196 Exposure to inhalable, respirable and ultrafine dust from airplanes and diesel engines exhaust for airport workers in the Netherlands

Airport workers are exposed to aircraft and diesel engine exhaust from airport vehicles and machinery. Exposure is determined by job characteristics and job location. We conducted an extensive measurement survey among workers exposed to aircraft and diesel engine exhaust at an airport in The Netherlands. All prevailing jobs with activities on the airside of the airport were divided into 10 similar exposure groups. Approximately 300 personal samples with a sampling duration between 4-8 hours were collected during a 5-week period in August/September 2023. Measurements of inhalable dust (PAS-6 sampler), respirable dust (Higgins-Dewell cyclone) and ultrafine dust (real-time Naneos Partector 2) were carried out. During sampling workers carried GPS-loggers to identify their work locations. Inhalable dust samples will be analyzed for several metals as marker of aircraft engine exhaust. Respirable dust samples will be analyzed for elementary carbon as a marker of diesel engine exhaust. Real-time ultrafine dust will be analyzed in relation to location at the airport and peak exposures to ultrafines will be described per similar exposure group (number, frequency and peak height). In addition, exposure affecting factors for the different size fractions of exposure to engine exhaust will be identified via linear mixed models. Other exposure determining factors like e.g. weather conditions, number of flight movements, etc. will also be taken into account. The results will be used to arrive at efficient control measures to reduce workers’ exposure and will form the basis for an informative epidemiological study on respiratory health among these workers.