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Annals of Occupational Hygiene Advance Access published online on September 11, 2008
Annals of Occupational Hygiene, doi:10.1093/annhyg/men059
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© The Author 2008. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Occupational Hygiene Society

Conceptual Model for Assessment of Inhalation Exposure: Defining Modifying Factors

Erik Tielemans1,*, Thomas Schneider2, Henk Goede1, Martin Tischer3, Nick Warren4, Hans Kromhout5, Martie Van Tongeren6, Joop Van Hemmen1 and John W Cherrie6

1 Business Unit Quality and Safety, Department of Food and Chemical Risk Analysis, TNO Quality of Life, PO Box 360, 3700 AJ Zeist, The Netherlands
2 National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Lersø Parkallé 105, 2100 København Ø, Denmark
3 Division hazardous substances, Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA), Dortmund, Germany
4 Health and Safety Laboratory, Harpur Hill, Buxton, Derbyshire SK17 9JN, UK
5 Environmental Epidemiology Division, Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
6 Institute of Occupational Medicine, Research Park North, Riccarton, Edinburgh EH14 4AP, UK

* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel: +31-30-694-4990; fax: +31-30-694-4070; e-mail: erik.tielemans{at}tno.nl

The present paper proposes a source–receptor model to schematically describe inhalation exposure to help understand the complex processes leading to inhalation of hazardous substances. The model considers a stepwise transfer of a contaminant from the source to the receptor. The conceptual model is constructed using three components, i.e. (i) the source, (ii) various transmission compartments and (iii) the receptor, and describes the contaminant's emission and its pattern of transport. Based on this conceptual model, a list of nine mutually independent principal modifying factors (MFs) is proposed: activity emission potential, substance emission potential, localized control, separation, segregation, dilution, worker behavior, surface contamination and respiratory protection. These MFs describe the exposure process at a high level of abstraction so that the model can be generically applicable. A list of exposure determinants underlying each of these principal MFs is proposed to describe the exposure process at a more detailed level. The presented conceptual model is developed in conjunction with an activity taxonomy as described in a separate paper. The proposed conceptual model and MFs should be seen as ‘building blocks’ for development of higher tier exposure models.

conceptual model • exposure determinants • inhalation exposure • modifying factors

Received March 11, 2008; in final form July 23, 2008


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