Estimation of personal exposure to asbestos of brake repair workers

María Fernanda Cely-García, Frank C. Curriero, Mauricio Sánchez-Silva, Patrick N. Breysse, Margarita Giraldo, Lorena Méndez, Carlos Torres-Duque, Mauricio Durán, Mauricio González-García, Patricia Parada, Juan Pablo Ramos-Bonilla

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

3 Scopus citations

Abstract

Exposure assessments are key tools to conduct epidemiological studies. Since 2010, 28 riveters from 18 brake repair shops with different characteristics and workloads were sampled for asbestos exposure in Bogotá, Colombia. Short-term personal samples collected during manipulation activities of brake products, and personal samples collected during non-manipulation activities were used to calculate 103 8-h TWA PCM-equivalent personal asbestos concentrations. The aims of this study are to identify exposure determinant variables associated with the 8-h TWA personal asbestos concentrations among brake mechanics, and propose different models to estimate potential asbestos exposure of brake mechanics in an 8-h work-shift. Longitudinal-based multivariate linear regression models were used to determine the association between personal asbestos concentrations in a work-shift with different variables related to work tasks and workload of the mechanics, and some characteristics of the shops. Monte Carlo simulations were used to estimate the 8-h TWA PCM-Eq personal asbestos concentration in work-shifts that had manipulations of brake products or cleaning activities of the manipulation area, using the results of the sampling campaigns. The simulations proposed could be applied for both current and retrospective studies to determine personal asbestos exposures of brake mechanics, without the need of sampling campaigns or historical data of air asbestos concentrations.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)417-426
Number of pages10
JournalJournal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology
Volume27
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 1 2017

Keywords

  • Monte Carlo simulation
  • asbestos exposures
  • brake mechanics
  • chrysotile
  • exposure assessment

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Epidemiology
  • Toxicology
  • Pollution
  • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Estimation of personal exposure to asbestos of brake repair workers'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this