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Introduction: Mammographic density (MD), the proportion of radiologically dense breast tissue, is a strong risk factor for breast cancer. Our objective is to investigate the influence of occupations and occupational exposure to physical, chemical, and microbiological agents on MD in Spanish premenopausal women., Methods: This is a cross-sectional study based on 1362 premenopausal workers, aged 39-50, who attended a gynecological screening in a breast radiodiagnosis unit of Madrid City Council. The work history was compiled through a personal interview. Exposure to occupational agents was evaluated using the Spanish job-exposure matrix MatEmESp. MD percentage was assessed using the validated semi-automated computer tool DM-Scan. The association between occupation, occupational exposures, and MD was quantified using multiple linear regression models, adjusted for age, educational level, body mass index, parity, previous breast biopsies, family history of breast cancer, energy intake, use of oral contraceptives, smoking, and alcohol consumption., Results: Although no occupation was statistically significantly associated with MD, a borderline significant inverse association was mainly observed in orchard, greenhouse, nursery, and garden workers (β = -6.60; 95% confidence interval (95%CI) = -14.27; 1.07) and information and communication technology technicians (β = -7.27; 95%CI = -15.37; 0.84). On the contrary, a positive association was found among technicians in art galleries, museums, and libraries (β = 8.47; 95%CI = -0.65; 17.60). Women occupationally exposed to fungicides, herbicides, and insecticides tended to have lower MD. The percentage of density decreased by almost 2% for every 5 years spent in occupations exposed to the mentioned agents., Conclusions: Although our findings point to a lack of association with the occupations and exposures analyzed, this study supports a deeper exploration of the role of certain occupational agents in MD, such as pesticides., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: High mammographic density is one of the main risk factors for breast cancer. Although several occupations have been associated with breast cancer, there are no previous occupational studies exploring the association with mammographic density. Our objective was to identify occupations associated with high mammographic density in Spanish female workers., Methods: We conducted a population-based cross-sectional study of occupational determinants of high mammographic density in Spain, based on 1476 women, aged 45-68 years, recruited from seven screening centers within the Spanish Breast Cancer Screening Program network. Reproductive, family, personal, and occupational history data were collected. The latest occupation of each woman was collected and coded according to the 1994 National Classification of Occupations. Mammographic density was assessed from the cranio-caudal mammogram of the left breast using a semi-automated computer-assisted tool. Association between mammographic density and occupation was evaluated by using mixed linear regression models, using log-transformed percentage of mammographic density as dependent variable. Models were adjusted for age, body mass index, menopausal status, parity, smoking, alcohol intake, educational level, type of mammography, first-degree relative with breast cancer, and hormonal replacement therapy use. Screening center and professional reader were included as random effects terms., Results: Mammographic density was higher, although non-statistically significant, among secondary school teachers (e β = 1.41; 95%CI = 0.98-2.03) and nurses (e β = 1.23; 95%CI = 0.96-1.59), whereas workers engaged in the care of people (e β = 0.81; 95%CI = 0.66-1.00) and housewives (e β = 0.87; 95%CI = 0.79-0.95) showed an inverse association with mammographic density. A positive trend for every 5 years working as secondary school teachers was also detected (p-value = 0.035)., Conclusions: Nurses and secondary school teachers were the occupations with the highest mammographic density in our study, showing the latter a positive trend with duration of employment. Future studies are necessary to confirm if these results are due to chance or are the result of a true association whose causal hypothesis is, for the moment, unknown., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To revise and complete information on prevalence and intensity of wood dust exposure among Spanish workers in the MatEmESp job-exposure matrix, based on data from the WOODEX database., Methods: Exposure groups by economic activity in WOODEX were linked to the occupations in MatEmESp. The WOODEX data were then used to calculate new values of exposure prevalence and intensity for the occupations included in MatEmESp., Results: A total of 18 occupations in MatEmESp were linked to exposure groups in the WOODEX database. This allowed estimation of new exposure intensity values for these 18 occupations and calculation of new exposure prevalence values for 16 of them. In addition, a new at-risk occupation, previously not in MatEmESp, was identified. The occupations with the highest prevalence values are sawmill operators (CNO-94 code 8141) and operators of machinery for making wood products (CNO-94 code 8340). The new calculations indicate that 10.5% of at-risk workers in MatEmESp are exposed to concentrations above 5 mg/m3., Conclusions: The WOODEX data provided more detailed information about exposure profiles to wood dust and are mainly based on Spanish data. In contrast, 95% of the data on wood dust exposure inMatEmESp is based on extrapolations from other countries or on expert considerations., (Copyright belongs to the Societat Catalana de Salut Laboral.)

