Mirja Kiilunen | University of Helsinki (original) (raw)

Papers by Mirja Kiilunen

Kanerva's Occupational Dermatology, 2012

Toxicological Sciences, 2010

Commercial sources of platinum are sulfide and arsenide minerals, and increasingly, recycled plat... more Commercial sources of platinum are sulfide and arsenide minerals, and increasingly, recycled platinum. The main source of platinum in the environment is release from vehicle catalysts, and platinum concentrations near highways and urban areas have gradually increased. In occupational exposure, the form of platinum is mainly coordination complexes, most often with chlorine as a ligand, whereas the platinum released from automotive catalysts is metallic or oxidic.

Handbook on the Toxicology of Metals, 2015

ABSTRACT Gold is a rare, noble metal. It does not oxidize and occurs mainly in the elemental form... more ABSTRACT Gold is a rare, noble metal. It does not oxidize and occurs mainly in the elemental form; gold salts are not stable in aqueous solutions but tend to precipitate as elemental gold. In contrast, coordination complexes of gold are stable, and have the potential to pose a health hazard. Gold has been analyzed using flame atomic absorption (ore samples), flameless atomic absorption spectrometry (biological specimens of patients treated with gold), or inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (water samples, urine and blood from people not iatrogenically exposed).

Journal of toxicology and environmental health, 1982

Twenty male Wistar rats were exposed to MMA/SS welding fumes. The exposure situation of the study... more Twenty male Wistar rats were exposed to MMA/SS welding fumes. The exposure situation of the study simulated the features of the actual environment as closely as possible. The lung retention of the elements of interest present in MMA/SS welding fumes as well as their distribution in other organs of the rats were investigated. The rats were intermittently exposed to MMA/SS

Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 1983

Forty two male Wistar rats were exposed to manual metal arc (MMA) stainless steel (SS) welding fu... more Forty two male Wistar rats were exposed to manual metal arc (MMA) stainless steel (SS) welding fumes generated by an automatic welding device for "nose-only" exposure. The exposure simulated an actual MMA/SS welding environment as closely as possible. For the retention study, the duration of exposure was one hour per workday for one, two, three, of four weeks and for the clearance study four weeks. The retention and clearance of the chromium, nickel, and iron found in MMA/SS welding fumes in the rats' lungs were studied as was the distribution of the metals to other organs. Instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) was used for the multi-element chemical activation analyses. The concentrations of chromium and nickel in the blood and the urine were determined by atomic absorption method (AAS). The retention of exogenous iron was determined by a magnetic measuring method. The results indicated that the lungs were the target organs of soluble hexavalent chromates. The half times of lung clearance for Cr, Ni, and Fe were 40 +/- 4 d, 20 +/- d, and 50 +/- 10 d. When the lung clearance curves are compared, the half times of Cr and Fe lung clearance are similar but nickel disappears faster. The distribution and clearance patterns of chromium to other organs differ from those obtained after single intravenous or intratracheal injections of alkaline chromates.

International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health, 2002

The authors identified occupational risk factors of shoe repairers and measured their exposures t... more The authors identified occupational risk factors of shoe repairers and measured their exposures to organic solvents, dust, chromium, degradation products of synthetic shoe materials, and noise. Exposures were measured in 11 shops selected from the workplaces of 82 repairers who responded to a questionnaire about their work environments. The questions dealt with, e.g., chemicals used, work related diseases, perceived hazards in the environment, ventilation, and use of personal protective equipment. Solvent vapor concentration averaged 1.95 (range 0.01-13.2) times the occupational limit (OL) of the mixture during gluing, with higher levels in facilities with no mechanical ventilation. TWA concentrations of organic solvents averaged 0.34 (range 0.01-1.23) times OLs in the breathing-zone samples. Of all shoe repair shops in Finland, 30% had no mechanical ventilation. Concentrations of airborne particles were 0.07-1.01 mg/m3, and those of insoluble and hexavalent chromium 0.10-0.32 and 0.01-0.08 microg/m3, respectively, near roughing, scoring and finishing machines. Several polymer degradation products were present in the air during machining of shoes. Ventilation exchange rates in shops with natural ventilation were less than once/hour. The repairers' average exposure to noise was below 85 dB. They reported many work-related diseases such as rhinitis (prevalence 21%), musculoskeletal disorders (16%), and dermatitis (9%). Measured dust concentrations were low, but the shoe repairers considered dust to be the most common hazard.

