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Inhalation of ash can be of great concern for affected communities, during and after volcanic eruptions. Governmental and humanitarian agencies recommend and distribute a variety of respiratory protection (RP), commonly surgical masks but, also, industry-certified N95-style masks. However, there is currently no evidence on how wearable they are within affected populations or how protective wearers perceive them being against volcanic ash (which will influence the likelihood of uptake of recommended interventions). Volunteers living near Mt. Sinabung, Sumatra, Indonesia, participated in a field wearability study, which included a high-efficiency mask certified to industry standards (N95-equiv.); a standard, pleated surgical mask (Surgical); a Basic flat-fold mask (Flat-fold), and the surgical mask plus a scarf tied over the top (Surgical Plus) to improve fit. These types of RP had all performed well during earlier laboratory filtration efficiency tests. The N95-equiv. mask had performed significantly better than the other RP in the subsequent total inward leakage volunteer trials, whilst the Flat-fold and Surgical masks performed poorly, letting in a third of PM2.5 particles (data published elsewhere). Thirty volunteers wore each mask for a 15-min walk before being asked to rate the comfort, breathability and perceived protection and fit of each. After wearing all of the masks, volunteers compared and identified their preferred type of protection. The feedback received from the volunteers suggested that the Surgical Plus and N95-equiv. masks were rated as being significantly hotter and more humid than other masks. The Flat-fold was rated to have better breathability than the other masks. The N95-equiv. mask was ranked as providing the best level of effectiveness of the four masks tested. Ultimately, when asked which type of mask they would choose to wear during ashfall, 33% selected the Flat-fold mask due to its comfort and simplicity, with the Surgical Plus being the least likely to be chosen of the four tested. The study findings are of benefit to agencies who need to make informed decisions on the procurement and distribution of RP for use by those affected in future eruptions and the provision of advice to communities on their usage.

OBJECTIVES: Wood dust data held in the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) National Exposure DataBase (NEDB) were reviewed to investigate the long-term changes in inhalation exposure from 1985 to 2005. In addition, follow-up sampling measurements were obtained from selected companies where exposure measurements had been collected prior to 1994, thereby providing a follow-up period of at least 10 years, to determine whether changes in exposure levels had occurred, with key staff being interviewed to identify factors that might be responsible for any changes observed. METHODS: Analysis of the temporal trend in exposure concentrations was performed using Linear Mixed Effect Models on the log-transformed NEDB data set and expressed as the relative annual change in concentration. RESULTS: For the NEDB wood dust data, an annual decline of geometric mean (GM) exposure of 8.1% per year was found based on 1459 exposure measurements collected between 1985 and 2003. This trend was predominantly observed in data from inspection visits (measurements collected on a mandatory basis by a Specialist HSE Inspector) (n = 1009), while data from representative surveys (measurements collected on a voluntary basis to provide information on current practices and exposures) remained relatively stable. Ten follow-up surveys in individual workplaces in 2004-2005 resulted in 70 new measurements and for each of the companies resurveyed, the GM of the wood dust exposure decreased between sampling surveys. CONCLUSION: Analysis of the temporal trend in UK wood dust exposure concentrations revealed declines of 8% per annum. Interviews with key long-serving employees and management suggest that factors such as technological changes in production processes, response to new legislation, and enforcement agency inspections, together with global economic trends, could be linked to the downward trends observed.

Background: The evaluation of smoke-free legislation (SFL) in the UK examined the impacts on exposure to second-hand smoke, workers' attitudes and changes in respiratory health. Studies that investigate changes in the health of groups of people often use self-reported symptoms. Due to the subjective nature it is of interest to determine whether workers' attitudes towards the change in their working conditions may be linked to the change in health they report. Methods: Bar workers were recruited before the introduction of the SFL in Scotland and England with the aim of investigating their changes to health, attitudes and exposure as a result of the SFL. They were asked about their attitudes towards SFL and the presence of respiratory and sensory symptoms both before SFL and one year later. Here we examine the possibility of a relationship between initial attitudes and changes in reported symptoms, through the use of regression analyses. Results: There was no difference in the initial attitudes towards SFL between those working in Scotland and England. Bar workers who were educated to a higher level tended to be more positive towards SFL. Attitude towards SFL was not found to be related to change in reported symptoms for bar workers in England (Respiratory, p = 0.755; Sensory, p = 0.910). In Scotland there was suggestion of a relationship with reporting of respiratory symptoms (p = 0.042), where those who were initially more negative to SFL experienced a greater improvement in self-reported health. Conclusions: There was no evidence that workers who were more positive towards SFL reported greater improvements in respiratory and sensory symptoms. This may not be the case in all interventions and we recommend examining subjects' attitudes towards the proposed intervention when evaluating possible health benefits using self-reported methods.

Abstract
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has a goal to efficiently conduct aggregate exposure assessments (AEAs) for chemicals using both exposure models and human biomonitoring (HBM) data by 2030. To achieve EFSA's vision, a roadmap for action for advancing aggregate exposure (AE) in the EU was developed. This roadmap was created by performing a series of engagement and data collection activities to map the currently available methods, data, and tools for assessing AE of chemicals, against the needs and priorities of EFSA. This allowed for the creation of a AEA framework, identification of data and knowledge gaps in our current capabilities, and identification of the challenges and blockers that would hinder efforts to fill the gaps. The roadmap identifies interdependent working areas (WAs) where additional research and development are required to achieve EFSA's goal. It also proposes future collaboration opportunities and recommends several project proposals to meet EFSA's goals. Eight proposal projects supported by SWOT analysis are presented for EFSA's consideration. The project proposals inform high‐level recommendations for multi‐annual and multi‐partner projects. Recommendations to improve stakeholder engagement and communication of EFSA's work on AEA were gathered by surveying stakeholders on specific actions to improve EFSA's communication on AE, including webinars, virtual training, social media channels, and newsletters.