Background: With increasing knowledge on the adverse health efects of certain constituents of PM (particulate matter), such as silica, metals, insoluble ions, and black carbon, PM has been under the attention of work safety experts. Previously, we investigated the perceptions of blue-collar workers in highly exposed areas of work. Subsequently, we developed an instruction folder highlighting the most important aspects of PM risk and mitigation, and tested this folder in a digital experiment. The digital experiment yielded positive results with regards to acquired knowledge about PM, but did not on risk perception or safety behavior. Methods: In this study, we investigate the efects of the folder when combined with a practical assignment involving a PM exposimeter, showing the amount of particulate matter in microgram per cubic meter in real time on its display for various activities. We tested this at six workplaces of four companies in the roadwork and construction branch. Results: The results indicate that the folder itself yields an increased knowledge base in employees about PM, but the efects of the practical assignment are more contentious. Nevertheless, there is an indication that using the assignment may lead to a higher threat appraisal among employees for high exposure activities. Conclusion: We recommend implementing our folder in companies with high PM exposure and focusing further research on appropriate methods of implementation.
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Background: Particulate matter (PM) exposure is an important health risk, both in daily life and in the workplace. It causes respiratory and cardiovascular diseases and results in 800,000 premature deaths per year worldwide. In earlier research, we assessed workers’ information needs regarding workplace PM exposure, the properties and effects of PM, and the rationale behind various means of protection. We also concluded that workers do not always receive appropriate risk communication tools with regards to PM, and that their PM knowledge appears to be fragmented and incomplete. Methods: We considered several concepts for use as an educational material based on evaluation criteria: ease of use, costs, appropriateness for target audiences and goals, interactivity, implementation issues, novelty, and speed. We decided to develop an educational folder, which can be used to inform employees about the properties, effects and prevention methods concerning PM. Furthermore, we decided on a test setup of a more interactive way of visualisation of exposure to PM by means of exposimeters. For the development of the folder, we based the information needs on our earlier mental models-based research. We adjusted the folder based on the results of ten semi-structured interviews evaluating its usability. Results: The semi-structured interviews yielded commentaries and suggestions for further improvement, which resulted in a number of alterations to the folder. However, in most cases the folder was deemed satisfactory. Conclusion: Based on this study, the folder we developed is suitable for a larger-scale experiment and a practical test. Further research is needed to investigate the efficacy of the folder and the application of the exposimeter in a PM risk communication system.
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Particulate matter (PM) exposure, amongst others caused by emissions and industrial processes, is an important source of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. There are situations in which blue-collar workers in roadwork companies are at risk. This study investigated perceptions of risk and mitigation of employees in roadwork (construction and maintenance) companies concerning PM, as well as their views on methods to empower safety behavior, by means of a mental models approach. We held semi-structured interviews with twenty-two employees (three safety specialists, seven site managers and twelve blue-collar workers) in three different roadwork companies. We found that most workers are aware of the existence of PM and reduction methods, but that their knowledge about PM itself appears to be fragmented and incomplete. Moreover, road workers do not protect themselves consistently against PM. To improve safety instructions, we recommend focusing on health effects, reduction methods and the rationale behind them, and keeping workers’ mental models into account. We also recommend a healthy dialogue about work-related risk within the company hierarchy, to alleviate both information-related and motivation-related safety issues. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2019.06.043 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-bolte-0856134/
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Two key air pollutants that affect asthma are ozone and particle pollution. Studies show a direct relationship between the number of deaths and hospitalizations for asthma and increases of particulate matter in the air, including dust, soot, fly ash, diesel exhaust particles, smoke, and sulfate aerosols. Cars are found to be a primary contributor to this problem. However, patient awareness of the link is limited. This chapter begins with a general discussion of vehicular dependency or ‘car culture’, and then focuses on the discussion of the effects of air pollution on asthma in the Netherlands. I argue that international organizations and patient organizations have not tended to put pressure on air-control, pollution-control or environmental standards agencies, or the actual polluters. While changes in air quality and the release of greenhouse gases are tied to practices like the massive corporate support for the ongoing use of motor vehicles and the increased prominence of ‘car culture’ globally, patient organizations seem more focused on treating the symptoms rather than addressing the ultimate causes of the disease. Consequently, I argue that to fully address the issue of asthma the international health organizations as well as national health ministries, patient organizations, and the general public must recognize the direct link between vehicular dependency and asthma. The chapter concludes with a recommendation for raising environmental health awareness by explicitly linking the vehicular dependency to the state of poor respiratory health. Strategic policy in the Netherlands then should explicitly link the present pattern of auto mobility to public health. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/book/10.1002/9781118786949 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helenkopnina/