Biological Monitoring of Toxic Metals, 1988

Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 1997

To estimate the risk of gastrointestinal cancer and lung cancer in a cohort of masons exposed to ... more To estimate the risk of gastrointestinal cancer and lung cancer in a cohort of masons exposed to cement and hexavalent chromium by a follow up in the Icelandic Cancer Registry. The cohort, 1172 men, was defined as those who had served their apprenticeship and were fully licensed as masons (cement finishers) in Iceland, were born after 1880 and were alive in 1955. The men were exposed to an aerosol of wet concrete, particularly when spraying. According to the analyses of urinary chromium the masons were exposed to hexavalent chromium. A computer file on masons was record linked to the Cancer Registry by making use of the personal identification numbers. Expected cancer incidence was calculated on the basis of number of person-years for each five-year age category during the individual calendar years of the study period and multiplied by the specific incidence for cause and calendar year for men in Iceland provided by the Cancer Registry. The standardised incidence ratio (SIR) for all cancers was 1.13 in the total cohort and 1.33 when allowance was made for 30 years to elapse before starting to count person years of risk. The risk for gastrointestinal cancers was not increased. The SIR for lung cancer was 1.69 in the total cohort and 1.77 when a lag of 30 years was included. The SIR for lung cancer among those born in 1920 or later was 1.86. Results from a postal questionnaire showed that fewer masons had never smoked and more masons had stopped smoking than the controls from the general population. The increased risk of lung cancer among the masons may be related to their work. The exposure information, although limited, supports the suggestion that hexavalent chromium in the cement may be the causal link, as information on the smoking habits indicate that the control for this important possible confounder is adequate.

Handbook on the Toxicology of Metals, 2015

Toxicology Letters, 1999

In 1997 a total of 4848 results of 47 different analytes from blood or urine specimens, were perf... more In 1997 a total of 4848 results of 47 different analytes from blood or urine specimens, were performed in the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Biomonitoring Laboratory, Helsinki, Finland. The results of these service analyses were registered in a database with additional information concerning the worker and the work place. The biomonitoring register, containing one or more results of about 30 000 workers, enables the follow-up of chemical exposure on individual or working group levels. In general, the levels of chemicals or their metabolites in biological specimens have been slowly but continuously declined in Finland during the last decade. In 1997 the decrease in the levels of heavy metals was particularly important. The most problematic organic solvent in Finland is styrene. Styrene exposures have remained in unacceptable levels in work places and still in 1997 more than a third of the workers analysed had very high concentrations of styrene metabolites in their urine. In most major analyte groups studied, there were workers whose exposure level exceeded the Finnish biomonitoring action level (BAL), and in about half of the specimens the level exceeded the upper reference limits (URL), of the non-exposed persons.

Science of The Total Environment, 1997

Two large data bases accumulated from the 1980s at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, ... more Two large data bases accumulated from the 1980s at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, one with results on urinary chromium and nickel analyses and the other with results on total and hexavalent chromium and nickel, were compiled and analysed in order to clarify the occupational exposure during the 1980s, and to reveal possible trends in the exposure of workers in different jobs. The data were processed in three batches: years 1980-1982, 1983-1985 and 1986-1989. The median values of urinary chromium exceeded the biomonitoring action level, BAL, in metal workers, and the mean values exceeded the BAL in both metal workers and plasma cutters. Among all worker groups the median values of urinary chromium remained quite stable during the study period. The median values of urinary nickel concentration did not exceed the BAL in any worker group studied, but an increasing trend was observed among moulders. In the breathing zone of grinders, the median value of total or trivalent chromium exceeded the occupational exposure limit, OEL. The medial of hexavalent chromium concentration in the breathing zone of metal sprayers and spray painters was higher than the OEL. No decreasing trend in exposure could be observed during the 10-year period in breathing zone air.

