Formaldehyde and Acetaldehyde Exposure in “Non-Traditional” Occupational Sectors: Bakeries and Pastry Producers

Lucia Miligi, Sara Piro (), Chiara Airoldi, Renato Di Rico, Raffaella Ricci, Rudy Ivan Paredes Alpaca, Fabrizio De Pasquale, Angela Veraldi, Alessandra Ranucci, Stefania Massari, Alessandro Marinaccio, Giorgia Stoppa, Anna Cenni, Cinzia Trane, Antonio Peruzzi and Maria Cristina Aprea
Additional contact information
Lucia Miligi: Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Cancer Risk Factors and Lifestyle Epidemiology Unit, Institute for Cancer Research, Prevention and Clinical Network (ISPRO), 50139 Florence, Italy
Sara Piro: Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Cancer Risk Factors and Lifestyle Epidemiology Unit, Institute for Cancer Research, Prevention and Clinical Network (ISPRO), 50139 Florence, Italy
Chiara Airoldi: Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Cancer Risk Factors and Lifestyle Epidemiology Unit, Institute for Cancer Research, Prevention and Clinical Network (ISPRO), 50139 Florence, Italy
Renato Di Rico: Local Health Unit AUSL Modena, SPSAL-Department of Public Health, 41121 Modena, Italy
Raffaella Ricci: Local Health Unit AUSL Modena, SPSAL-Department of Public Health, 41121 Modena, Italy
Rudy Ivan Paredes Alpaca: Local Health Unit AUSL Modena, SPSAL-Department of Public Health, 41121 Modena, Italy
Fabrizio De Pasquale: Local Health Unit AUSL Modena, SPSAL-Department of Public Health, 41121 Modena, Italy
Angela Veraldi: Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Cancer Risk Factors and Lifestyle Epidemiology Unit, Institute for Cancer Research, Prevention and Clinical Network (ISPRO), 50139 Florence, Italy
Alessandra Ranucci: Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Cancer Risk Factors and Lifestyle Epidemiology Unit, Institute for Cancer Research, Prevention and Clinical Network (ISPRO), 50139 Florence, Italy
Stefania Massari: Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Epidemiology and Hygiene, Italian Workers’ Compensation Authority (INAIL), 00143 Rome, Italy
Alessandro Marinaccio: Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Epidemiology and Hygiene, Italian Workers’ Compensation Authority (INAIL), 00143 Rome, Italy
Giorgia Stoppa: Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Cancer Risk Factors and Lifestyle Epidemiology Unit, Institute for Cancer Research, Prevention and Clinical Network (ISPRO), 50139 Florence, Italy
Anna Cenni: Unit of Occupational Hygiene and Toxicology, Public Health Laboratory, Department of Prevention, AUSL South-East Tuscany, 53100 Siena, Italy
Cinzia Trane: Unit of Occupational Hygiene and Toxicology, Public Health Laboratory, Department of Prevention, AUSL South-East Tuscany, 53100 Siena, Italy
Antonio Peruzzi: Unit of Occupational Hygiene and Toxicology, Public Health Laboratory, Department of Prevention, AUSL South-East Tuscany, 53100 Siena, Italy
Maria Cristina Aprea: Unit of Occupational Hygiene and Toxicology, Public Health Laboratory, Department of Prevention, AUSL South-East Tuscany, 53100 Siena, Italy

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 3, 1-12

Abstract: Introduction. Formaldehyde, a colorless and highly irritating substance, causes cancer of the nasopharynx and leukemia. Furthermore, it is one of the environmental mutagens to which humans are most abundantly exposed. Acetaldehyde was recently classified as carcinogen class 1B and mutagen class 2 in Annex VI EC regulation. Occupational exposure to the two aldehydes occurs in a wide variety of occupations and industries. The aim of this study is to deepen exposure to the two aldehydes in the non-traditional productive sectors of bakeries and pastry producers. Methods. The evaluation of exposure to formaldehyde and acetaldehyde was conducted in Italy in 2019, in specific tasks and positions of 11 bakeries and pastry producers (115 measures, of which 57.4% were in fixed positions and the rest were personal air sampling). The measurements were performed using Radiello© radial diffusion samplers. A logarithmic transformation of the data was performed, and the correlation between the two substances was calculated. Moreover, linear models considering the log-formaldehyde as the outcome and adjusting for log-acetaldehyde values were used. Results. The study identified high levels of acetaldehyde and formaldehyde exposure in the monitored workplaces. Higher mean values were observed in the leavening phase (8.39 µg/m 3 and 3.39 µg/m 3 for log-transformed data acetaldehyde and formaldehyde, respectively). The adjusted univariate analyses show statistically significant factors for formaldehyde as the presence of yeast, the presence of type 1 flour, the use of barley, the use of fats, the type of production, the use of spelt, and the presence of type 0 flour. Conclusions. The measurements confirmed the release of formaldehyde and acetaldehyde in bakeries and pastry industries, especially in some phases of the work process, such as leavening.

Keywords: formaldehyde; formaldehyde measurements; productive sectors; bakeries; pastry industry; acetaldehyde; aldehydes; chemical exposure; leavening; work processes (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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