title: Occupational Exposure to Diesel Particulate Matter in Municipal Household Waste Workers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purposes of this study were to determine the following: 1) the exposure levels of municipal household waste (MHW) workers to diesel particulate matter (DPM) using elemental carbon (EC), organic carbon (OC), total carbon (TC), black carbon (BC), and fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) as indicators; 2) the correlations among the indicators; 3) the optimal indicator for DPM; and 4) factors that influence personal exposure to DPM.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 72 workers in five MHW collection companies were assessed over a period of 7 days from June to September 2014. Respirable EC/OC samples were quantified using the thermal optical transmittance method. BC and PM 2.5 were measured using real-time monitors, an aethalometer and a laser photometer. All results were statistically analyzed for occupational and environmental variables to identify the exposure determinants of DPM.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The geometric mean of EC, OC, TC, BC and PM 2.5 concentrations were 4.8, 39.6, 44.8, 9.1 and 62.0 μg/m3, respectively. EC concentrations were significantly correlated with the concentrations of OC, TC and BC, but not with those of PM 2.5. The exposures of the MHW collectors to EC, OC, and TC were higher than those of the drivers (p<0.05). Workers of trucks meeting Euro 3 emission standard had higher exposures to EC, OC, TC and PM 2.5 than those working on Euro 4 trucks (p<0.05). Multiple regression analysis revealed that the job task, European engine emission standard, and average driving speed were the most influential factors in determining worker exposure.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We assessed MHW workers' exposure to DPM using parallel sampling of five possible indicators. Of these five indicators, EC was shown to be the most useful indicator of DPM exposure for MHW workers, and the job task, European emission standard, and average driving speed were the main determinants of EC exposure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health, Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Kyong-Hui
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Health Promotion Center, Catholic Kwandong University, International St. Mary's Hospital, Incheon, Korea.
authors.forename: Hye-Jung
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health, Korea National Open University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Dong-Uk
authors.initials: DU
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Public Health Korea University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Seung-Hun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Ryu
authors.affiliation: Occupational Lung Disease Institute, Korea Workers Compensation and Welfare Service, Incheon, Korea.
authors.forename: Boowook
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Changwon National University, Changwon, Korea.
authors.forename: Kwon-Chul
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Ha
authors.affiliation: Keimyung University, Daegu, Korea.
authors.forename: Seungwon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Occupational Safety & Health Research Institute, KOSHA, Ulsan, Korea.
authors.forename: Gwangyong
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yi
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health, Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Chungsik
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yoon
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D002244:Carbon / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D010316:Particle Size; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis*; D012037:Refuse Disposal; D056910:Republic of Korea; D053260:Soot / Q000032:analysis*; D001335:Vehicle Emissions / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D052638:Particulate Matter; D053260:Soot; D001335:Vehicle Emissions; D002244:Carbon