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Background Few studies in the literature have examined the effects of benzene on blood cells. Aim The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible correlation between the blood benzene levels and the blood cell counts. Materials and methods From a population of 2658 workers, we studied a group of 215 subjects. Each worker underwent blood sampling for the assessment of the blood benzene levels and the blood cell counts. The Mann–Whitney U test for two-mode variables and the Kruskal–Wallis test for more-than-two-mode variables were performed on all subjects. We estimated the Pearson correlation index between the variables in the total sample and the subgroups divided according to sex, the smoking habit, and job. After the main confounding factors were evaluated, multiple linear regression was performed on both the total sample and the subgroups. Results A significant inverse correlation was found among the blood benzene levels and the white blood cells, lymphocytes, and neutrophils in traffic policemen, motorcyclists, and other outdoor workers. We did not find any significant correlation with any other parameters of blood cell count. Discussion and conclusions Our results, which must be considered preliminary, indicate that increased blood benzene levels in outdoor workers lead to decreased counts of white blood cells, neutrophils, and lymphocytes, because of possible immune effects. These are worth investigating in the future by specific immune tests.

BACKGROUND: Since 2008, a deep financial crisis, which started in the United States, has widely spread around the world. Scientists expressed their worry about this crisis by pointing out that potential negative health effects can be created by collective fear and panic. OBJECTIVES: The main purpose of this cross-sectional study on the fear of the crisis has been to examine its impact on mental health through the use of structural equation modeling. In the trial a new model of economic stress we were also interested in identifying if fear of the crisis has an indirect relationship with employees' health (e.g. related to a poor social support or to work-related stress). Furthermore, this study aimed to examine whether a full or a partial mediation model best fits the data. METHODS: Data collection took place between 2010 and 2011. During this period several private organizations that comprised of 1236 employees participated in the study. RESULTS: It was found that social support and job stress fully mediated the relationship between fear of the crisis and health, with all fit indices meeting their respective criteria, and with all path coefficients being significant. CONCLUSIONS: Implications for discussion of the crisis among employees were presented. In conclusion, fear of the crisis appeared to be an important innovative construct for organizational wellbeing. Language: en

Workplace bullying is one of the most common work-related psychological problems. Bullying costs seem higher for organizations composed of health-care workers who perform direct-contact patients-complex tasks. Only a few studies have been carried out among nurses in Italy and integrated models of bullying antecedents and consequences are particularly missing. The aim of this study was to develop a bullying model focused on the interaction between bullying and burnout in the setting of a climate-health relationship. Research involved 658 nurses who completed a survey on health, burnout, bullying and organizational climate. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesis. Results suggest that workplace bullying partially mediates the relationship between organizational climate and burnout and that bullying does not affect health directly, but only indirectly, via the mediation of burnout. Our study demonstrates the key-role of workplace bullying and burnout in the climate-health relationship in order to understand and to improve nurses' health.

Wearable solid phase microextraction (SPME) devices consisting in necklaces and pins were developed for the environmental monitoring of ketamine in recreational places using ionic liquid as coating. SPME fibers obtained using both monocationic and dicationic polymeric ionic liquids were characterized in terms of morphology, film thickness, thermal stability and pH resistance. An average thickness of 30 ± 5 μm, an excellent thermal stability until 350 °C and a very good fiber-to-fiber and batch-to-batch repeatability with RSD lower than 4% were some of the features of the developed coatings. A quantitation limit (LOQ) of 0.05 mg/m 3 with a sampling time of 1 min proved the feasibility of the developed method for the quantitation of ketamine in air at low concentration levels. Finally, the capabilities of the fibers for the rapid SPME sampling of ketamine in recreational places were proved obtaining extraction efficiencies at least two-fold higher than those obtained using commercial devices and extraction recoveries ranging from 84.2 ± 3.3% to 93.6 ± 2.6% ( n = 3).

Work-related stress is becoming a significant problem in Italy and it is therefore essential to advance the theory and methodology required to detect this phenomenon at work. Thus, the aim of this paper is to propose a new method for evaluating stress at work by measuring the discrepancies between employees' perceptions of stress and their leaders' evaluation of the stress of their subordinates. In addition, a positive impression scale was added to determine whether workers might give socially desirable responses in organizational diagnosis. Over 1,100 employees and 200 leaders within several Italian organizations were involved in this study. Structural equation modeling was used to test such new method for evaluating stress in a model of stress at work that incorporates relationships among individual (positive impression), interpersonal (workplace bullying) and organizational factors (working conditions, welfare culture, training). Results showed that the leaders' capacity to understand subordinates' stress is associated with subordinates' psychological well-being since higher disagreement between self and leaders' ratings was related to lower well-being. We discuss the implications of healthy leadership for the development of healthy organizations.

