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Objectives To describe urine levels of metabolites of glycol ethers and chlorinated solvents in a sample of pregnant women from the general population, to study their occupational and non-occupational determinants and to compare them with the results of indirect assessment methods of solvent exposure. Methods A sample of 451 pregnant women was randomly selected from a general population cohort. At inclusion, the women in this sample completed a self-administered questionnaire about their social and medical characteristics, occupation and exposure to different products at work and in non-occupational activities. Occupational exposure to solvents was assessed from the woman's self-report and from a job-exposure matrix. Eight alkoxycarboxylic acids and trichloroacetic acid and trichloroethanol were measured with chromatography in urine samples collected at inclusion. Associations between metabolite levels and job titles, exposure to products used at work, and solvent exposure were studied. Results The different glycol ether metabolites were detected in 5.3%-96.4% of the urine samples, trichloroacetic acid in 6.4% and trichloroethanol in 5.5%. Nurses had butoxyacetic acid and phenoxyacetic acid in their urine most often, whereas methoxyethoxyacetic acid was the most frequent among nursing aides. Among cleaners, ethoxyacetic acid and ethoxyethoxyacetic acid were the most frequent. The occupation of hairdresser was associated with urinary excretion of ethoxyacetic acid, ethoxyethoxyacetic acid, butoxyacetic acid and phenoxyacetic acid. Among the women classified as exposed to solvents, the agents identified most often were ethoxyacetic acid, ethoxy-ethoxyacetic acid, butoxyacetic acid, phenoxyacetic acid, trichloroacetic acid and trichloroethanol. Ethoxyethoxyacetic acid was the only metabolite associated with non-occupational exposure. Conclusions Metabolites of glycol ethers and chlorinated solvents were present at low levels in the urine of pregnant women. Most metabolites were associated with occupational exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The problem of transcoding is recurrent when researchers wish to link occupational data from cohorts to Job-Exposure Matrices (JEMs) which were not set up in the same classifications. The Occupational Asthma-specific JEM (OAsJEM) is a JEM developed for assessing exposure to agents known at risk for asthma for jobs coded with ISCO88 occupation classification. To apply the OAsJEM in the CONSTANCES cohort, in which jobs and industries were coded with French PCS2003 and NAF2008 classifications respectively, we developed a crosswalk to convert jobs from PCS2003 into ISCO88 classification., Methods: This work was carried out by 2 skilled coders and 1 novice coder who have worked independently by using different tools and transcoding strategies defined a priori. Consensus meetings were organized with skilled coders to define the final crosswalk. This work was elaborated in 2 steps: (i) for 38 ISCO88 codes classified as potentially exposed to cleaning and disinfection products by the OAsJEM, and (ii) for all jobs from the ISCO88 classification. A comparison between the 3 initial coder's crosswalk proposals and the final crosswalk was made for the 38 ISCO codes in step (i)., Results: The final crosswalk provided 998 matches between the 482 4-digit PCS2003 codes, 308 4-digit ISCO88 codes, and 31 3-digit ISCO88 codes. Information regarding the NAF2008 industry classification was also used in some cases to improve the final crosswalk. For the selected 38 ISCO88 codes, the final crosswalk provided 110 combinations, but the number of proposed ISCO88-PCS2003 couples by each of the 3 coders varied greatly from 68 to 153. In addition, an important variability between the 3 coders were observed among the number of common combinations between the initial coder's proposals and the final crosswalk (from 47% to 78%)., Discussion: We have developed a crosswalk specifically for an application of the OAsJEM in population-based surveys using the PCS2003 occupation classification. The development of this crosswalk is of great interest for the use of OAsJEM on the data of the CONSTANCES cohort and on any other survey with occupational data coded according to the French classifications. This OAsJEM crosswalk could be used by other teams to evaluate occupational exposures known to be at risk of asthma from occupational calendars coded with French classifications., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Occupational Hygiene Society. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Objectives: The impact of chronic occupational exposures to irritants on asthma remains discussed. We studied the associations between occupational exposures and asthma, with specific interest for chronic exposure to irritants, including disinfectants and cleaning products (DCPs) and solvents., Methods: Cross-sectional analyses included 115 540 adults (55% women, mean age 43 years, 10% current asthma) working at inclusion in the French population-based CONSTANCES cohort (2012-2020). Current asthma was defined by ever asthma with symptoms, medication or asthma attacks (past 12 months), and the asthma symptom score by the sum of 5 respiratory symptoms (past 12 months). Both lifetime and current occupational exposures were assessed by the Occupational Asthma-specific Job-Exposure Matrix. Associations were evaluated by gender using logistic and binomial negative regressions adjusted for age, smoking status and body mass index., Results: In women, associations were observed between current asthma and lifetime exposure to irritants (OR 1.05, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.11), DCPs (1.06, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.12) and