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    Solvent neurotoxicity in vehicle collision repair workers : a thesis by publications presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Public Health, Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2018) Keer, Samuel John
    Previous studies have shown that vehicle collision repair workers may be at risk of solvent-induced symptoms of neurotoxicity. Changes in industry practices have likely resulted in reduced exposure, but little research has been conducted to assess whether this has reduced the risk of neurotoxicity. This thesis describes a series of studies, which aimed to assess: i) contemporary airborne solvent exposures in collision repair workers; ii) the determinants of airborne solvent exposures; iii) the prevalence of self-reported symptoms of neurotoxicity and objectively measured neuropsychological performance, compared to an unexposed reference group; iv) dose-response associations; and v) the effect of personal protective equipment (PPE) and good workplace hygiene on symptom prevalence. In total, 370 vehicle collision repair and 211 construction workers (reference group) were recruited. Personal airborne solvent exposure was assessed in 85 collision repair workers, and information on demographics, work practices and symptoms was collected by questionnaire. A sub-group of 47 collision repair and 51 reference workers also completed a battery of neuropsychological tests. Full-shift, airborne exposures were well below New Zealand and international occupational exposure limits (range, 0.04 – 16.5 ppm). Job title was the strongest predictor of exposure, and non-spraying tasks (e.g. mixing paint and cleaning equipment) were associated with higher exposures than spray painting itself. Collision repair workers reported significantly more symptoms of neurotoxicity than the reference group, with odds ratios (ORs) of 2.0, 95% CI 1.3-3.3; 2.4, 1.2-4.8; and 6.4, 1.8-23.0, for reporting ≥5, ≥10 and ≥15 symptoms, respectively. They also performed more poorly on neuropsychological tests, particularly those that measure attention/concentration and motor speed/dexterity (e.g. reference vs. collision repair group score on the RBANS total attention scale, -9.5, 95% CI, -15.9, -2.8). Consistent use of PPE (particularly gloves) and good workplace hygiene practices were strongly protective against symptoms, with reductions in risk of up to 90% for those who most consistently wore PPE. In conclusion, despite relatively low airborne exposure levels, collision repair workers continue to be at risk of solvent-induced neurotoxicity. These findings provide a strong evidence-base for the development and implementation of intervention programmes to reduce solvent exposures and associated morbidity in this population.
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    Pesticide poisoning in Aotearoa New Zealand : a thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2015) Torrington, Ciaran Dawn
    As a nation for over 70 years New Zealand has used unprecedented amounts of pesticides within our workplaces, homes, lands, communities and our National Parks. The health and environmental hazards from exposure to pesticides is now well accepted within Science, but as an illness pesticide poisoning is not well acknowledged within society. Historically pesticide poisoning has been strongly contested by Science, Government, Medicine, Business & Industry and as a result people who have experienced illness from pesticide poisoning frequently encountered denial or de-legitimisation of their illness stories. Despite the long history of pesticide use in this country no study has considered what it is like to experience pesticide poisoning in workplaces in New Zealand, and this study attempts to redress this lack of research effort. A narrative methodology and theories was employed because it explores an illness experience in depth, allows for marginalised stories such as pesticide poisoning to be explored, and is a popular method for exploring health experiences within the Social Sciences. There were sixteen participants interviewed who had experienced pesticide poisoning in their workplaces in New Zealand. This thesis presents three perspectives of narrative theory of the pesticide poisoning experience. The first perspective is of the overarching narrative of pesticide poisoning in New Zealand which shows how the narratives of this study are distinctly automythology quest narratives. The second perspective is how the narratives are structured to give form and meaning, and within this study the narratives are structured within the domains of the Whare Tapa Wha conceptual model of health and the study demonstrates how this can form a foundation for an embodied perspective of health and identity. The third perspective considers the social forces that surround and influence pesticide poisoning illness stories. The participants reconstruct their sense of identity in response to the illness experience and actively advocate for change within their environment. The narratives of this study are surrounded by the powerful authority over knowledge by powerful institutions who sought to deny their experiences of pesticide poisoning.
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    Solvent exposure characterisation in the collision repair industry in New Zealand : a thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master in Public Health at Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2013) Taptiklis, Phoebe
    Background: Reviews of solvent exposure and neurotoxicity have identified the need for improved understanding of the characteristics of exposure in industries where workers are exposed to solvents (WHO 1985, Baker 1988, Mikkelson 1996, Meyer-Baron 2008). Subjects and Methods: This exposure assessment study was conducted in 16 collision repair workshops in the Wellington region of New Zealand, and included 100 air samples from 77 workers in 16 workshops and 76 urine samples from 18 workers. Air was analysed using gas chromatography for solvents and urine was analysed for hippuric acid, metabolite of toluene. Regression analyses were performed and an exposure model was defined. Results: The highly statistically significant multivariate exposure model with an R square value of .77 was able to explain almost 80% of the variance in the personal air exposure data. Significant associations between personal air solvent exposure and workshop ventilation characteristics were found: Gunwasher if placed in the workshop area without separate ventilation had a coefficient of 2.19 (1.34-3.59) and mixing room ventilation if floor level and away from the main mixing bench had a coefficient of 3.06 (1.51-6.19) compared with the reference category. Urine analysis did not show a statistically significant association with personal toluene or glove use. Conclusions: Workshop ventilation characteristics have a significant impact on individual exposures. Recommendations can be given to industry to help lower exposures and results can feed into the neurobehavioural study to aid exposure characterisation in this population. This study has shown that exposure characterisation using statistical methods is a plausible and useful way to assess relative weight across a spectrum of exposure sources, and to identify areas for effective intervention.