Risk Analysis, 2000

Although occupational exposure limits are sought to establish health-based standards, they do not... more Although occupational exposure limits are sought to establish health-based standards, they do not always give a sufficient basis for planning an indoor air climate that is good and comfortable for the occupants in industrial work rooms. This paper considers methodologies by which the desired level, i.e., target level, of air quality in industrial settings can be defined, taking into account feasibility issues. Risk assessment based on health criteria is compared with risk-assessment based on "Best Available Technology" (BAT). Because health-based risk estimates at low concentration regions are rather inaccurate, the technology-based approach is emphasized. The technological approach is based on information on the prevailing concentrations in industrial work environments and the benchmark air quality attained with the best achievable technology. The prevailing contaminant concentrations are obtained from a contaminant exposure databank, and the benchmark air quality by field measurements in industrial work rooms equipped with advanced ventilation and production technology. As an example, the target level assessment has been applied to formaldehyde, total inorganic dust and hexavalent chromium, which are common contaminants in work room air.

International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health, 1997

The measurement of urinary cobalt as an estimator of exposure to airborne cobalt was evaluated du... more The measurement of urinary cobalt as an estimator of exposure to airborne cobalt was evaluated during the wet sharpening of hard metal and stellite blades. The following possible confounding factors were also studied: smoking habits, personal hygiene, cobalt absorption through the skin, beer drinking, and vitamin B12 consumption. The study was conducted in 16 different workplaces manufacturing or maintaining blades and in laboratory experiments. Cobalt contamination and its removal from workers' hands were studied with different hand-washing methods, and cobalt from used gloves was also analyzed. The Finnish biomonitoring action level of 600 nmol/l (35.4 micrograms/l) was exceeded in 4 of the 16 workplaces, and the mean concentration of urinary cobalt was 241 (8-2705) nmol/l [14.2 (0.5-160) micrograms/l]. The coefficient of correlation between the cobalt concentrations in the air and in the workers' urine was 0.753. The urinary cobalt concentration corresponding to the Finnish occupational exposure limit for airborne cobalt (0.05 mg/m3) was 686 nmol/l (40.5 micrograms/l). The level of personal hygiene affected the urinary cobalt concentrations, and cobalt was absorbed through the skin. Beer and vitamin B12 consumption did not have any effect on the urinary levels of cobalt. The workers who smoked had higher urinary concentrations of cobalt than the nonsmoking workers. High concentrations of cobalt in coolants contaminated the workers' skin, and hand-washing did not remove cobalt very effectively. The results indicate that urinary cobalt can be used reliably to assess workers' exposure to airborne cobalt when wet-tip grinding processes are used. The results also show that workers' exposure to cobalt can be reduced by improving skin protection and personal hygiene in workplaces.

International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health, 1999

In Finland, biomonitoring action levels (BAL) have been set since the 1970s. There are different ... more In Finland, biomonitoring action levels (BAL) have been set since the 1970s. There are different ways of setting these BALs. The value for blood lead is based on legislation. Exposure limits have been set on the basis of the indicative values for carbon disulfide, ethylene benzene, toluene, and phenol. The number of BALs set by the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (FIOH) has increased year by year, and we now have BAL values for more than 36 different chemicals or chemical groups. The Institute annually publishes a booklet with the latest information about the biomonitoring tests, sample collection, and limit values. The booklet is also available in English as a web version (http:/(/)www.occuphealth.fi/tt/bio/guide346. htm).