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Abstract Background: COVID-19 was first identified in December 2019 in the city of Wuhan, China. The virus quickly spread and was declared a pandemic on March 11, 2020. After infection, symptoms such as fever, a (dry) cough, nasal congestion, and fatigue can develop. In some cases, the virus causes severe complications such as pneumonia and dyspnea and could result in death. The virus also spread rapidly in the Netherlands, a small and densely populated country with an aging population. Health care in the Netherlands is of a high standard, but there were nevertheless problems with hospital capacity, such as the number of available beds and staff. There were also regions and municipalities that were hit harder than others. In the Netherlands, there are important data sources available for daily COVID-19 numbers and information about municipalities. Objective: We aimed to predict the cumulative number of confirmed COVID-19 infections per 10,000 inhabitants per municipality in the Netherlands, using a data set with the properties of 355 municipalities in the Netherlands and advanced modeling techniques. Methods: We collected relevant static data per municipality from data sources that were available in the Dutch public domain and merged these data with the dynamic daily number of infections from January 1, 2020, to May 9, 2021, resulting in a data set with 355 municipalities in the Netherlands and variables grouped into 20 topics. The modeling techniques random forest and multiple fractional polynomials were used to construct a prediction model for predicting the cumulative number of confirmed COVID-19 infections per 10,000 inhabitants per municipality in the Netherlands. Results: The final prediction model had an R2 of 0.63. Important properties for predicting the cumulative number of confirmed COVID-19 infections per 10,000 inhabitants in a municipality in the Netherlands were exposure to particulate matter with diameters <10 μm (PM10) in the air, the percentage of Labour party voters, and the number of children in a household. Conclusions: Data about municipality properties in relation to the cumulative number of confirmed infections in a municipality in the Netherlands can give insight into the most important properties of a municipality for predicting the cumulative number of confirmed COVID-19 infections per 10,000 inhabitants in a municipality. This insight can provide policy makers with tools to cope with COVID-19 and may also be of value in the event of a future pandemic, so that municipalities are better prepared.
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Poster en begeleidende audio uit de guided tour van het Open Atelier van CoE Groen op 7 december 2023 over het project Koolstof als Kans. Organisch stofbeheer en koolstofvastlegging worden in de praktijk meestal geanalyseerd aan de hand van de totale hoeveelheid koolstof in de bodem, zonder rekening te houden met de vorm waarin de koolstof aanwezig is. Inzicht in de verdeling tussen POM en MAOM kan informatief zijn voor stikstofefficiënte koolstofvastlegging, die wordt bepaald door de inherente koolstofcapaciteit en stikstofbeschikbaarheid in de bodem. In het project Koolstof als Kans gaan de vier HAO’s onderzoek doen naar de verhouding tussen POM en MAOM en hoe deze door bodembeheer worden beïnvloed en de kansen die dit biedt voor koolstofvastlegging, stikstofefficiëntie, uitspoeling en bodembiodiversiteit.
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When considering which is faster, a pedestrian or a car, we often overlook many aspects in our reasoning. For a car to be successful, thousands of kilometers of asphalt, sewers, filling and charging stations must be built and maintained, right across the (ecological) landscape and so on. We tend to focus on only one aspect, such as speed (cars are faster than walking or cycling), emissions (cars are polluting, particulate matter, CO2), energy, (material) costs, accident risk, convenience, etc. Rarely we can zoom out to see the whole picture, so think integrally. It is argued that to achieve a sustainable world, we should think more integrally (IDG2)!
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Onze leef- en werkomgeving heeft invloed op onze gezondheid, maar het nauwkeurig bepalen van persoonlijke blootstelling aan verschillende milieufactoren blijft een uitdaging. Toch is dit wel van belang, omdat bijvoorbeeld de blootstelling aan fijnstof, stikstofdioxide en ozon jaarlijks al leidt tot 12.000 vroegtijdige sterfgevallen in Nederland (Gezondheidsraad, 2018). In werkomgevingen zijn er behalve voor de genoemde stoffen ook nog andere vluchtig organische stoffen en chemicalen waarvan de blootstelling op de korte of lange termijn tot negatieve gezondheidseffecten kan leiden. Ook fysische blootstellingen kunnen negatieve gezondheidseffecten hebben, zoals geluid, UV-straling, elektromagnetische velden en trillingen.
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The indoor air quality (IAQ) in classrooms in higher education can influence in-class activities positively. In this context, the actual IAQ and students' perceived IAQ (PIAQ), perceived cognitive performance (PCP), and short-term academic performance (SAP) were examined in two identical classrooms during regular academic courses. During the lecture, key performance indicators (KPI) for the IAQ, i.e. carbon dioxide concentration, particulate matter 2.5, and total volatile organic compounds, were measured. After the lecture, responses of 163 students were collected with a validated self-composed questionnaire and a cognitive test, which covered topics discussed during the lecture. A significant association between the IAQ KPI and the PIAQ was found (p < .000). The PIAQ significantly predicted the PCP (p < .05) and the PCP significantly predicted the SAP score (p < .01). These results indicate that the IAQ in classrooms is associated with the PIAQ and PCP, and therefore is associated with students' SAP.
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