Chemrisk.Com Area of Expertise

The marriage of industrial hygiene, occupational medicine, and toxicology dates back more than 100 years, and our firm has been active in this area for the past 25 years. A few of the studies that we have recently undertaken include an assessment of exposure to benzene in solvents in manufacturing settings, exposure to mercury by residents and maintenance workers, exposure to iron ore by railroad workers, exposure to airborne asbestos by brake workers, and exposure to diacetyl in the microwave popcorn manufacturing and the flavorings industries.

ChemRisk^® staff are experienced in review of medical records and have performed extensive literature reviews of case reports, case series, and epidemiology studies to evaluate causal relationships between exposure and disease.

Some of our relevant project experience in this area includes:

Evaluated occupational health claims alleged to have been related to railway transport of lead ore concentrate – Reviewed medical and occupational histories and peer-reviewed scientific literature.
Developed a medical monitoring program for arsenic – Defined the program requirements, communicated with regional personnel, and analyzed all biological monitoring data obtained to ensure compliance with the program.
Evaluated the eye irritation potential of a mining dust – Worked with a number of physicians to develop a sensitive methodology for evaluating eye irritation associated with various levels of exposure to airborne mining dusts. The methodology involved photographing the surface of the eye and using a computer to objectively scale the irritation level.
Evaluated reliable biomarker of manganese exposure and effect – Government funded project evaluating smelting workers based on their occupational exposure to Mn. Following collection of biological samples behavioral and motor function were evaluated using a battery of neurobehavioral tests.

ChemRisk^® Publications

Acquavella, J.F., B.H. Alexander, J.S. Mandel, C. Gustin, B. Baker, P.S. Chapman, and M.Bleeke. 2004. Glyphosate Biomonitoring for Farmers and Their Families: Results from the Farm Family Exposure Study. Environ Health Perspect. 112(3):321-6.

Buffler, P., M. Kelsh, P.S. Chapman, S. Wood, E. Lau, A. Golembesky, R. Wood, R. Kalmes, and G. Brorby. 2004. Primary Brain Tumor Mortality at a Petroleum Exploration and Extraction Research Facility. J Occup Environ Med. 46:257-70.

Buffler, P.A., M.A. Kelsh, R.M. Kalmes, E.C. Lau, P.S. Chapman, S.M. Wood, G.P. Brorby, J.M. Silva, H.C. Hooper, B.D. Rizzo, and R. Wood. 2007. A Nested Case-Control Study of Brain Tumors among Employees at a Petroleum Exploration and Extraction Research Facility. J Occup Environ Med. 49(7):791-802.

Deubner, D.C., Y.W. Lowney, D.J. Paustenbach, and J. Warmerdam. 2001. Contribution of incidental exposure pathways to total beryllium exposures. Appl Occup Environ Hyg. 16(5):568-78.

Donovan, E.P., M.E. Kolanz, D.A. Galbraith, P.S. Chapman, and D.J. Paustenbach. 2007. Performance of the beryllium blood lymphocyte proliferation test based on a long-term occupational surveillance program. Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 81:165-178.

Finley, B.L. and A. Santamaria. 2005. Current evidence and research needs regarding the risk of manganese-induced neurological effects in welders. Neurotoxicol. 26(2):285-9.

Gaffney, S.H., E.C.Moody, M.A. McKinley, J.S Knutsen, A.K. Madl, and D.J. Paustenbach. 2008 Worker Exposure to Methanol Vapors During Cleaning of Semiconductor Wafers in a Manufacturing Setting.J Occup Environ Hyg. 5:313-324.

Galbraith D.A., Weill D. Diacetyl and bronchiolitis obliterans. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 178(3):313-4. (Letter to Editor)

Galbraith D.A., Weill, D. Popcorn lung and bronchiolitis obliterans: a critical appraisal. Int Arch Occup Environ Health. Advance online publication, June, 2008; doi: 10.1007/s00420-008-0337-x.

Goodman, M., D.J. Paustenbach, K. Sipe, C.D. Malloy, P.S. Chapman, M.L. Burke, R. Figueroa, K. Zhao, and K.A. Exuzides. 2000. Epidemiologic study of pulmonary obstruction in workers occupationally exposed to ethyl- and methyl-cyanoacrylate. J Toxicol Environ Health. 59:135-64.

Hollins, D. M., D.J. Paustenbach, K. Clark, and C.A. Mangold. 2009.. A Visual Historical Review of Exposure to Asbestos at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard (1962-1972). J Toxicol Env Health B. 12(2):124-56.

Kolanz, M.E., A.K. Madl, M.A. Kelsh, M.S. Kent, R.M. Kalmes, and D.J. Paustenbach. 2001. A comparison and critique of historical and current exposure assessment methods for beryllium: Implications for evaluating risk of chronic beryllium disease. Appl Occup Environ Hyg. 16(5):593-614.

Madl, A.K. and D.J. Paustenbach. 2002. Airborne concentration of benzene due to diesel locomotive exhaust in a roundhouse. J Toxicol Environ Health A. 65(23):1945-64.

Madl, A.K., K.M. Unice, J.L. Brown, M.E. Kolanz, and M.S. Kent. 2007. Exposure-response analysis for beryllium sensitization and chronic beryllium disease among workers in a beryllium metal machining plant. J Occup Environ Hyg. 4(6):448-66.

Mandel, J., P.S. Chapman, and J. Amsel. 2003. Cohort mortality study of employees at the Celanese plant in Pampa, Texas. Am J Ind Med. 43:656-61.

McAtee, B.L., E.P. Donovan, S.H. Gaffney, W. Frede, J.S. Knutsen, and D.J. Paustenbach. 2009. Historical analysis of airborne beryllium concentrations at a copper beryllium machining facility (1964-2000). Ann Occup Hyg. 53(4):373-82.

Panko, J.M., S.H. Gaffney, A.M. Burns, K.M. Unice, M.L. Kreider, L.E. Booher, R.H. Gelatt, J.R. Marshall and D.J. Paustenbach. 2009. Occupational Exposure to Benzene at the Exxon Mobil Refinery at Baton Rouge, Louisiana (1977-2005). J Occup EnvironHyg. 6(9):517-29.

Paustenbach, D.J. 2001. Approaches and considerations for setting occupational exposure limits for sensory irritants: Report of recent symposia. Am Ind Hyg Assoc J. 62(6):697-704.

Paustenbach, D.J., B.L. Finley, E. Lu, G.P. Brorby, and P. Sheehan. 2004. Environmental and occupational health hazards associated with the presence of asbestos in brake linings and pads (1900 to present): A “state-of-the-art” review. J Toxicol Environ Health B Crit Rev. 7(1):33-110.

Paustenbach, D.J., A.K. Madl, and J. Greene. 2001. Identifying an appropriate occupational exposure limit (OEL) for beryllium: Data gaps and current research initiatives. Appl Occup Environ Hyg. 16(5):527-38.

Proctor, D., J.M. Panko, E. Liebig, K. Mundt, M. Buczynski, R. Barnhart, M. Harris, R. Morgan, B.L. Finley, and D.J. Paustenbach. 2002. Workplace concentrations of airborne hexavalent chromium for the Painesville, Ohio chromate production plant. Appl Occ Environ Hyg J. 18(6):430-49.

For Additional information, please contact Marisa Kreider at mkreider@chemrisk.com; (412) 281-6900, ext 1027