Kanerva's Occupational Dermatology, 2012

Toxicological Sciences, 2010

Commercial sources of platinum are sulfide and arsenide minerals, and increasingly, recycled plat... more Commercial sources of platinum are sulfide and arsenide minerals, and increasingly, recycled platinum. The main source of platinum in the environment is release from vehicle catalysts, and platinum concentrations near highways and urban areas have gradually increased. In occupational exposure, the form of platinum is mainly coordination complexes, most often with chlorine as a ligand, whereas the platinum released from automotive catalysts is metallic or oxidic.

Handbook on the Toxicology of Metals, 2015

ABSTRACT Gold is a rare, noble metal. It does not oxidize and occurs mainly in the elemental form... more ABSTRACT Gold is a rare, noble metal. It does not oxidize and occurs mainly in the elemental form; gold salts are not stable in aqueous solutions but tend to precipitate as elemental gold. In contrast, coordination complexes of gold are stable, and have the potential to pose a health hazard. Gold has been analyzed using flame atomic absorption (ore samples), flameless atomic absorption spectrometry (biological specimens of patients treated with gold), or inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (water samples, urine and blood from people not iatrogenically exposed).

Journal of toxicology and environmental health, 1982

Twenty male Wistar rats were exposed to MMA/SS welding fumes. The exposure situation of the study... more Twenty male Wistar rats were exposed to MMA/SS welding fumes. The exposure situation of the study simulated the features of the actual environment as closely as possible. The lung retention of the elements of interest present in MMA/SS welding fumes as well as their distribution in other organs of the rats were investigated. The rats were intermittently exposed to MMA/SS

Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 1983

Forty two male Wistar rats were exposed to manual metal arc (MMA) stainless steel (SS) welding fu... more Forty two male Wistar rats were exposed to manual metal arc (MMA) stainless steel (SS) welding fumes generated by an automatic welding device for "nose-only" exposure. The exposure simulated an actual MMA/SS welding environment as closely as possible. For the retention study, the duration of exposure was one hour per workday for one, two, three, of four weeks and for the clearance study four weeks. The retention and clearance of the chromium, nickel, and iron found in MMA/SS welding fumes in the rats' lungs were studied as was the distribution of the metals to other organs. Instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) was used for the multi-element chemical activation analyses. The concentrations of chromium and nickel in the blood and the urine were determined by atomic absorption method (AAS). The retention of exogenous iron was determined by a magnetic measuring method. The results indicated that the lungs were the target organs of soluble hexavalent chromates. The half times of lung clearance for Cr, Ni, and Fe were 40 +/- 4 d, 20 +/- d, and 50 +/- 10 d. When the lung clearance curves are compared, the half times of Cr and Fe lung clearance are similar but nickel disappears faster. The distribution and clearance patterns of chromium to other organs differ from those obtained after single intravenous or intratracheal injections of alkaline chromates.

International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health, 2002

The authors identified occupational risk factors of shoe repairers and measured their exposures t... more The authors identified occupational risk factors of shoe repairers and measured their exposures to organic solvents, dust, chromium, degradation products of synthetic shoe materials, and noise. Exposures were measured in 11 shops selected from the workplaces of 82 repairers who responded to a questionnaire about their work environments. The questions dealt with, e.g., chemicals used, work related diseases, perceived hazards in the environment, ventilation, and use of personal protective equipment. Solvent vapor concentration averaged 1.95 (range 0.01-13.2) times the occupational limit (OL) of the mixture during gluing, with higher levels in facilities with no mechanical ventilation. TWA concentrations of organic solvents averaged 0.34 (range 0.01-1.23) times OLs in the breathing-zone samples. Of all shoe repair shops in Finland, 30% had no mechanical ventilation. Concentrations of airborne particles were 0.07-1.01 mg/m3, and those of insoluble and hexavalent chromium 0.10-0.32 and 0.01-0.08 microg/m3, respectively, near roughing, scoring and finishing machines. Several polymer degradation products were present in the air during machining of shoes. Ventilation exchange rates in shops with natural ventilation were less than once/hour. The repairers' average exposure to noise was below 85 dB. They reported many work-related diseases such as rhinitis (prevalence 21%), musculoskeletal disorders (16%), and dermatitis (9%). Measured dust concentrations were low, but the shoe repairers considered dust to be the most common hazard.

