Epidemiology and Toxicology – Diesel Particulate

Required: Epidemiology and Toxicology subject matter expert.

Background information:
Government body has decided to establish a workplace exposure standard for diesel particulate and has written to all stakeholders to make submissions on a possible exposure standard of 0.1mg/m3 measured as elemental carbon (EC). Below are some of the responses.

– Management: level of 0.1mg/m3 EC is too low
– Unions: level of 0.1mg/m3 is too high
– Professional societies: indicates a level of 0.1mg/m3 may be acceptable for acute effects but not chronic
– State Governments Reps: indicate proposals of 0.01 mg/m3 to 0.15 mg/m3 EC

As there was no agreement reached the Government body has commissioned a group of professionals to review all the epidemiological and toxicological data and put forward a recommendation for an exposure standard.

Task:

Write (report) a proposal for an exposure standard for diesel particulate which take into account the endpoint being any exposure standard for diesel particulate must be such that it protects against non malignant adverse health effect meaning non-cancerous (i.e respiratory irritation and inflammation). The proposed standard must meet the endpoint criteria and is also supported by the available information (data collected). Reasons must be provided for including any data that supports the proposed exposure standard or any data that has been excluded because it doesn t support the exposure standard.

The endpoint: is non-cancerous “ i.e. respiratory irritation and inflammation (need to support the findings based on data from journals and study that have been conducted.

Proposal exposure standard “ leaning towards 0.1mg/m3 EC ??? again must explain in detail as to why and based on studies. If proposing a different exposure standard please ensure to show calculation (formula) and how you derived to that conclusion and please include the uncertainty factor.

Report must contain the following:

– 6 to 8 pages including references
– References listed and cited
– Reference must be Harvard style no Wikipedia, journals must be peer-reviewed
– Report must be logical, well thought-concise and structured
– No plagiarism
– Please refer and use as many journals / articles related to the subject matter
– Report must be an independent assessment of the data not a collective summary of the data
– Reasons must be provided for any data that supports the proposed exposure standard and those that were excluded “ reasons for exclusion.

Note:
Have included some of the journals I have seen/read and downloaded thus far. But please do obtain more articles/journals
Report must be finished and finalised by the by the 28.03. for submission on the 29.03.