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COMMUNITY
AIHA NEWS AND NOTES
Resources to Update Your Aerosol Acumen BY MAURA SHEEHAN, PATRICK O’SHAUGHNESSY, AND PETER RAYNOR
Understanding aerosol physics, biology, instrumentation, and control strategies can make you a more effective industrial hygienist. Whether you are a newly minted IH or a seasoned pro, learning more or refreshing your knowledge can give you the background to address current and emerging threats. AIHA Aerosol Technology Committee members and colleagues have produced free video resources to share with AIHA members and others who would like to be better informed about aerosol science and technology. Investigate these videos by top-notch aerosol scientists to take advantage of this learning opportunity that could be considered for certification maintenance points.
The Midwest Emerging Technologies Public Health and Safety Training (METPHAST) program is a collaborative effort by the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, the University of Iowa College of Public Health, and Dakota County Technical College. The website for the program provides two major links to free course videos, each 43 to 64 minutes in duration.
On the METPHAST “Introduction to Occupational Hygiene” page, there are two course modules on aerosols: “Introduction to Aerosols” and “Importance of Particle Size.” Additional modules discuss occupational health principles, risk assessment, and regulations.
From the METPHAST “Nanotechnology Health and Safety” page, there are links to 12 videos including three focused exclusively on nano-sized aerosols: “Sampling Instrumentation for Airborne Nanomaterials,” “Sampling Strategies for Airborne Nanomaterials,” and “Air Cleaners for Nanoparticles.” Nine other videos address the topic more broadly and include potential exposure, health effects, dermal risks, and control strategies.
These videos can also be accessed through the METPHAST YouTube channel, which includes shorter (approximately two to 20 minutes) aerosol detection and measurement lessons about sampling methods and other occupational hygiene and environmental health topics. In addition, the long videos are available for continuing education credit from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health.
The next version of METPHAST is now being finalized. This new version, called the Interdisciplinary Training, Education, and Research Activities for Assessing and Controlling Contaminants from Emerging Technologies (InTERACCT), provides web-based curricula to prepare learners with the skills necessary to address health and safety issues that arise in emerging technology in workplaces. Educational modules developed by a team of industrial hygienists at the Universities of Minnesota, Iowa, and California, Los Angeles focus on chemical hazard recognition and exposure assessment.
Another excellent source of free hour-long videos is the Center for Occupational and Environmental Health Continuing Education at the University of California, Berkeley and California Labor Lab. Its YouTube channel provides a wealth of videos on many industrial hygiene topics. Examples of aerosol topics include “Sampling Methods for Personal Exposure to Herbicides,” “Creative Use of Direct Reading Instruments,” and “Take a Deep Breath! Work-Related Aerosol Respiratory Deposition Study.” Other aerosol-related topics address firefighter exposures, silicosis, ventilation, and second- and third-hand smoke, as well as e-cigarettes, cannabis exposures, and controlling exposures to the COVID-19 aerosol.
For more information about the AIHA Aerosol Technology Committee, visit our webpage.
Maura Sheehan, ScD, CIH, FAIHA, is chair of the AIHA Aerosol Technology Committee and professor emerita of environmental health at West Chester University.
Patrick O’Shaughnessy, PhD, CIH, FAIHA, is a member of the AIHA Aerosol Technology Committee and a professor and director of graduate studies in the Department of Occupational and Environmental Health at the University of Iowa School of Public Health.
Peter Raynor, PhD, FAIHA, is a member of the AIHA Aerosol Technology Committee and a professor in the Division of Environmental Health Sciences at the University of Minnesota.
Register to Attend OEESC, PSX Two important conferences for OEHS practitioners and allied professionals will be held this autumn.
AIHA will host the Occupational and Environmental Exposure of Skin to Chemicals (OEESC) conference from Sept. 23 to 25 in Dulles, Virginia. OEESC is the leading international conference on skin exposure, bringing together professionals engaged in the field of skin exposure to chemicals to exchange ideas, network, and discuss current issues. A preview of OEESC 2024 appears elsewhere in this issue. For more information or to register, visit the conference home page.
From Oct. 15 to 17, PSX 2024, the conference of the Product Stewardship Society, will be held in Denver, Colorado. The conference will focus on trends, technologies, and best practices in product stewardship. A preview of PSX 2024 appears elsewhere in this issue. For more information or to register, visit the conference home page.
