10/08/2024: Re-establishing Permissible Exposure Limits (PELs) to Reflect Cancer Risk

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Re-establishing Permissible Exposure Limits (PELs) to Reflect Cancer Risk

About the webinar:

This presentation addresses the critical issue of occupational exposure to carcinogens, which significantly contributes to global cancer mortality. Existing Occupational Exposure Limits (OELs), particularly those set by OSHA, often fall short of providing adequate protection for workers. The research presented proposes a recalibration of Permissible Exposure Limits (PELs) based on a cancer risk threshold of 1 in 1,000, using recalculated limits for 116 carcinogens. By comparing these values with international standards from Germany, the Netherlands, and France, the study advocates for stronger protective measures in the U.S. The findings highlight significant gaps in current PELs, demonstrating the need for immediate action and international alignment to enhance worker safety.

Learning Objectives

At the completion of this activity, the learner will be able to:

Understand the inadequacies of current U.S. OELs in protecting workers from carcinogenic exposures and the need for updated, health-based standards
Analyze the methodology used to recalculate PELs based on a 1 in 1,000 cancer risk threshold and compare values with international OELs
Recognize the importance of integrating cancer risk assessments into the development of OELs and explore strategies for improving protections through regulatory reforms and global alignment

Speaker: Jisoo Yu, MPH, PhD Candidate

Jisoo is originally from South Korea and has been studying abroad in the U.S. since high school. She graduated from UCLA with a degree in Earth and Environmental Sciences and later pursued her studies at UC Berkeley, focusing on chemical exposure. She majored in Environmental Health Sciences and Industrial Hygiene and received her Master of Public Health (MPH) in May 2024. During her time at Berkeley, Jisoo interned for a year at Tesla with the Chemical Regulatory and Risk team, where she conducted field sampling and worked on regulatory compliance. For her thesis, she collaborated with Cal/OSHA on re-establishing Permissible Exposure Limits (PELs) to reflect cancer risk. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Occupational Hygiene at the University of Minnesota, with a research focus on pesticide exposure assessment among pest control workers in Korea.

ACCREDITATION

The Center for Occupational and Environmental Health designates this activity for a maximum of 1.0 Contact Hour. Participants should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation.

Certificates of Completion

Certificates of Completion will be available to webinar participants who are present for the complete, live webinar, and logged in with their registered email address. Call-in attendees are not eligible for certificates at this time - Please download the Zoom app to log in via email on your smartphone whenever possible.

In order to receive your Certificate of Completion, qualified learners must complete the post-webinar evaluation within 7 days of the webinar. A link to the evaluation will be emailed to qualified learners 24 hours after the webinar via no-reply@zoom.us. Qualified learners who submit their evaluation will receive a Certificate of Completion via email, and can also print/save the certificate from their browser after submitting their evaluation.

If you're not able to attend the live presentation, no problem! We record most presentations and will host them on our website provided we have permission to do so. Presentation recordings are not eligible for Certificates of Completion.

ACCESSIBILITY:

If you require an accommodation for effective communication (ASL interpreting/CART captioning, alternative media formats, etc.) to fully participate in this event, please contact Michelle Meyer at (510) 642-8365 or mmeyer@berkeley.edu(link sends e-mail) with as much advance notice as possible and at least 7-10 days in advance of the event.

About the NorCal ERC

The goal of the Northern California ERC, a consortium of programs at the University of California’s Center of Occupational and Environmental Health, is to train professionals as practitioner and research leaders in occupational safety and health by offering graduate degrees, residency training, clinical experiences, and research mentorship to trainees. The aim of the ERC is to provide a broad, multidisciplinary educational experience involving student and faculty collaborations in the classroom, laboratory, and field. Through academic training, research, and community service projects, our faculty and trainees address ongoing and emerging challenges facing US Workers. Activities are grounded in multi-campus, interactive teaching programs that translate knowledge into information that can be used to improve worker safety and health.