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NORA Exposure Assessment Methods Team Whitepaper. Research Needs and Priorities. Beth Donovan Reh National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) 4676 Columbia Parkway, R-11 Cincinnati, Ohio 45226 (513) 841-4374. NORA. The National Occupational Research Agenda - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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NORA Exposure Assessment Methods Team Whitepaper
Research Needs and Priorities
Beth Donovan RehNational Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)4676 Columbia Parkway, R-11Cincinnati, Ohio 45226(513) 841-4374
NORA The National Occupational Research
Agenda
unveiled in April 1996
developed by NIOSH and approximately 500 of its partners in the public and private sectors
NORA Focus on the formation of
partnerships to assist in the development, pursuit, review, and dissemination of research for each NORA priority research area
NORA Priority Research Areas 21 priority areas
20 teams (two areas combined into one team -- musculoskeletal disorders)
NORA Teams
N O R A FederalL iason C om m ittee
N O R A LiasonC om m ittee
D iseaseand In jury(7 team s)
W ork Environm entand W orkforce
(6 team s)
Exposure Assessm entM ethods (EAM ) Team
R esearch Toolsand Approaches
(7 team s)
N O R APartnership
Team s
N IO SH O fficeof the D irector
Government
Associations
Labor
PrivateIndustry
NIOSH
Academia
NORATEAM
EAM Team Composition NIOSH Exxon Biomedical Sciences, Inc. Naval Medical R&D Command/ DOD DOE University of North Carolina Occidental Chemical Company George Washington University United Mine Workers ACGIH
NIOSH Team Members Chemistry Biology/toxicology Industrial hygiene Nursing Epidemiology Physics Physiology Electrical
engineering
Industrial Hygiene Monitoring methods
development Biomonitoring Teaching Instrumentation Energy-related health Physical & chemical
characterization in relation to toxicology
External Partners
Initial EAM Team Goals Define boundaries of EAM Define EA and related terms Identify EAM priority research areas Support and co-sponsor related symposia
Applied Workshop on Occupational and Environmental Exposure Assessment (1998)
Role of Human Exposure Assessment in the Prevention of Environmental Disease (1999)
Int’l Symposium on Occupational Exposure Databases (1999)
Propose research grant topics
Purpose
To identify and promote major areas of EAM research, which, if completed, would have substantial impact on the protection of worker health.
EAM Research Needs and Priorities
Background Purpose Definitions
Research Priorities
Occupational Exposure
The act or condition of being subjected (as a result of work) to a chemical, physical, or biological agent, or to a specific process, practice, behavior, or work organization.
Occupational Exposure Assessment
The application of a body of knowledge to determine the relevant characteristics of one or more factors in an environment which pose health and safety risks to workers.
The process includes identifying and characterizing workplace exposures, evaluating their significance, and developing estimates of exposure for individuals or groups of workers which may be used in risk assessment or exposure-response studies.
The assessment is based on measurement and evaluation of one or more characteristics of the exposure environment, and may or may not involve hypothesis testing.
Hazard identification: establishing the existence of a hazard through field observations or laboratory analysis of the exposures or adverse health effects.
Exposure Characterization: describing the qualities of a given environment -- which may include, magnitude, frequency, and duration of exposure; chemical and physical properties of an agent; organizational or behavioral properties of an environment; and the potential for interaction with the human body or influence over human behavior.
Exposure Evaluation: determining the significance of an exposure relative to known or perceived risks.
Exposure Estimation: developing an approximate exposure value for an individual or a statistical distribution of exposure values for groups of workers in similar exposure conditions.
Research Priorities
Study Design
Monitoring Methods
Toxicology
Education and Communication
Study Design
Data quality
Data collection
Data management
Data analysis
Other
Data Quality
Develop a practical exposure assessment guide linked with matching software for managing and maintaining exposure assessment data.
Data Collection Perform research to help improve,
validate, and standardize exposure matrix variables and data collection techniques.
Define and document new exposure matrices for public access.
Develop innovative mechanisms for continually updating the NOES dataset.
Data Management
Create a National Occupational Exposure Database (NOEDB).
Data Analysis
Develop an exposure data interpretation and analysis guide.
Degree of statistical rigor necessary for the variety of circumstances that confront practicing industrial hygienists.
Design of performance oriented exposure assessment strategies.
Other Study Design Items
10 other study design items were deemed important and suitable for research support
Listed in white paper, but no formal team recommendations.
Method Guidelines
Biomonitoring Methods
Dermal Exposure Measurement
Methods
New Environmental Monitoring Methods
Monitoring Method Development
Method Guidelines
Produce guidance documents for the development and evaluation of monitoring methods
direct reading instruments, data loggers, or diffusive samplers
dermal exposure monitoring biological monitoring.
Biomonitoring Methods
Develop methods to assess the internal and biologically effective doses.
Characterize biomarker performance (specificity, sensitivity, accuracy, etc.)
Develop new, validated biomarkers to link exposure to disease .
Biomonitoring Methods (cont.) Perform more research on host
susceptibility and risk of disease.
Publish biomonitoring methods as a companion to, or part of, the NMAM.
Perform research and engender dialogue to help resolve the ethical, legal, and social issues of biomonitoring.
Dermal Exposure Measurement Substantially increase research on
dermal absorption and dermal exposure assessment methods.
New Methods
Develop and evaluate new or improved chemical methods -- especially ones that are field-deployable, measure low concentrations, or measure multiple analytes.
New Methods (cont.)
Develop and evaluate new or improved methods for assessing exposures to microbial contamination.
New Methods (cont.)
Develop and evaluate new or improved methods for assessing exposures to physical hazards.
Toxicology
Perform more research to ascertain the mechanism of action of chemical, physical, and biologic agents.
Develop a toxicity assessment protocol, including guidelines for systemic approach to estimating occupational exposure limits.
Toxicology (cont.)
Develop and evaluate pharmacokinetic and predictive models of toxicity.
Perform more research to develop a general toxicology approach to assess exposure to mixtures.
Education Determine the specific knowledge
elements needed for exposure assessment and whether they are taught in curricula.
Determine if a unified set of educational requirements or guidelines can be established and make recommendations to appropriate accrediting bodies.
Communication
Identify and develop effective methods for communication of exposure assessment elements, results, and conclusions .
Consideration of various audiences is necessary, as certain methods of communication may be more effective for public health professionals, others for workers, and yet others for policy makers.
MonitoringMethods
StudyDesign
EXPOSUREASSESSMENT
METHODS
ToxicologyEducation &Communication
Roundtable Questions Dermal exposure and aggregate exposure
Cumulative exposure as an IH priority
Substances without OELs
IH answers to workers and managers
IH reports
Codifying IH practice
Individual and organizational roles for spawning
new IH practices