Exposure Estimation in Four Major Epidemiologic Studies in the Acrylonitrile industry

• Published in: Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment ＆ Health Vol. 24; no. 2; pp. 63 - 70
• Main Author: Esmen, Nurtan A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Finland Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment ＆ Health 01.01.1998; National Institute for Working Life; Finnish Institute of Occupational Health; National Institute of Occupational Health (Denmark); National Institute of Occupational Health (Norway)
• Subjects: Acrylonitrile - analysis; Chemical hazards; Chemical Industry - statistics & numerical data; Cohort Studies; Delphi method; Environmental hazards; Environmental Monitoring - statistics & numerical data; Epidemiologic Methods; Epidemiological Monitoring; Epidemiology; Estimation methods; Female; Humans; Male; Mathematical theorems; Mortality; Occupational Exposure - statistics & numerical data; Perception tests; Quantification; Reproducibility of Results; Risk Assessment; Sensitivity and Specificity; United States; Vomiting; United States; exposure reconstruction methods; exposure levels
• ISSN: 0355-3140; 1795-990X

The reconstruction of worker exposures has been the mainstay of modern industrial epidemiologie studies. In most cases, the researchers are faced with the difficult dilemma created by the scarcity of the exposure measurement data vis-à-vis the demands for refined quantification. The 4 industrial epidemiologie studies of workers exposed to acryionitrile share many similarities to illustrate strengths and weaknesses of the current exposure reconstruction methodologies. The analysis of the reported exposure reconstruction methods and comparative analysis of some of the results suggest that there is a certain degree of conformity in the results of the exposure reconstruction processes in these 4 studies. At the same time, the same analysis invokes some questions with respect to the interpretation of the exposure reconstruction results.