title: Assessment of arsenic surface contamination in a museum anthropology department.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess potential arsenic (As) contamination of work surfaces to improve upon the control strategy at an anthropology department in a large natural history museum.
  
  
  METHODS
  Work practices were observed and control strategy reviewed to inform an occupational hygiene assessment strategy utilizing surface wipe sampling. A total of 35 sampling targets were identified, focusing on surfaces that receive high touch traffic, including workstations, artifact transport carts, and elevator buttons. Arsenic sampling and analysis were performed using reference method Occupational Safety and Health Administration ID-125G.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Four of the sampling areas returned detectable levels of As, ranging from 0.052 to 0.350 μg/100 cm.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Workplace observations and wipe sampling data enabled the development of recommendations to help to further reduce potential occupational exposure to As. Continuous reduction of surface contamination is prudent for known human carcinogens.
authors.affiliation: Division of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Andrey
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gribovich
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lacey
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Franke
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hinkamp
mesh_terms: D000883:Anthropology; D001151:Arsenic / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D015386:Hazardous Substances / Q000032:analysis*; D006796:Household Work; D006801:Humans; D009144:Museums; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis* / Q000517:prevention & control; D016272:Occupational Health; D011481:Protective Clothing; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D017132:Workplace
chemical_list: D015386:Hazardous Substances; D001151:Arsenic