Biological Monitoring of Toxic Metals, 1988

Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 1997

To estimate the risk of gastrointestinal cancer and lung cancer in a cohort of masons exposed to ... more To estimate the risk of gastrointestinal cancer and lung cancer in a cohort of masons exposed to cement and hexavalent chromium by a follow up in the Icelandic Cancer Registry. The cohort, 1172 men, was defined as those who had served their apprenticeship and were fully licensed as masons (cement finishers) in Iceland, were born after 1880 and were alive in 1955. The men were exposed to an aerosol of wet concrete, particularly when spraying. According to the analyses of urinary chromium the masons were exposed to hexavalent chromium. A computer file on masons was record linked to the Cancer Registry by making use of the personal identification numbers. Expected cancer incidence was calculated on the basis of number of person-years for each five-year age category during the individual calendar years of the study period and multiplied by the specific incidence for cause and calendar year for men in Iceland provided by the Cancer Registry. The standardised incidence ratio (SIR) for all cancers was 1.13 in the total cohort and 1.33 when allowance was made for 30 years to elapse before starting to count person years of risk. The risk for gastrointestinal cancers was not increased. The SIR for lung cancer was 1.69 in the total cohort and 1.77 when a lag of 30 years was included. The SIR for lung cancer among those born in 1920 or later was 1.86. Results from a postal questionnaire showed that fewer masons had never smoked and more masons had stopped smoking than the controls from the general population. The increased risk of lung cancer among the masons may be related to their work. The exposure information, although limited, supports the suggestion that hexavalent chromium in the cement may be the causal link, as information on the smoking habits indicate that the control for this important possible confounder is adequate.

Handbook on the Toxicology of Metals, 2015

Toxicology Letters, 1999

In 1997 a total of 4848 results of 47 different analytes from blood or urine specimens, were perf... more In 1997 a total of 4848 results of 47 different analytes from blood or urine specimens, were performed in the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Biomonitoring Laboratory, Helsinki, Finland. The results of these service analyses were registered in a database with additional information concerning the worker and the work place. The biomonitoring register, containing one or more results of about 30 000 workers, enables the follow-up of chemical exposure on individual or working group levels. In general, the levels of chemicals or their metabolites in biological specimens have been slowly but continuously declined in Finland during the last decade. In 1997 the decrease in the levels of heavy metals was particularly important. The most problematic organic solvent in Finland is styrene. Styrene exposures have remained in unacceptable levels in work places and still in 1997 more than a third of the workers analysed had very high concentrations of styrene metabolites in their urine. In most major analyte groups studied, there were workers whose exposure level exceeded the Finnish biomonitoring action level (BAL), and in about half of the specimens the level exceeded the upper reference limits (URL), of the non-exposed persons.

Science of The Total Environment, 1997

Two large data bases accumulated from the 1980s at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, ... more Two large data bases accumulated from the 1980s at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, one with results on urinary chromium and nickel analyses and the other with results on total and hexavalent chromium and nickel, were compiled and analysed in order to clarify the occupational exposure during the 1980s, and to reveal possible trends in the exposure of workers in different jobs. The data were processed in three batches: years 1980-1982, 1983-1985 and 1986-1989. The median values of urinary chromium exceeded the biomonitoring action level, BAL, in metal workers, and the mean values exceeded the BAL in both metal workers and plasma cutters. Among all worker groups the median values of urinary chromium remained quite stable during the study period. The median values of urinary nickel concentration did not exceed the BAL in any worker group studied, but an increasing trend was observed among moulders. In the breathing zone of grinders, the median value of total or trivalent chromium exceeded the occupational exposure limit, OEL. The medial of hexavalent chromium concentration in the breathing zone of metal sprayers and spray painters was higher than the OEL. No decreasing trend in exposure could be observed during the 10-year period in breathing zone air.

