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The value of assessing occupational factors in epidemiologic investigations of general environmental exposures
Author(s) -
Blair Aaron,
Ward Mary H.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
environmetrics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.68
H-Index - 58
eISSN - 1099-095X
pISSN - 1180-4009
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1099-095x(199809/10)9:5<519::aid-env320>3.0.co;2-x
Subject(s) - environmental health , occupational exposure , environmental epidemiology , exposure assessment , public health , occupational medicine , medicine , pathology
Studies of the role of environmental exposures in the etiology of disease are an important and growing component of public health assessment. Assessment of general environmental exposures, however, is difficult. Simultaneous consideration of occupational exposures may be helpful. There are several reasons why this approach should be considered. First, many chemical exposures occur in both the occupational and environmental setting. Consideration of only one component could lead to an underestimate of exposure and of potential impact of the substance on public health. Second, occupational exposures are typically greater than environmental exposures and information on the shape of the exposure–response curve about the environmental levels may be quite informative. Third, consideration of occupational factors offers the opportunity to create a cumulative index of exposure from all routes and to adjust one route of exposure for the other. Finally, occupational exposures can be used to validate biologic markers for environmental exposures and generally provide useful information in interpretation of environmental results. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.