Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine

BackgroundDigital communication device use is changing rapidly among young people, and current research on this topic is limited or outdated.ObjectiveWe aimed to describe the use of digital communication devices by young people from 4 European countries and investigate their socioeconomic and demographic characteristics.MethodsIn 2023, we administered an online survey to a convenience sample of 4000 young people aged 16 to 25 years in Italy, Poland, Spain, and Switzerland. Participants reported on their regular use of smartphones, tablets, laptops, cordless phones, and smartwatches or activity trackers. Participants answered which activities they regularly engaged in on their devices, the time spent on these devices and activities, and in what position the device was used with respect to their body over the previous 3 months. We also collected information on participant socioeconomic and demographic characteristics, including age, gender, country of birth, employment status, parental educational level, and urbanicity of the place of residence.ResultsReported prevalence of device use was 90.9% (3635/4000) for smartphones, 33.2% (1329/4000) for tablets, 68.7% (2748/4000) for laptops, 11.6% (462/4000) for cordless phones, and 23.3% (931/4000) for smartwatches or activity trackers. Older age groups and women reported higher use across most devices. The activities reported with the highest engagement for smartphones were voice calls (2553/3635, 70.2%); social media (2693/3635, 74.1%); and texting, emailing, and internet use (2530/3635, 69.6%). For tablets and laptops, they were video streaming (849/1329, 63.9% and 1527/2748, 55.6%, respectively); texting, emailing, and internet use (673/1329, 50.6% and 1218/2748, 44.3%, respectively); and social media (659/1329, 49.6% and 1521/2748, 55.3%, respectively). On average, participants used their smartphones 60.9 (SD 83.1) minutes per day for texting, emailing, and internet use; 85.2 (SD 92.7) minutes per day for social media; 46.9 (SD 70.5) minutes per day for video streaming; and 53.7 (SD 80.3) minutes per day for music streaming. Differences across activities and devices were found among socioeconomic and demographic characteristics. For example, the oldest age groups reported lower duration of smartphone use for voice calls, social media, video streaming, and music streaming compared to the youngest age group but reported higher duration of smartphone use for video calls and texting, emailing, and internet use. Moreover, women reported higher duration of use for most activities on smartphones compared to men, except for online gaming, for which men reported higher duration of use.ConclusionsOur findings provide novel information on digital communication device use by young people. We identified differences between socioeconomic and demographic characteristics that warrant further investigation. These results can be used as a point of reference for digital communication devices in public health research, including health communication strategies and epidemiological research.

This article, aimed at assessing potential health risks to medical personnel, presents a literature review on paclitaxel (PTX), a natural taxane alkaloid widely used in cancer chemotherapy. The review analyzes the toxic properties of PTX, occupational exposure routes and sources, as well as findings from environmental and biological monitoring studies and potential health effects. The methodology included a review of literature from reputable databases, institutional reports on hazardous medicinal products, and data from national registries. The results confirm that, despite its effectiveness in cancer treatment, PTX is a highly toxic substance associated with significant occupational risk. Due to its high molecular weight and relatively high vapor pressure, exposure may occur via inhalation and dermal contact during various stages of drug handling - from preparation to contact with patients' excreta. Biological monitoring has detected PTX in the urine and plasma of healthcare workers, while environmental monitoring has confirmed widespread surface contamination in medical facilities. The potential health effects of PTX primarily include mutagenic and genotoxic actions (aneugenicity, clastogenicity, DNA damage, chromosomal aberrations, and micronuclei formation), as well as neurotoxicity, myelosuppression, hepatotoxicity, and adverse effects on reproduction (embryotoxicity, fetotoxicity, and impaired fertility). To identify irregularities early and effectively reduce health risks associated with PTX exposure, a comprehensive occupational exposure assessment should become standard practice. This assessment should incorporate 3 complementary components: biological monitoring of workers, air concentration measurements, and surface contamination testing using wipe sampling. The inclusion of surface contamination measurements as a routine exposure surveillance method should be recognized as a best practice in healthcare settings where cytotoxic substances are used. A reference value of 0.1 ng/cm² for surface contamination is recommended. The implementation of effective preventive measures, appropriate personal protective equipment, regular decontamination, and staff training is essential for protecting the health of medical personnel. Med Pr Work Health Saf. 2025;76(6):469-486.

Persulfate salts in hair bleaches are a well-documented cause of occupational asthma (OA) among hairdressers, but little information is available on OA caused by hair products containing other low-molecular-weight chemicals. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and clinical characteristics of OA caused by oxidative hair dyes containing para-amino compounds (PACs). This retrospective multicenter study was conducted among 98 hairdressers with OA ascertained by a positive specific inhalation challenge (SIC) with hair products completed between 2006 and 2018 in 14 European tertiary centers. Nine hairdressers (9%) with a positive SIC response to hair dyes containing PACs were identified and reviewed. Eight hairdressers developed a bronchial response during "work-simulation" SICs with hair dyes used at work, whereas one subject was challenged with pure para-phenylene diamine. The pattern of bronchial reactions was isolated late, dual, and isolated early in four, three, and two subjects, respectively. A significant post-challenge increase in nonspecific airway hyperresponsiveness was detected in three of the seven (43%) subjects with both pre- and post-SIC measurements available. Among subjects with fractional exhaled nitric oxide measurements (n = 3) or sputum eosinophil counts (n = 4) available both before and after the SIC, none showed a significant increase in these airway inflammatory markers. Hair dyes containing PACs may contribute substantially to OA among hairdressers. This possibility should be considered carefully when evaluating hairdressers with work-related asthma symptoms. However, there is a need for further investigation of the underlying inflammatory and immunological mechanisms.