The operational role of the occupational health physician in the assessment and management of health risks related to night work. Night work, in the last 30-40 years, has been extended to almost all areas of employment. The potential effects on workers' health--related to the disruption of circadian rhythms--are now well defined and studied in the Literature. All issues about the protection of safety and health for night workers are governed by the Italian Legislative Decree no. 66/2003 and subsequent amendments. The management of night work hasn't been included into the main Law on Occupational Safety and Health (Italian Legislative Decree no. 81/2008 and subsequent amendments) and a coordination between the two disciplines is desirable. The occupational health physician, as a global consultant for the protection of all health issues into a company, has to evaluate the potential effects of night work on health, both individually and as a group of workers. In this way, the physician may use either traditional tools (history, physical examination, blood tests) or innovative tools (questionnaires, health promotion programs, interventions on shift schedules). In the management of night work is useful to employ schedules that respect both psychophysical integrity and social welfare of workers and the needs of the production. The occupational health physician plays a significant role in information and training of workers, both individually and as a group of workers, and in the organization of health promotion programs (whit a voluntary participation by the workers).

Summary 2-Chloroacetophenone (CA) is widely used as tear gas by law-enforcement agents, and by civilians for personal protection. Crimes involving robbery and rape using tear gas sprays have recently increased. Experimental and in-field evaluations have been performed to validate use of solid-phase microextraction (SPME) with a porous fiber for sampling and analysis of CA in air before analysis by fast gas chromatography-mass spectrometry equipped with a new device called a multi-fiber system. CA vapor was generated by use of a syringe pump in a dynamic system in which temperature, relative humidity, and air velocity were monitored. The theoretical sampling rate for time-weighted average and rapid-SPME were, furthermore, estimated by use of the Fuller-Schettler-Giddings diffusion coefficient and the theory of heat transfer, respectively, and were in accordance with experimental values. Concentrations of CA were analyzed in a military store containing tear gas canisters, to evaluate the risk. The results o...

Workplace bullying is one of the most common work-related psychological problems. Bullying costs seem higher for organizations composed of health-care workers who perform direct-contact patients-complex tasks. Only a few studies have been carried out among nurses in Italy and integrated models of bullying antecedents and consequences are particularly missing. The aim of this study was to develop a bullying model focused on the interaction between bullying and burnout in the setting of a climate-health relationship. Research involved 658 nurses who completed a survey on health, burnout, bullying and organizational climate. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesis. Results suggest that workplace bullying partially mediates the relationship between organizational climate and burnout and that bullying does not affect health directly, but only indirectly, via the mediation of burnout. Our study demonstrates the key-role of workplace bullying and burnout in the climate-health relationship in order to understand and to improve nurses' health.

Bank robberies are becoming a serious problem in Italy. This study aims to evaluate the validity and the reliability of the Italian version of Impact of Event Scale (IES)-6. It is also hypothesized that a potential posttraumatic disorder, as measured by the IES-6, is associated with mental health problems and several peritraumatic variables. A database was built from data collected through a survey of victims of robbery in an Italian bank. The final sample comprised 350 employees. This study tests different models of IES, comparing the validity of IES-6 with the 22-item original version (IES-R) and the 15-item Italian version (recently adopted in a sample of flood victims). A confirmatory factor analysis supported the IES-6 three-factor solution as the best model. In addition, the internal consistency of the IES-6 and the subscales was good. Outcomes revealed a robust structure supporting the composition of the IES-6 Italian version., Video abstract

The aim of this work was to evaluate airborne glutaraldehyde exposure and so to organise efficiently the prevention of risks due to the manipulation of this substance in endoscope units in the medical facilities. Personal sampling in the breathing zone of the workers were taken for 2min in sixteen endoscope units in a hospital during the replacement of glutaraldehyde in basins, tubes and automatic endoscope washing machines (lavaendoscopes). Sampling was performed by solid phase microextraction (SPME); the analysis of the glutaraldehyde-derivative was by gas chromatography. The highest levels of glutaraldehyde were observed in rooms without ventilation and where local aspiration systems were used during filling of basins, tubes and lavaendoscopes with 2% glutaraldehyde solution. The results obtained during this campaign of measurements allowed us to point out the operations which have the highest degree of risk for employees and to suggest suitable measures for prevention and individual protection.