AIHA Comments on NMP Rule, Firefighter Fatalities, Aerosol Transmission In July, AIHA submitted comments to EPA on its proposed rule for risk management of the solvent n-methylpyrrolidone (NMP), to NIOSH regarding the agency’s Firefighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program, and to CDC on aerosol transmission of infectious diseases. The EPA rule would establish workplace controls for some uses of NMP and ban other uses. “The practice of EPA authority in regulating workplace practices as proposed in this rule presents challenges,” AIHA stated. “Prior to finalizing the risk management rule for NMP, EPA should provide more information on the planned framework for compliance and enforcement.” AIHA’s comments are available in a PDF. In response to a request for information regarding the NIOSH Firefighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program, AIHA provided recommendations for incorporating human factors into investigations of line-of-duty deaths. AIHA’s comments include a list of relevant questions to guide investigators when researching conditions preceding the fatality, such as changes in leadership or management, issues related to labor relations, or the introduction of new equipment. Read AIHA’s comments in a PDF. Comments addressed to CDC Director Mandy Cohen call for the agency to ensure that its guidance on isolation precautions in healthcare facilities reflects the latest science on the mechanisms by which pathogens transmit through the air. The agency’s Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC) has been updating the guidance, which was last revised in 2007. Read AIHA’s comments in a PDF. Congratulations to 2024 Fellows and Award Recipients In May, AIHA announced the individuals to be honored this year as Fellows or recipients of the association’s annual awards. Individuals who have 15 years of full AIHA membership and have made significant contributions to the occupational and environmental health and safety profession through research, leadership, publications, education, or service are eligible to become Fellows. This year’s Fellows are Stacy R. Barnett; Celia A. Booth, CIH, CSP; Michael J. Brisson, MS, PMP, FASTM; Kent A. Candee, CIH, CSP, CPCU, ARM; Scott Dotson, PhD, CIH, DABT; Randal J. Keller, CIH, CSP (retired), DABT; Claudiu Lungu, PhD; and Robert A. Nocco, DABT, CIH, CSP, CFPS, RRPT. AIHA’s annual awards recognize OEHS professionals who have made outstanding contributions to fostering and advancing industrial hygiene and OEHS in workplaces and communities around the world. This year’s award recipients are: • President’s Distinguished Service to AIHA Award: Hierarchy of Controls Task Team • Donald E. Cummings Memorial Award for Outstanding OEHS Practice: Steven Jahn, MBA, CIH, FAIHA • Kusnetz Award for Outstanding Achievement by an Early Career Professional: Benjamin Roberts, PhD, CIH • Yant Award for Outstanding International Service: Laurence Svirchev, MA, BSc, CIH More information about AIHA’s new Fellows and award winners is available from the AIHA website. AIHA Connect Proposals Due Sept. 11 AIHA Connect is accepting proposals through Sept. 11 for professional development courses, education sessions, case studies, scientific research, or posters on the latest OEHS information, trends, technology, and best practices. The conference will be held in Kansas City, Missouri, from May 19 to May 21, 2025. To submit a proposal or learn more about highly sought topics and the types of sessions available, visit the conference website. TLV/BEI Comment Period Open ACGIH is accepting comments on Threshold Limit Values (TLVs) and Biological Exposure Indices (BEIs) until Sept. 30. For instructions on submitting comments, visit the ACGIH website. Courses for BGC’s Ethics Requirement Courses on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are among the types of subject matter that the Board for Global EHS Credentialing (BGC) will accept toward fulfillment of the ethics requirement for maintenance of the Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) and Certified Associate Industrial Hygienist (CAIH) credentials. A list of appropriate subject matter for the ethics requirement is available from the BGC website. Distinguished Lecturer Program Update The AIHA Distinguished Lecturer Program provides lectures on national and international occupational and environmental health issues that affect the practice of industrial hygiene. In July, presentations on ototoxins, leading indicators, exposure assessments, and professional judgment were added to the program.
Dates and Deadlines Sept. 17, Oct. 22, and Nov. 19 AIHA University Three-Part Occupational Toxicology Webinar Series: Mechanisms of Action, Safety Data Sheet Communication, and Hazard Prioritization. Sept. 17–Nov. 21 Virtual Comprehensive Industrial Hygiene Review Course. Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12–2 p.m. Eastern time, cosponsored by the University of Michigan and the Michigan Industrial Hygiene Society. Sept. 23–25 OEESC 2024 in Dulles, Virginia. Oct. 15–17 PSX 2024 in Denver, Colorado. Oct. 21–23 AIHA University Exposure and Chemical Monitoring - Beyond IH Fundamentals in Westerville, Ohio.