| Popis: |
Inadvertent ingestion exposure is the ingestion (uptake) of substances through processes of which the individual is oblivious and in which the point of intake is the oral cavity. The limited understanding about the processes involved in inadvertent ingestion exposure in the workplace compromises the integrity of the risk assessment process in cases where the ingestion route of exposure may contribute significantly to total exposure. This research study was conceived to provide greater insight into the relative importance of ingestion exposure, elucidate the mechanisms involved in this exposure route and provide suitable exposure metrics to enable quantitative measurements that are relevant to inadvertent ingestion. Based on a literature review, it was estimated that 4.5 million workers (i.e. 15% of the UK working population), were potentially exposed to non-trivial amounts of hazardous workplace substances via the ingestion route. A conceptual analysis of inadvertent ingestion exposure highlighted the role of hand-to-mouth and object-to-mouth events as the primary exposure processes. Two exposure “compartments” are defined: the peri-oral area (i.e. the area of skin around the outside of the mouth) and the oral cavity. Behavioural factors were also found to have a key role in determining inadvertent ingestion exposure. Validation of the model using measured data revealed that peri-oral rather than oral exposure is probably the better indicator of inadvertent ingestion exposure. The resulting model provides a good starting point for the development of screening and exposure assessment tools for risk assessment, health screening and epidemiological studies. |