Processing of electronic waste (e-waste) causes the release of toxic substances which may lead to occupational exposure. The study aimed to gather information on potential occupational exposure during e-waste recycling, with a focus on biomonitoring of chromium, cadmium, mercury and lead. In eight European countries, 195 workers involved in the recycling of lead batteries, white goods, brown goods and metals and plastics were studied. These workers were compared to 73 controls with no direct involvement of e-waste recycling or other metal processing activities. The samples collected consisted of urine, blood and hair samples, along with personal air samples, hand wipes, settled dust samples and contextual information. Chromium, cadmium, mercury and lead was measured in urine, hair, air samples, hand wipes and settled dust; cadmium and lead in whole blood and chromium in red blood cells. Results showed that lead exposure is of concern, with workers from all five types of e-waste showing exposure, with elevated measurements in all matrices. Internal exposure markers were positively correlated with markers of external exposure, indicating workers are not adequately protected. Exposure to mercury and cadmium was also observed but to a much lesser extent with raised cadmium concentrations in urine and blood of all workers when compared to controls and raised mercury concentrations were found in brown goods workers when compared to controls. This study has highlighted exposure concerns when processing e-waste, particularly for lead across all waste categories studied, indicating a need for improved control measures in this sector.

ABSTRACTMite sensitization is notable in several occupational settings. Elevated house dust mite concentrations are primarily detected in workplaces where people congregate and are active. Allergy to storage mites and spider mites has commonly been reported in agricultural and various food processing occupations. Rapid expansion of biological pest control has resulted in increased exposure to predatory mites causing sensitization of greenhouse workers. Globally, mite populations in workplaces are likely to change due to climate change. Occupational relevant mites produce a variety of allergens and adjuvants that trigger both innate and adaptive immune responses. Cross‐reactivity between allergens occurs due to shared IgE‐binding epitopes to different allergens. Occupational allergy to mites typically causes rhinitis and asthma. Challenges of distinguishing the role of occupational exposure to allergens, also present in non‐occupational environments, complicate the diagnosis of occupational mite allergy and asthma. Nevertheless, preventive measures to reduce exposure to mite allergens in workplaces are essential in mitigating occupational hazards. Further research is needed to better understand the incidence of occupational mite allergy and asthma. It is essential to identify the risk factors in different occupational settings, assess the impact of climate change on exposure, and determine the relevant allergens and their potential cross‐reactivity.

Lung cancer in neversmokers (LCINS) accounts for around 25% of all lung cancers1,2 and has been associated with exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke and air pollution in observational studies3-5. Here we use data from the Sherlock-Lung study to evaluate mutagenic exposures in LCINS by examining the cancergenomes of 871 treatment-naive individuals with lung cancer who had never smoked, from 28 geographical locations. KRAS mutations were 3.8 times more common in adenocarcinomas of neversmokers from North America and Europethan in those from East Asia, whereas a higher prevalence of EGFR and TP53 mutations was observed in adenocarcinomas of neversmokers from East Asia. Signature SBS40a, with unknown cause6, contributed the largest proportion of single base substitutions in adenocarcinomas, and was enriched in cases with EGFR mutations. Signature SBS22a, which is associated with exposure to aristolochic acid7,8, was observed almost exclusively in patients from Taiwan. Exposure to secondhand smoke was not associated with individual driver mutations or mutational signatures. By contrast, patients from regions with high levels of air pollution were more likely to have TP53 mutations and shorter telomeres. They also exhibited an increase in most types of mutations, including a 3.9-fold increase in signature SBS4, which has previously been linked with tobacco smoking9, and a 76% increase in the clock-like10 signature SBS5. A positive dose-response effect was observed with air-pollution levels, correlating with both a decrease in telomere length and an increase in somatic mutations, mainlyattributed to signatures SBS4 and SBS5. Our results elucidate the diversity of mutational processes shaping the genomic landscape of lung cancer in neversmokers.

To evaluate the implementation of 5G in Europe, we have systematically measured environmental, auto-induced downlink (DL) and uplink (UL) radiofrequency electromagnetic field (RF-EMF) exposure in more than 800 microenvironments in ten European countries. Outdoor, indoor, and public transport microenvironments were measured in two cities and three villages in each country. Exposure was measured during three mobile-phone user scenarios: flight mode (non-user), inducing maximum DL traffic (max DL) or maximum UL traffic (max UL). The mobile phone was carried in a backpack, placed 30cm from an ExpoM-RF 4 that continuously measured 35 frequency bands (87.5MHz-6GHz). For each user scenario, mean exposure levels were calculated. In the non-user scenario, mean exposure levels ranged from 0.33 to 1.72mW/m2 per country and were lower in Switzerland, Belgium and Italy. RF-EMF levels were, on average, 80% lower in villages compared to cities, with DL bands contributing the most in this scenario. During max DL, exposure increased mainly due to the 5G band at 3.5GHz (mean exposure per country 2.61-11.12mW/m2). However, the time-division nature of this band prevents distinguishing between DL and UL signals with the ExpoM-RF4. Exposure levels were the highest during max UL, particularly in the Netherlands, Italy and Belgium, with 50% of the mean levels per country above 16mW/m2. Exposure was, on average, 35% higher in villages compared to cities. Environmental exposure levels were below international guideline values. Countries with precautionary limits had lower environmental exposure levels but higher auto-induced uplink exposure during data upload.