Risk Analysis, 2000

Although occupational exposure limits are sought to establish health-based standards, they do not... more Although occupational exposure limits are sought to establish health-based standards, they do not always give a sufficient basis for planning an indoor air climate that is good and comfortable for the occupants in industrial work rooms. This paper considers methodologies by which the desired level, i.e., target level, of air quality in industrial settings can be defined, taking into account feasibility issues. Risk assessment based on health criteria is compared with risk-assessment based on "Best Available Technology" (BAT). Because health-based risk estimates at low concentration regions are rather inaccurate, the technology-based approach is emphasized. The technological approach is based on information on the prevailing concentrations in industrial work environments and the benchmark air quality attained with the best achievable technology. The prevailing contaminant concentrations are obtained from a contaminant exposure databank, and the benchmark air quality by field measurements in industrial work rooms equipped with advanced ventilation and production technology. As an example, the target level assessment has been applied to formaldehyde, total inorganic dust and hexavalent chromium, which are common contaminants in work room air.

International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health, 1997

The measurement of urinary cobalt as an estimator of exposure to airborne cobalt was evaluated du... more The measurement of urinary cobalt as an estimator of exposure to airborne cobalt was evaluated during the wet sharpening of hard metal and stellite blades. The following possible confounding factors were also studied: smoking habits, personal hygiene, cobalt absorption through the skin, beer drinking, and vitamin B12 consumption. The study was conducted in 16 different workplaces manufacturing or maintaining blades and in laboratory experiments. Cobalt contamination and its removal from workers' hands were studied with different hand-washing methods, and cobalt from used gloves was also analyzed. The Finnish biomonitoring action level of 600 nmol/l (35.4 micrograms/l) was exceeded in 4 of the 16 workplaces, and the mean concentration of urinary cobalt was 241 (8-2705) nmol/l [14.2 (0.5-160) micrograms/l]. The coefficient of correlation between the cobalt concentrations in the air and in the workers' urine was 0.753. The urinary cobalt concentration corresponding to the Finnish occupational exposure limit for airborne cobalt (0.05 mg/m3) was 686 nmol/l (40.5 micrograms/l). The level of personal hygiene affected the urinary cobalt concentrations, and cobalt was absorbed through the skin. Beer and vitamin B12 consumption did not have any effect on the urinary levels of cobalt. The workers who smoked had higher urinary concentrations of cobalt than the nonsmoking workers. High concentrations of cobalt in coolants contaminated the workers' skin, and hand-washing did not remove cobalt very effectively. The results indicate that urinary cobalt can be used reliably to assess workers' exposure to airborne cobalt when wet-tip grinding processes are used. The results also show that workers' exposure to cobalt can be reduced by improving skin protection and personal hygiene in workplaces.

International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health, 1999

In Finland, biomonitoring action levels (BAL) have been set since the 1970s. There are different ... more In Finland, biomonitoring action levels (BAL) have been set since the 1970s. There are different ways of setting these BALs. The value for blood lead is based on legislation. Exposure limits have been set on the basis of the indicative values for carbon disulfide, ethylene benzene, toluene, and phenol. The number of BALs set by the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (FIOH) has increased year by year, and we now have BAL values for more than 36 different chemicals or chemical groups. The Institute annually publishes a booklet with the latest information about the biomonitoring tests, sample collection, and limit values. The booklet is also available in English as a web version (http:/(/)www.occuphealth.fi/tt/bio/guide346. htm).