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Probabilistic health risk assessment of occupational exposure to crystalline silica in an iron foundry in Urmia, Iran

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Abstract

This study aimed to quantify the exposure of foundry workers to crystalline silica and associated cancer and non-cancer health risks using a probabilistic approach. Breathing zone air samples were collected according to the NIOSH 7602 method and analyzed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The health risks posed by crystalline silica were then assessed using the EPA-developed inhalation risk assessment model and Monte Carlo simulation. The sensitivity analysis was also conducted to determine the contribution of input parameters to the health risks. The mean concentration of crystalline silica in six foundry stations ranged from 0.029 to 0.064 mg m−3, exceeding the occupational exposure limits. The average values of cancer risks were greater than the USEPA level, i.e., 1E − 6 in all workstations of the foundry. Workers in sand preparation and molding stations suffered the greatest cancer risks, with the mean value of 2.35E − 5 and 2.10E − 5, respectively. Non-cancer hazard quotient exceeded 1 in all foundry stations ranging from 1.56 (in melting and pouring) to 3.37 (in sand preparation). The 95% upper-bound values of the health risks decreased by 77.52% and 56.77%, assuming the use of engineering controls and wearing respirators by workers, respectively. Sensitivity analyses indicate that concentration was the most sensitive factor contributing to the carcinogenic (46.13%) and non-carcinogenic (67.08%) risks. These findings can aid managers in gaining a better understanding of the silica risks faced by foundry workers and the role of engineering controls and respirators in protecting workers’ health.

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Data availability

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author.

Abbreviations

IARC:

International Agency for Research on Cancer

COPD:

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

OSHA:

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

NIOSH:

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

OEL:

Occupational exposure limit

ILCR:

Incremental lifetime cancer risk

ILCRc :

Change in ILCR with control measures

HQ:

Hazard quotient

HQc :

Change in HQ with control measures

IR:

Inhalation rate

ET:

Exposure time

EF:

Exposure frequency

ED:

Exposure duration

BW:

Body weight

AT:

Average time

CSF:

Cancer slope factor

RFC:

Reference concentration

PPE:

Personal protective equipment

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Acknowledgements

We were grateful for the cooperation of all the participating workers and the management of the foundry factory for their assistance throughout the data collection.

Funding

This work was supported by the Urmia University of Medical Sciences (UMSU) grant (Project No.10973).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran

    Zahra Moutab Sahihazar, Abolfazl Ghahramani & Mohammad Hajaghazadeh

  2. Department of Power Engineering, Faculty of Electrical, and Computer Engineering, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran

    Sadjad Galvani

Authors
  1. Zahra Moutab Sahihazar
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  2. Abolfazl Ghahramani
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  3. Sadjad Galvani
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  4. Mohammad Hajaghazadeh
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Contributions

Mohammad Hajaghazadeh and Abolfazl Ghahramani designed the study. Zahra Moutab Sahihazar collected data and wrote the initial draft. Mohammad Hajaghazadeh, Zahra Moutab Sahihazar, and Sadjad Galvani analyzed the data. All of the authors revised and approved the paper and supplementary information.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mohammad Hajaghazadeh.

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Ethics approval

This study was approved by the ethical committee of the Urmia University of Medical Sciences (UMSU) (approval number: IR.UMSU.REC.1400.251).

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All workers provided their written informed consent to participate in the current study.

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All the authors agreed to publish the data in this journal.

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

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Responsible Editor: Lotfi Aleya

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Sahihazar, Z.M., Ghahramani, A., Galvani, S. et al. Probabilistic health risk assessment of occupational exposure to crystalline silica in an iron foundry in Urmia, Iran. Environ Sci Pollut Res 29, 82014–82029 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-21487-1

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