays. A 10 μg/m3 increase in fire-related PM 2.5 was found to be associated with a 42% (95%CI: 14–76%) increase in ambulance attendances for respiratory conditions and a 7% (0–14%) increase in all ambulance attendances over a 20-day lag period. A smaller effect associated with exposure to fire-related PM 2.5 was identified when assuming shorter lag effects. Similar results were identified when assessing whether ambulance attendances increased during the 30-day mine fire period. There was a 15% (8–21%) increased risk of ambulance attendances for all conditions and a 47% (19–81%) increased risk for respiratory conditions during the mine fire period. Exposure to smoke and ash from a fire in an open cut brown coal mine was associated with increased ambulance attendances, particularly for respiratory conditions. These findings guide the development and implementation of effective and timely strategies and health service planning to respond and mitigate health risks that arise in affected communities during future major air pollution episodes. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adverse effects of heat on workers' health and work productivity are well documented. However, the resultant economic consequences and productivity loss are less understood. This review aims to summarize the retrospective and potential future economic burden of workplace heat exposure in the context of climate change. Literature was searched from database inception to October 2020 using Embase, PubMed, and Scopus. Articles were limited to original human studies investigating costs from occupational heat stress in English. Twenty studies met criteria for inclusion. Eighteen studies estimated costs secondary to heat-induced labor productivity loss. Predicted global costs from lost worktime, in US$, were 280 billion in 1995, 311 billion in 2010 (≈0.5% of GDP), 2.4–2.5 trillion in 2030 (>1% of GDP) and up to 4.0% of GDP by 2100. Three studies estimated heat-related healthcare expenses from occupational injuries with averaged annual costs (US$) exceeding 1 million in Spain, 1 million in Guangzhou, China and 250,000 in Adelaide, Australia. Low- and middle-income countries and countries with warmer climates had greater losses as a proportion of GDP. Greater costs per worker were observed in outdoor industries, medium-sized businesses, amongst males, and workers aged 25–44 years. The estimated global economic burden of occupational heat stress is substantial. Climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies should be implemented to likely minimize future costs. Further research exploring the relationship between occupational heat stress and related expenses from lost productivity, decreased work efficiency and healthcare, and costs stratified by demographic factors, is warranted. Key messages. The estimated retrospective and future economic burden from occupational heat stress is large. Responding to climate change is crucial to minimize this burden. Analyzing heat-attributable occupational costs may guide the development of workplace heat management policies and practices as part of global warming strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]