Elaboration of a quantitative job‐exposure matrix for historical exposure to airborne exposures in the Polish rubber industry

Abstract

Background A job-exposure matrix (JEM) for inhalable aerosols, aromatic amines, and cyclohexane soluble matter (CSM) was elaborated based on measurements collected routinely between 1981 and 1996. Methods The data were grouped based on similarities in exposure levels and time trends in different departments, and were analyzed using smoothing splines and mixed effects models. Results Although higher than in western European countries, inhalable aerosol exposure decreased after changes in production volume and implementation of exposure reduction measures in mid-1980s. Aromatic amines concentrations first increased following the factory's production volume, but subsequently decreased in more recent years. CSM concentrations were uniformly distributed between departments. Conclusions This JEM provides an overview of historical exposure levels in a large Polish rubber factory and will enable estimation of lifetime exposure for individual workers in a Polish rubber workers cohort and further investigation of the associations between specific exposures and cancer risk. Am. J. Ind. Med. 51:852-860, 2008.