solvents (1.06, 95% CI 0.98 to 1.14). In men, only lifetime exposure to DCPs (1.10, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.20) was associated with current asthma. Lifetime exposure to irritants was associated with higher asthma symptom score both in women (mean score ratio: 1.08, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.11) and men (1.11, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.15), especially for DCPs (women: 1.09, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.13, men: 1.21, 95% CI 1.15 to 1.27) and solvents (women 1.14, 95% CI 1.10 to 1.19, men: 1.10, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.15). For current exposures, no consistent associations were observed with current asthma and asthma symptom score., Conclusions: Lifetime occupational exposures to irritants were associated with current asthma and higher asthma symptom score. These exposures should be carefully considered in asthma management., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: Testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT) are the most frequent cancer in young men in developed countries. Parental occupational exposures during early-life periods are suspected to increase TGCT risk. The objective was to estimate the association between parental occupations at birth and adult TGCT., Methods: A case-control study was conducted, including 454 TGCT cases aged 18-45 from 20 French university hospitals, matched to 670 controls based on region and year of birth. Data collected from participants included parental jobs at birth coded according to the International Standard Classification of Occupation-1968 and the French nomenclature of activities-1999. Odds ratios (OR) for TGCT and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated using conditional logistic regression, adjusting for TGCT risk factors., Results: Paternal jobs at birth as service workers (OR = 1.98, CI 1.18-3.30), protective service workers (OR = 2.40, CI 1.20-4.81), transport equipment operators (OR = 1.96, CI 1.14-3.37), specialized farmers (OR = 2.66, CI 1.03-6.90), and maternal jobs as secondary education teachers (OR = 2.27, CI 1.09-4.76) or in secondary education (OR = 2.35, CI 1.13-4.88) were significantly associated with adult TGCT. The risk of seminoma was increased for the above-mentioned paternal jobs and that of non-seminomas for public administration and defence; compulsory social security (OR = 1.99, CI 1.09-3.65); general, economic, and social administration (OR = 3.21, CI 1.23-8.39) for fathers; and secondary education teacher (OR = 4.67, CI 1.87-11.67) and secondary education (OR = 3.50, CI 1.36-9.01) for mothers., Conclusion: Some paternal jobs, such as service workers, transport equipment operators, or specialized farmers, and maternal jobs in secondary education seem to be associated with an increased risk of TGCT with specific features depending on the histological type. These data allow hypotheses to be put forward for further studies as to the involvement of occupational exposures in the risk of developing TGCT, such as exposure to pesticides, solvents, or heavy metals., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. The reviewer CC declared a past co-authorship with the authors to the handling editor. The author(s) declared that they were an editorial board member of Frontiers, at the time of submission. This had no impact on the peer review process and the final decision., (Copyright © 2024 Paul, Danjou, Deygas, Guth, Coste, Lefevre, Dananché, Kromhout, Spinosi, Béranger, Pérol, Boyle, Hersant, Loup-Cabaniols, Veau, Bujan, Olsson, Schüz, Fervers and Charbotel.)

Objectives: The etiology of testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT) is suspected to be related to prenatal environmental risk factors. Some solvents have potential endocrine disrupting or carcinogenic properties and may disrupt male genital development in utero. The aim of this study was to examine the association between parental occupational exposure to solvents and TGCT risk among their offspring., Methods: A French nationwide case-control study, TESTIS included 454 TGCT cases and 670 controls frequency-matched on region and 5-year age strata. Participants were interviewed via telephone and provided information on parental occupations at birth. Job-exposure matrices (JEM) developed in the French Matgéné program were used to assign exposure to five petroleum-based solvents, five solvents or groups of oxygenated solvents, and five chlorinated solvents. Odds ratios (OR) for TGCT and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated using conditional logistic regression, adjusting for TGCT risk factors., Results: Occupational exposure to at least one solvent during the year of their son's birth was 41% among fathers and 21% among mothers. Paternal exposure to at least one solvent showed OR 0.89 (95% CI 0.68-1.15). Exposure to perchloroethylene (OR 1.41, 95% CI 0.55-3.61), methylene chloride (OR 1.13, 95% CI 0.54-2.34) and diesel/kerosene/fuel oil (OR 1.17, 95% CI 0.80-1.73) disclosed OR >1 but with low precision. Our results suggest a possible modest increase in non-seminoma risk for sons whose fathers were highly exposed to trichloroethylene (OR 1.44, 95% CI 0.79-2.63). Maternal exposure to at least one solvent showed OR 0.90 (95% CI 0.65-1.24). When stratifying by birth year, men born in the 1970s experienced an increased TGCT risk following maternal exposure to fuels and petroleum-based solvents (OR 2.74, 95% CI 1.11-6.76)., Conclusion: Overall, no solid association was found between parental occupational exposure to solvents and TGCT risk. The association found with maternal occupational exposure to fuels and petroleum solvents among older men needs further investigation.