Objective: To assess the comprehension among cleaning workers of the hazard pictograms as defined by the Globally Harmonized System (GHS) of the United Nations, concerning the classification, labeling and packaging of substances and mixtures., Methods: A sample of 118 workers was surveyed on their perception of the GHS hazard pictograms. Comprehensibility was measured by the percentage of correct answers and the degree to which they reflected International Organization for Standardization and American National Standards Institute standards for minimum level of comprehension. The influence of different variables to predict comprehension capacity was assessed using a logistic regression model., Results: Three groups of pictograms could be distinguished which were statistically differentiated by their comprehensibility. Pictograms reflecting "acute toxicity" and "flammable", were described correctly by 94% and 95% of the surveyed population, respectively. For pictograms reflecting "systemic toxicity", "corrosive", "warning", "environment" and "explosive" the frequency of correct answers ranged from 48% to 64%, whereas those for pictograms "oxidizing" and "compressed gas" were interpreted correctly by only 7% of respondents. Prognostic factors for poor comprehension included: not being familiar with the pictograms, not having received training on safe use of chemical products, being an immigrant and being 54 years of age or older., Conclusions: Only two pictograms exceeded minimum standards for comprehension. Training, a tool proven to be effective to improve the correct interpretation of danger symbols, should be encouraged, especially in those groups with greater comprehension difficulties., (Copyright belongs to the Societat Catalana de Salut Laboral.)

Toll station workers are occupationally exposed to vehicle engine exhaust, a complex mixture of different chemical substances, including carcinogenic compounds. Therefore, a study was carried out on attendants of two highway toll stations to describe their occupational exposure to vehicle engine exhaust, based on a worst-case scenario approach. Personal sampling was conducted during the day shift for all attendants, testing for three groups of chemical substances: polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and aldehydes (formaldehyde and acrolein). Concentrations of total PAH, BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes) and formaldehyde content varied between 97.60-336.08 ng/m3, 5.01-40.52 μg/m3, and 0.06-19.13 μg/m3, respectively. No clear relationships could be established between exposure levels and the number of vehicles. Furthermore, no differences were found between truck versus car lanes, or inside versus outside the tollbooth. Not all the detected VOCs were related to vehicle exhaust; some were consistent with the use of cleaning products. The measured concentrations were far below the established occupational exposure limits, but tended to be higher than values reported for outdoor urban environments. There are very few international studies assessing occupational exposures among toll station workers, and this is the first such study to be conducted in Spain. The results suggest that further, more detailed studies are necessary to characterize exposure properly, and ones which include other airborne pollutants, such as ultrafine particles. The comparison of the results to other similar studies was difficult, since no data related to some important exposure determinants have been provided. Therefore, it is recommended that these determinants be considered in future studies.

Objective: The objective of this study is to estimate occupational exposures to human carcinogens in Catalonia in 2009, taking as a reference the CAREX ESP 2007 information system, and to evaluate the suitability of extrapolating these data to Catalonia., Methods: The reference population is the number of people registered with the Social Security system in Catalonia in 2009. Carcinogens considered are those which the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified into groups 1 and 2A and are related to occupational exposures. The exposure prevalences from the CAREX ESP 2007, adapted to the Catalonian Industrial Classification (CCAE 09), were used. Technical survey reports from the Occupational Safety and Health Centers of the Catalonian local government, and related databases were consulted., Results: The most frequent occupational exposures to human carcinogens were solar radiation, crystalline silica, diesel exhaust, radon and wood dust, although based mainly on data not considered adequate for extrapolation to Catalonia. Around 217 exposure situations for 25 carcinogens, not previously considered in CAREX ESP 2007, were identified., Conclusions: The estimated number of workers exposed to human carcinogens in Catalonia in 2009 based on the CAREX ESP 2007 system could differ from the real situation. Development of a CAREX CAT system that incorporates exposure data from Catalonia is recommended., (Copyright belongs to the Societat Catalana de Seguretat i Medicina del Treball.)