The present study shows detailed information about the reliability and validity of the psychosocial risk scale included in the Stress Questionnaire (SQ) developed by our research group. The primary purpose of this work is to test the factor structure of the psychosocial risk scale through a first-order confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) using a large pooled dataset obtained from a population of 2026 employees of 15 Italian medium–large companies. Data were collected by a team of researchers who examined demographic variables, work-related stress, workplace bullying, mental health and other constructs. In addition to these substantive issues, the survey was designed to better understand response bias. After the evaluation of the results we conclude that the psychosocial risk scale reported a satisfactory reliability and validity. In addition, it allowed a careful measurement of work related stress, considering both leader's and follower's perspectives.

Negative behaviors could be considered as a risk index of workplace bullying; researching on these events is useful for the planning of preventive interventions. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of negative actions in a population of nurses and their possible association with issues related to mental health. We administered a proper questionnaire, based both on the NAQ-R and on the GHQ12, to 206 subjects, who worked in three hospitals, located in the center and south of Italy. Our results confirmed that the nursing profession presents a clear bullying risk in the workplace, without any notable differences regarding gender or demographics. The prevalence of negative actions was noteworthy, mainly with regard to the job position and the task. Our study also showed that workplace bullying may interfere with the overall health of nurses, particularly connected to psycho-emotional issues.

A fully automated, non invasive, rapid and high-throughput method for the direct determination of sarcosine and N-ethylglycine in urine and urinary sediments using hexyl chloroformate derivatization followed by direct immersion solid-phase micro extraction and fast gas chromatography–mass spectrometric analysis was developed and validated. The use of a new ionic liquid narrow bore column, as well as the automation and miniaturization of the preparation procedure by a customized configuration of the utilized XYZ robotic system, allowed a friendly use of the GC apparatus achieving a quantitation limit of 0.06 μg L−1 for sarcosine, good repeatability with CV always lower than 7% and reduced analysis times useful for point-of-care testing. The method was then applied for the analysis of 56 samples of urine and urinary sediments in healthy subjects, in those with benign prostatic hypertrophy and in patients with clinically localized prostate cancer. The results obtained showed that the medians of sarcosine/creatinine in urine were 103, 137 and 267 μg g−1 respectively, thus assessing the potential use of sarcosine as urinary biomarker for prostate cancer detection. The highest values of sensitivity (79%) and specificity (87%) were obtained in correspondence of a cut-off value of 179 μg sarcosine (g creatinine)−1, thus by using this cut-off threshold, sarcosine was significantly associated with the presence of cancer (p Finally, ROC analyses proved that the discrimination between clinically localized prostate cancer and patients without evidence of tumor is significantly correlated with sarcosine.

Observation and characterization of environmental pollution, focussing on Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), in a high-risk industrial area, are particularly important in order to provide indications on a safe level of exposure, indicate eventual priorities and advise on policy interventions. The aim of this study is to use the Solid Phase Micro Extraction (SPME) method to measure VOCs, directly coupled with atmospheric measurements taken on a small aircraft environmental platform, to evaluate and locate the presence of VOC emission sources in the Marghera industrial area. Lab analysis of collected SPME fibres and subsequent analysis of mass spectrum and chromatograms in Scan Mode allowed the detection of a wide range of VOCs. The combination of this information during the monitoring campaign allowed a model (Gaussian Plume) to be implemented that estimates the localization of emission sources on the ground. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The present research is focused on automation, miniaturization, and system interaction with high throughput for multiple and specific Direct Immersion-Solid Phase Microextraction/Fast Gas Chromatography analysis of the urinary ketones. The specific Mass Spectrometry instrumentation, capable of supporting such the automated changeover from Negative Chemical to Electron Ionization mode, as well as the automation of the preparation procedure by new device called MultiFiber Exchange, through change of the fibers, allowed a friendly use of mass spectrometry apparatus with a number of advantages including reduced analyst time and greater reproducibility (2.01–5.32%). The detection limits for the seven ketones were less than 0.004 mg/L. For an innovative powerful meaning in high-throughput routine, the generality of the structurally informative Mass Spectrometry fragmentation patterns together with the chromatographic separation and software automation are also investigated.