Objective: Testicular germ cell tumours (TGCT) are the most common cancer in men of working age and its incidence has increased notably over the past 40 years. Several occupations have been identified as potentially associated with TGCT risk. The aim of this study was to further explore the relationship between occupations, industries and TGCT risk in men aged 18-45 years., Methods: The TESTIS study is a multicenter case-control study conducted between January 2015 and April 2018 in 20 of 23 university hospital centers in metropolitan France. A total of 454 TGCT cases and 670 controls were included. Full job histories were collected. Occupations were coded according to the International Standard Classification of Occupation 1968 version (ISCO-1968) and industry according to the 1999 version of Nomenclature d'Activités Française (NAF-1999). For each job held, ORs and 95% CIs were estimated using conditional logistic regression., Results: A positive association was observed between TGCT and occupation as agricultural, animal husbandry worker (ISCO: 6-2; OR 1.71; 95% CI (1.02 to 2.82)), as well as salesman (ISCO: 4-51; OR 1.84; 95% CI (1.20 to 2.82)). An increased risk was further observed among electrical fitters and related, electrical and electronics workers employed for 2 years or more (ISCO: 8-5; OR ≥2 years 1.83; 95% CI (1.01 to 3.32)). Analyses by industry supported these findings., Conclusions: Our findings suggest that agricultural, electrical and electronics workers, and salesmen workers experience an increased risk of TGCT. Further research is needed to identify the agents or chemicals in these high-risk occupations which are relevant in the TGCT development., Trial Registration Number: NCT02109926., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© World Health Organization 2023. Licensee BMJ.)

Testicular cancer is the most common cancer in young men. Its causes are largely unknown, although prenatal occupational and environmental exposures have been suggested. We investigated paternal occupational exposure to heavy metals and welding fumes and the risk of testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT) in their offspring. A total of 454 cases and 670 controls were included from a French nationwide case-control study. The INTEROCC job exposure matrix was used to assign occupational exposures (cadmium, chromium, iron, nickel, lead, and welding fumes) to the fathers' jobs. Odds ratios (ORs) for TGCT were estimated using conditional logistic regression models for frequency-matched sets. Three complementary analytical approaches were used: (1) single-agent analysis, (2) analysis by groups, and (3) principal component analysis (PCA). The proportion of paternal exposure to different heavy metals and welding fumes ranged from 0.7% (cadmium) to 11.3% (lead). Based on PCA, three principal components explained 93.5% of the cumulative variance. No associations were found between heavy metals or welding fumes and TGCT. In this study, paternal occupational exposure to heavy metals or welding fumes was not associated with TGCT development in their sons., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no affiliations with or involvement in any organization or entity with any financial interest in the subject matter or materials discussed in this manuscript.

Aim: The biological mechanisms of work-related asthma induced by irritants remain unclear. We investigated the associations between occupational exposure to irritants and respiratory endotypes previously identified among never asthmatics (NA) and current asthmatics (CA) integrating clinical characteristics and biomarkers related to oxidative stress and inflammation., Methods: We used cross-sectional data from 999 adults (mean 45 years old, 46% men) from the case-control and familial Epidemiological study on the Genetics and Environments of Asthma (EGEA) study. Five respiratory endotypes have been identified using a cluster-based approach: NA1 (n=463) asymptomatic, NA2 (n=169) with respiratory symptoms, CA1 (n=50) with active treated adult-onset asthma, poor lung function, high blood neutrophil counts and high fluorescent oxidation products level, CA2 (n=203) with mild middle-age asthma, rhinitis and low immunoglobulin E level, and CA3 (n=114) with inactive/mild untreated allergic childhood-onset asthma. Occupational exposure to irritants during the current or last held job was assessed by the updated occupational asthma-specific job-exposure matrix (levels of exposure: no/medium/high). Associations between irritants and each respiratory endotype (NA1 asymptomatic as reference) were studied using logistic regressions adjusted for age, sex and smoking status., Results: Prevalence of high occupational exposure to irritants was 7% in NA1, 6% in NA2, 16% in CA1, 7% in CA2 and 10% in CA3. High exposure to irritants was associated with CA1 (adjusted OR aOR, (95% CI) 2.7 (1.0 to 7.3)). Exposure to irritants was not significantly associated with other endotypes (aOR range: 0.8 to 1.5)., Conclusion: Occupational exposure to irritants was associated with a distinct respiratory endotype suggesting oxidative stress and neutrophilic inflammation as potential associated biological mechanisms., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2022. