Assess. 2014;186(11):7807-18.
Viegas S – Susana Viegas (Área Científica de Saúde Ambiental, Departamento das Ciências e Tecnologias
Laboratoriais e Saúde Comunitária)
Pádua M – Mário Pádua (Área Científica de Química, Departamento das Ciências Naturais e Exatas)
Veiga AC – Ana Costa Veiga (Área Científica de Farmácia, Departamento das Ciências e Tecnologias Laboratoriais e
Saúde Comunitária)
Carolino E – Elisabete Carolino (Área Científica de Matemática, Departamento das Ciências Naturais e Exatas) Gomes M – Mário Gomes (Área Científica de Química, Departamento das Ciências Naturais e Exatas)
Despite the classification as known or suspected human carcinogens, by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, the antineoplastic drugs are extensively used in cancer treatment due to their specificity and efficacy. As human carcinogens, these drugs represent a serious threat to the healthcare workers involved in their preparation and administration. This work aims to contribute to better characterize the occupational exposure of healthcare professionals to antineoplastic drugs, by assessing workplace surfaces contamination of pharmacy and administration units of two Portuguese hospitals. Surface contamination was assessed by the determination of cyclophosphamide, 5-fluorouracil, and paclitaxel. These three drugs were used as surrogate markers for surfaces contamination by cytotoxic drugs. Wipe samples were taken and analyzed by HPLC-DAD. From the total of 327 analyzed samples, in 121 (37 %) was possible to detect and quantify at least one drug. Additionally, 28 samples (8.6 %) indicate contamination by more than one antineoplastic drug, mainly in the administration unit, in both hospitals. Considering the findings in both hospitals, specific measures should be taken, particularly those related with the promotion of good practices and safety procedures and also routine monitoring of surfaces contamination in order to guarantee the appliance of safety measures.
Available from:
http://hdl.handle.net/10400.21/3731
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25096642
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10661-014-3969-1
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Viegas S, Almeida-Silva M, Viegas C. Exposure to volatile organic compounds in a
composting plant. In Arezes PM, Batista JS, Barroso MP, Carneiro P, Cordeiro P, Costa
N, et al, editors. Occupational safety and hygiene – SHO2014: proceedings book.
Sociedade Portuguesa de Segurança e Higiene Ocupacionais; 2014. p. 471-3. ISBN
9789899820326
Viegas S – Susana Viegas (Área Científica de Saúde Ambiental, Departamento das Ciências e Tecnologias
Laboratoriais e Saúde Comunitária)
Viegas C – Carla Viegas (Área Científica de Saúde Ambiental, Departamento das Ciências e Tecnologias Laboratoriais
e Saúde Comunitária)
Some previous studies have suggested that some of the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) found in composting plants may have a toxic effect that can influence, besides surroundings populations, workers from the composting plants. Impact of waste management to the environment and workers is already recognised as an environment and occupational health concerns. Several studies regarding the VOCs and bioaerosols emissions from composting have been conducted all over Europe and also in Asia. However, in Portugal the studies developed are scarce and normally VOCs are not studied and recognized as a risk factor present in this occupational setting. Consudering this, a study was developed in a Portuguese composting plant aiming to clarify if there was VOCs presence in the workplaces.
Available from:
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Viegas S, Almeida-Silva M, Viegas C. Occupational exposure to particulate matter in 2
Portuguese waste-sorting units. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2014;27(5):854-62.
Viegas S – Susana Viegas (Área Científica de Saúde Ambiental, Departamento das Ciências e Tecnologias
Laboratoriais e Saúde Comunitária)
Viegas C – Carla Viegas (Área Científica de Saúde Ambiental, Departamento das Ciências e Tecnologias Laboratoriais
e Saúde Comunitária)
Objectives - This study intended to characterize work environment contamination by particles in 2 waste-sorting plants. Material and Methods - Particles were measured by portable direct- reading equipment. Besides mass concentration in different sizes, data related with the number of particles concentration were also obtained. Results - Both sorting units showed the same distribution concerning the 2 exposure metrics: particulate matter 5 (PM5) and particulate matter 10 (PM10) reached the highest levels and 0.3 μm was the fraction with a higher number of particles. Unit B showed higher (p < 0.05) levels for both exposure metrics. For instance, in unit B the PM10 size is 9-fold higher than in unit A. In unit A, particulate matter values obtained in pre-sorting and in the sequential sorting cabinet were higher without ventilation working. Conclusions - Workers from both waste-sorting plants are exposed to particles. Particle counting provided additional information that is of extreme value for analyzing the health effects of particles since higher values of particles concentration were obtained in the smallest fraction.
Available from:
http://hdl.handle.net/10400.21/3889
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25323990
http://link.springer.com/article/10.2478%2Fs13382-014-0310-8
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Viegas S, Pádua M, Gomes M. Surfaces contamination with 5-Fluorouracil in two
Portuguese hospitals. In Arezes PM, Batista JS, Barroso MP, Carneiro P, Cordeiro P,
Costa N, et al, editors. Occupational safety and hygiene – SHO2014: proceedings
book. Sociedade Portuguesa de Segurança e Higiene Ocupacionais; 2014. p. 468-70.
ISBN 9789899820326
Viegas S – Susana Viegas (Área Científica de Saúde Ambiental, Departamento das Ciências e Tecnologias
Laboratoriais e Saúde Comunitária)
Pádua M – Mário Pádua (Área Científica de Química, Departamento das Ciências Naturais e Exatas) Gomes M – Mário Gomes (Área Científica de Química, Departamento das Ciências Naturais e Exatas)
During the last years there has been an increasing concern about occupational exposure to cytostatic drugs in hospitals. The first findings on occupational exposures among hospital personnel administering chemotherapy were reported only in 1979. Since then, a great number of studies have been publishing describing possible exposure-related health effects. Consequently, rigorous guidelines for the safe handling of cancer chemotherapeutic agents were devised and the handling facilities in hospitals were extensively improved. However, recent studies developed in European countries revealed detectable amounts of several drugs in surface wipe samples. Dermal absorption after contact with contaminated surfaces can play an important role in exposure to antineoplastic drugs. Therefore, the existence of contamination in workplace surfaces implies an increased risk of exposure for health care workers. Since there is no recent report in Portugal, regarding the occupational exposure to antineoplastic drugs, a study was developed aiming to determine the 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) contamination on work surfaces of two Portuguese hospitals.
Available from:
76
Barbosa Jr F, Farina M, Viegas S, Kempinas WG. Toxicology of metals and metalloids
[Editorial]. BioMed Res Int. 2014;2014:253738.
Viegas S – Susana Viegas (Área Científica de Saúde Ambiental, Departamento das Ciências e Tecnologias
Laboratoriais e Saúde Comunitária)
Metal toxicology is one of the oldest areas of study of toxicology and one of the oldest environmental problems. Metals and metalloids are toxic elements at the top of the priority list of hazardous substances of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). However, several gaps of knowledge still exist that are related to their toxicity, mainly concerning the mechanisms of action. This special issue affords the opportunity to bring together the results of nine papers covering several aspects of the toxicology of metals and metalloids in in vitro and in vivo experimental models, as well as in exposed populations.
Available from:
http://hdl.handle.net/10400.21/3573
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4054971/ http://www.hindawi.com/journals/bmri/2014/253738/
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