Estimating the contribution of inhalation exposure to di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) for PVC production workers,using personal air sampling and urinary metabolite monitoring

Because of troubling reports of high urinary metabolite levels and adverse reproductive health effects in workers exposed to di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) in occupational settings, concern about exposure to DEHP in occupational settings is increasing. However, the contributions of different routes of exposure to DEHP are unclear. We used personal air sampling and biomonitoring to determine the contribution of inhalation exposure to the body burden of DEHP in the workplace. Eighty-nine workers (high-exposure group: 66 raw-materials workers; low-exposure group: 23 administrative workers) were recruited from three polyvinyl chloride (PVC) factories. Urinary levels of mono(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP), (mono(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate (MEOHP), and mono(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (MEHHP) were measured in pre-shift and post-shift samples. The geometric means of airborne concentrations of DEHP were 5.3 μg/m³ (low-exposure group) and 32.7 μg/m³ (high-exposure group) (P < 0.01). Correlation analysis showed a consistently significant association between airborne DEHP concentration and urinary DEHP metabolite levels in the high-exposure group. Calculating daily DEHP intake based on total urinary metabolite levels showed that the geometric means of total daily urinary metabolite levels of DEHP were 9.2 μg/kg/day (low-exposure group) and 15.5 μg/kg/day (high-exposure group) (P < 0.01). A quartile analysis of all workers showed a significant trend toward an association between the individual contribution of inhalation exposure to DEHP and urinary DEHP metabolite levels, for which the mean inhalation contribution was 46.7% in the highest quartile. We conclude that inhalation-absorbed airborne DEHP significantly increased the total body burden of DEHP in these occupationally exposed workers.     

The distribution of blood concentrations of lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr) and manganese (Mn) in residents of the German Ruhr area and its potential association with occupational exposure in metal industry and/or other risk factors

Objective

This study investigated the metal distribution in blood samples from the general population and the risk of having high metal concentration for metal workers.

Safety,tolerability, and immunogenicity of V114 pneumococcal vaccine compared with PCV13 in a 2+1 regimen in healthy infants: A phase III study (PNEU-PED-EU-2)

BackgroundThis phase III study evaluated safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity of V114 (15-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine) in healthy infants. V114 contains all 13 serotypes in PCV13 and additional serotypes 22F and 33F.MethodsHealthy infants were randomized to two primary doses and one toddler dose (2+1 regimen) of V114 or PCV13 at 3, 5, and 12 months of age; diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (DTaP), inactivated poliovirus (IPV), Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), hepatitis B (HepB) vaccine was administered concomitantly. Adverse events (AEs) were collected on Days 1–14 following each vaccination. Serotype-specific anti-pneumococcal immunoglobulin G (IgG) was measured 30 days post-primary series, immediately prior to toddler dose, and 30 days post-toddler dose. Primary objectives included non-inferiority of V114 to PCV13 for 13 shared serotypes and superiority of V114 to PCV13 for serotypes 22F and 33F.Results1191 healthy infants were randomized to V114 (n = 595) or PCV13 (n = 596). Proportions of participants with solicited AEs and serious AEs were comparable between groups. V114 met non-inferiority criteria for 13 shared serotypes, based on difference in proportions with serotype-specific IgG ≥0.35 μg/mL (lower bound of two-sided 95% confidence interval [CI] >−10.0) and IgG geometric mean concentration (GMC) ratios (lower bound of two-sided 95% CI >0.5) at 30 days post-toddler dose. V114 met superiority criteria for serotypes 22F and 33F, based on response rates (lower bound of two-sided 95% CI >10.0) and IgG GMC ratios (lower bound of two-sided 95% CI >2.0) at 30 days post-toddler dose.Antibody responses to DTaP-IPV-Hib-HepB met non-inferiority criteria, based on antigen-specific response rates.ConclusionA two-dose primary series plus toddler dose of V114 was well-tolerated in healthy infants. Compared with PCV13, V114 provided non-inferior immune responses to 13 shared serotypes and superior immune responses to additional serotypes 22F and 33F.