engleski

Occupational exposure to solar ultraviolet radiation in Croatian construction workers

Outdoor workers have been recognised as a high risk group for skin carcinoma due to their significant accumulated exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR). However, reliable estimation of their lifetime occupational exposure is aggravated by the lack of long-term exposure data. In this study we report the first long-term data on UVR exposure in Croatian construction workers. The aim of the study was to estimate the yearly exposure of Croatian construction workers and assess its relationship with environmental UVR data. UVR data for 4 construction industry workers from the vicinity of Zagreb were collected in the period from June to October 2017 using personal dosimeters, as a part of EADV project no. 18 ("Joint scientific implementation and evaluation of the Healthy Skin@Work Campaign, sub-campaign Skin Cancer: Safe Work under the Sun"). Individual measurements were compared with environmental UV-B data collected in the same period, while yearly exposure values were estimated using a regression model with UV-B and rainfall data as predictors. In addition to regression model, a simple extrapolation method was used. Median daily exposure values per worker ranged from 0.1 SED in October to 8.1 SED in July. Recommended occupational limit of 1.3 SED was exceeded in 59% of measurements. Dosimetry data showed moderate correlation with environmental UV-B data (Spearman's correlation coefficient ranging from 0.40 to 0.73). Yearly exposure estimates ranged from 76 SED to 976 SED, indicating high between-worker variability. The data confirm high exposure of Croatian construction workers to UVR, especially in summer months. While environmental data shows good potential for predicting long-term individual exposure, more data are needed to characterize long-term exposure in relation to specific work tasks.

solar ultraviolet radiation ; occupational exposure assessment ; skin cancer ; outdoor workers

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