Ambient Particulate Matter (PM) has been shown to be associated with cardiopulmonary diseases and lung cancer. Several groups of investigators have shown that the size of the airborne particles and their surface area determine the potential to elicit inflammatory injury and other mechanisms of adverse cellular effects. Because traffic is an important source of PM, it seems obvious that physicochemical characterization of vehicles exhaust emission has an important impact on both quantitative and qualitative aspects of ambient PM. In the present study the exhaust emissions of 8 vehicles of different categories were analyzed to attempt to differentiate them. For such purpose the particulate was collected on SPME fibers exposed to the exhaust emission for 150 s. The particulate was first characterized by micro-Raman spectroscopy and then subjected to Fast Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry analyses for the chemical identification of the Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) compounds, the organic fraction of particulate matter in air pollution with a major role in the toxicity, notably via its effects on inflammation. Both the particle count and the PAHs compositional data were assembled to be interpreted by Principal Components Analysis. This multivariate analysis grouped the data according mainly to the naphthalene amount, as well as the volume concentration of the particles smaller than 0.5 μm, suggesting that the different exhaust emissions could be easily differentiated. With this new methodology, future research should aim at establishing a mechanism of formation during internal engine combustion processes in order to obtain a clearer picture of the inflammatory and carcinogenic mechanisms of PM in the lungs.

A method for the determination of the organic acids directly in the urine employing derivatization with trimethyloxonium tetrafluoroborate as a methylating agent and sequential extraction by head space and direct immersion/solid phase microextraction is reported. Furoic acid, hippuric acid, methylhippuric acid, mandelic acid, phenylglyoxylic acid and trans, trans muconic acid contained in urine and proposed by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists as biological exposure indices were determined after a fast and economically convenient preparation step and sensitive gas chromatography–ion trap–mass spectrometry/tandem mass spectrometry analysis. Urine is rather a complex sample and hence the acquisition method required specific GC-MS instrumentation capable of supporting the changeover, fully automated during a single chromatographic separation, from mass to tandem mass spectrometry and both chemical and electron ionization modes. The automation of the analytical method provides a number of advantages, including reduced analysis time for both routine analysis and method development, and greater reproducibility. The equilibrium and kinetics of this substances vs head space/direct immersion-solid phase microextraction were investigated and evaluated theoretically. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Twenty-two subjects with Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) electrocardiographic pattern performing agonistic physical activity were referred to our laboratory to assess arrhythmogenic risk (group 1). This allowed us to evaluate a less known aspect, namely that of effects of training on the electrophysiologic properties of the atrium and accessory pathway. This was done utilizing a control group of 10 WPW patients who did not perform agonistic physical activity (group 2). All subjects were symptom free, and without signs of associated cardiopathy if we exclude 1 patient of group 1, who presented moderate mitral valve prolapse. Group 1 patients showed significantly higher mean values for basic cycle length (p less than 0.001), atrial effective (p less than 0.04) and functional (p less than 0.02) refractory period, and anterograde effective refractory period of the accessory pathway (p less than 0.02). The different behavior observed in group 1 patients could be explained considering the known influence of training on the equilibrium of the autonomic nervous system. Moreover, it is noteworthy that the two groups did not differ for inducibility of atrial fibrillation (AF). This should be taken into account considering the importance of AF in WPW. In conclusion, our study does not demonstrate any negative electrophysiologic effects of training in patients with WPW.

S-phenylmercapturic acid (PMA) is a specific urinary biomarker of benzene at exposure levels lower than 1 ppm. However, measuring PMA in urine is an expensive task by either GC or HPLC due to the necessity of extensive sample pretreatment. In the present study, a commercial chemiluminescence enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test for PMA and GC-MS were used for screening urine samples of 60 workers employed in petrochemical settings. The ELISA results were evaluated by comparison with the GC-MS. Overall, the ELISA test proved sensitive (limit of detection=0.1 microg l(-1)), rapid, robust and reliable, affording results in good agreement with the GC-MS (54% of measurements) and no false-negatives. On the other hand, 46% of the ELISA assays were assigned as false-positives (arbitrarily established when ELISA >5 microg l(-1), GC-MS

