Evidence map›Paper›PMID 27668128›Full record

ArticleJournal of community medicine & health education

Health Risks to Ecological Workers on Contaminated Sites - the Department of Energy as a Case Study.

Joanna Burger, Michael Gochfeld

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of community medicine & health education. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors.

Joanna BurgerDivision of Life Sciences, Rutgers University, 604 Allison Road, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854; Consortium for Risk Evaluation with Stakeholder Participation, Rutgers University and Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854.
Michael GochfeldConsortium for Risk Evaluation with Stakeholder Participation, Rutgers University and Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854.

Funding

Translational Research Support CoreP30ES005022 · NIEHS · UNIV OF MED/DENT NJ-R W JOHNSON MED SCH · PI ROBERT John LAUMBACH · 1988 to 2026
$47.4M
NIEHS NIH HHS P30 ES005022
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAt most contaminated sites the risk to workers focuses on those 'hazardous waste workers' directly exposed to chemicals or radionuclides, and to the elaborate approaches implemented to protecting their health and safety. Ecological workers generally are not considered.

objectivesTo explore the risks to the health and safety of ecological workers on sites with potential chemical and radiological exposures before, during or after remediation of contamination. To use the U.S. Department of Energy as a case study, and to develop concepts that apply generally to sites contaminated with hazardous or nuclear wastes.

methodsDevelop categories of ecological workers, describe their usual jobs, and provide information on the kinds of risks they face. Ecological activities include continued surveillance and monitoring work on any sites with residual contamination, subject to institutional controls and engineered barriers following closure as well as the restoration.

resultsThe categories of ecological workers and their tasks include 1) Ecological characterization, mapping and monitoring, 2) biodiversity studies, 2) Contaminant fate and transport, 3) On-going industrial activities 4) Remediation activities (environmental management), 5) Environmental restoration, 6) Post-cleanup surveillance and monitoring, and 7) Post-closure future site activities. There are a set of functional activities that can occur with different frequencies and intensities, including visual inspection, collecting biological samples, collecting media physical samples, collecting biological debris, restoration planting, and maintaining ecosystems.

conclusionsEcological workers face different exposures and risks than other environmental cleanup workers. Many of their tasks mimic shift work with long hours leading to fatigue, and they are exposed to biological as well as chemical/radiological hazards. DOE and other entities need to examine the risks to ecological workers on site with an eye to risk reduction.

Indexed as

Ecological studiesRisk reductionRisksThreats

Identifiers

PMID27668128
PMCPMC5035110

What OpenQuestion holds

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Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.