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Objectives: Trichloroethylene (TCE) is suspected of association with elevated risk of cervical cancer. A case-control study was performed in a geographical area in which occupational TCE exposure is high. The study objective was to analyze the correlation between occupational TCE exposure and cervical cancer (including precancerous conditions)., Methods: Case and control subjects were recruited by gynecologists. General and occupational data were collected by telephonic interviews. An industrial hygienist assessed occupational TCE exposure on a task-exposure matrix. Analysis focused on occupational TCE exposure at various levels and on cumulative dose. Multivariate analysis was performed to take account of the various risk factors., Results: In total, 67 case and 67 age-matched control subjects were included. Mean age was 36 years in both groups. Five of the possible general risk factors correlated significantly with cervical dysplasia or cancer: number of partners, history of genital or anal wart, interval between first period and first sexual relation, parity, and body mass index, the last three showing inverse correlation. Elevated risk was found in women who had had jobs as manual workers according to the PCS French classification (professions and socioprofessional categories), and production and related workers according to ISCO classification (International Standard Classification of Occupations), with odds ratios (ORs), adjusted on general and medical risk factors, of 7.68 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.39-42.54] and 7.48 (1.30-43.24), respectively, among skilled service sector workers; the adjusted OR was close to significance, at 4.67 (95% CI: 0.92-23.67). No occupational sectors were significantly associated with elevated risk. In all, 17 (25.4%) case and 15 (22.4%) control subjects were exposed to TCE: raw OR = 1.17 (95% CI: 0.54-2.52), adjusted OR = 1.51 (95% CI: 0.42-5.41). There was no significant correlation between cumulative dose and exposure time., Conclusions: The study found no significantly increased risk of cervical dysplasia or cancer associated with occupational TCE exposure.

Objectives: Matgéné is a program to develop job-exposure matrices (JEMs) adapted to the general population in France for the period since 1950. The aim is to create retrospective exposure assessment tools for estimating the prevalence of occupational exposure to various agents that can then be correlated to health-related parameters., Methods: JEMs were drawn up by a team of six industrial hygienists who based their assessments on available occupational measurement, economic and statistical data, and several thousand job descriptions from epidemiological studies performed in France since 1984. Each JEM is specific to one agent, assessing exposure for a set of homogeneous combinations (occupation × activity × period) according to two occupational classifications (ISCO 1968 and PCS 1994) and one economic activities classification (NAF 2000). The cells of the JEM carry an estimate of the probability and level of exposure. Level is estimated by the duration and intensity of exposure-linked tasks or by description of the tasks when exposure measurement data are lacking for the agent in question. The JEMs were applied to a representative sample of the French population in 2007, and prevalence for each exposure was estimated in various population groups. All documents and data are available on a dedicated website., Results: By the end of 2010, 18 JEMs have been developed and eight are under development, concerning a variety of chemical agents: organic and mineral dust, mineral fibers, and solvents. By implementation in the French population, exposure prevalences were calculated at different dates and for complete careers, and attributable risk fractions were estimated for certain pathologies. Some of these results were validated by comparison with those of other programs., Discussion: Initial Matgéné JEMs results are in agreement with the French and international literature, thus validating the methodology. Exposure estimates precision, however, vary between agents and according to the amount of exposure measurement data available. These JEMs are important epidemiological tools, and improving their quality will require investment in occupational health data harvesting, especially in the case of low-level exposures.

Glycol ethers are found in a wide range of domestic and industrial products, many of which are used in women's work environments. Motivated by concern about their potential reproductive toxicity, we have evaluated the risk of congenital malformations related to glycol ether exposure during pregnancy as part of a multicenter case-control study, conducted in six regions in Europe. The study comprised 984 cases of major congenital malformations and 1,134 controls matched for place and date of birth. Interviews of the mothers provided information about occupation during pregnancy, sociodemographic variables, and other potential risk factors (medical history, tobacco, alcohol, drugs). A chemist specializing in glycol ethers evaluated exposure during pregnancy, using the job description given by the mother, without knowledge of case or control status. We classified malformations into 22 subgroups. The overall odds ratio (OR) of congenital malformation associated with glycol ether exposure was 1.44 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.10-1.90], after adjustment for several potential confounders. The association with exposure to glycol ethers appeared particularly strong in three subgroups: neural tube defects (OR = 1.94; 95% CI = 1.16-3.24), multiple anomalies (OR = 2.00; 95% CI = 1.24-3.23), and cleft lip (OR = 2.03; 95% CI = 1.11-3.73). In this last subgroup, risk, especially of an isolated defect, tended to increase with level of exposure.