title: Advanced REACH Tool: a Bayesian model for occupational exposure assessment.
abstract: This paper describes a Bayesian model for the assessment of inhalation exposures in an occupational setting; the methodology underpins a freely available web-based application for exposure assessment, the Advanced REACH Tool (ART). The ART is a higher tier exposure tool that combines disparate sources of information within a Bayesian statistical framework. The information is obtained from expert knowledge expressed in a calibrated mechanistic model of exposure assessment, data on inter- and intra-individual variability in exposures from the literature, and context-specific exposure measurements. The ART provides central estimates and credible intervals for different percentiles of the exposure distribution, for full-shift and long-term average exposures. The ART can produce exposure estimates in the absence of measurements, but the precision of the estimates improves as more data become available. The methodology presented in this paper is able to utilize partially analogous data, a novel approach designed to make efficient use of a sparsely populated measurement database although some additional research is still required before practical implementation. The methodology is demonstrated using two worked examples: an exposure to copper pyrithione in the spraying of antifouling paints and an exposure to ethyl acetate in shoe repair.
authors.affiliation: 1.Health and Safety Laboratory (HSL), Harpur Hill, Buxton, Derbyshire SK17 9JN, UK Kevin.McNally@hsl.gsi.gov.uk.
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: McNally
authors.affiliation: 1.Health and Safety Laboratory (HSL), Harpur Hill, Buxton, Derbyshire SK17 9JN, UK.
authors.forename: Nicholas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Warren
authors.affiliation: 2.TNO, PO Box 360, 3700 AJ Zeist, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Wouter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Fransman
authors.affiliation: 2.TNO, PO Box 360, 3700 AJ Zeist, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Rinke Klein
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Entink
authors.affiliation: 2.TNO, PO Box 360, 3700 AJ Zeist, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jody
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schinkel
authors.affiliation: 3.Center for Human Exposure Science, Institute of Occupational Medicine (IOM), Research Avenue North, Riccarton, Edinburgh EH14 4AP, UK.
authors.forename: Martie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: van Tongeren
authors.affiliation: 3.Center for Human Exposure Science, Institute of Occupational Medicine (IOM), Research Avenue North, Riccarton, Edinburgh EH14 4AP, UK.
authors.forename: John W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Cherrie
authors.affiliation: 4.Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Environmental Epidemiology Division, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kromhout
authors.affiliation: 5.National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Lersø Parkallé 105, 2100 København Ø, Denmark.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.affiliation: 2.TNO, PO Box 360, 3700 AJ Zeist, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tielemans
mesh_terms: D000085:Acetates / Q000032:analysis; D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000032:analysis*; D001499:Bayes Theorem; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D019570:Inhalation Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D015233:Models, Statistical; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000032:analysis; D011725:Pyridines / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000085:Acetates; D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D011725:Pyridines; C487833:copper pyrithione; C007650:ethyl acetate
keywords: Bayesian exposure assessment; REACH; chemical regulation; occupational exposure