Respiratory diseases are frequent in tunnel construction workers. A group of 144 subjects randomly selected from the population of 2516 workers engaged in the construction of the railway tunnel under the Appennine Mountains, from Bologna to Firenze was investigated. A group of 69 males comparable for age, living area and habits was studied as a control group. Assessment of air pollutants (NO, NO2, SO2, total dust, silica %) was carried out by means of fixed monitoring stations as well as personal monitors. All the subjects included in the study were examined with a standardised protocol which included physical examination, lung function tests (before and after shift work) and a questionnaire to collect respiratory symptoms. Low concentrations of environmental pollutants were evidenced. Significantly lower values of FEV, and PEF were determined in the worker group pared to controls. A significant decrease in respiratory parameters was shown after shift work. Variables capable of influencing the decrease in parameters include smoking habits, work activity, presence of cough and expectoration, period of the year (spirometries resulted worse in the winter time). Significantly lower values of FEV1 and PEF were evidenced in the workers compared to controls. In spite of the present low work environmental exposure conditions, some physiologic parameters appear altered in tunnel construction workers. This may depend on a variety of noxious agents present in the working environment.

Silica has been reported to directly stimulate cellular proliferation of human lung fibroblasts, and silica-treated macrophage supernatants induce fibroblast proliferation and some of their biosynthetic activities. Alveolar macrophages produce increased amount of tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta). Lung fibroblasts are producers of interleukin-6 (IL-6). We investigated the capacity of lung fibroblasts obtained from normal and silicosis subjects to elaborate IL-6 in response to TNF-alpha and to TGF-beta. Our data show that TNF-alpha and TGF-beta are able to stimulate the proliferation of human lung fibroblasts in culture, to increase the collagen production of the cells and are both able to increase IL-6 production by lung fibroblasts of patients with silicosis. We hypothesise that silica is able to stimulate lung fibroblast both directly, increasing the cell proliferation, and indirectly stimulating the release of factors (as TNF-alpha and TGF-beta) from activated alveolar macrophages, that are able to increase proliferative and biosynthetic activities of fibroblast.

Contact dermatitis among hairdressers is common and is one of the most frequent occupational dematoses due to continual exposure to water, detergents, hair dyes, permanent waves and metal equipment. Use of individual protection systems – as gloves – is considered a good measure of prevention. Few data exist about the real permeation resistance (PR) of gloves, also in term of time of PR. We tested two types of djsposable latex gloves different by thickness and density of the manufacture material. We used a permeation cell composed of two separated parts: in the upper part we introduced the hair colouring formulation and in the lower one the collection medium (NaHSO3 1% in water); the two parts were separated by a portion of the glove material. A 100 microL volume of the collection medium was collected and injected onto a HPLC apparatus after 1, 2, 4 and 24 hours. A diode array detector was utilised selecting two wavelengths in the UV range (240 and 275 nm) with a linear concentration gradient up to 60% of methanol/acetonitril mixture. We can simultaneously analyse 9 oxidation dyes and the detection limits were sufficient to determine these substances at very low concentrations. We obtained respectively a breakthrough time less than 24 hours for the lower thickness glove and of over 24 hours for the other one; the latex gloves are suitable for prevent the skin contamination during the preparation of the colourings mixture in the hairdresser activity. The obtained data show those latex gloves, of both thickness, have a very high PR. On the other hand, the use of latex gloves has been associated with the more frequent recognition of immediate-type hypersensitivity responses related to latex products. The prosecution of the study will evaluate the PR of latex-free gloves.

In 22 patients (age range 13-40 years) with Wolff-Parkinson-White ECG pattern without evidence of associated cardiomyopathy we measured the anterograde effective refractory period of the accessory pathway (ERP-AP) by extrastimulus method (at twice diastolic threshold) during atrial pacing (100/min). The ERP-AP range was 220-480 ms. There was a significant direct correlation between age and ERP-AP (r = 0.50, p less than 0.01). An ERP-AP less than or equal to 250 ms was found in 4 patients (age less than or equal to 23 years). This is noteworthy in the light of reports that, over the years: (1) typical Wolff-Parkinson-White ECG signs can disappear and (2) the frequency of tachycardic episodes decreases. Our data suggest a lower risk of high ventricular rates during atrial fibrillation with increasing age.