Baur Xaver, Budnik Lygia Therese, Zhao Zhiwei, Bratveit Magne, Djurhuus Rune, Verschoor Louis, Rubino Federico Maria, Colosio Claudio, Jepsen Jorgen R
European Society for Environmental and Occupational Medicine (EOM), Berlin, Germany.
Institute for Occupational Medicine, Charité University Medicine, Charité-Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany.
J Occup Med Toxicol. 2015 May 20;10:19. doi: 10.1186/s12995-015-0059-4. eCollection 2015.
To ensure the preservation and quality of the goods, physical (i.e. radiation) or chemical pest control is needed. The dark side of such consents may bear health risks in international transport and production sharing. In fact, between 10% and 20% of all containers arriving European harbors were shown to contain volatile toxic substances above the exposure limit values. Possible exposure to these toxic chemicals may occur not only for the applicators but also the receiver by off gassing from products, packing materials or transport units like containers. A number of intoxications, some with lethal outcome, occur not only during the fumigation, but also during freight transport (on bulk carriers and other transport vessels), as well as in the logistic lines during loading and unloading. Risk occupations include dock-workers, seafarers, inspectors, as well as the usually uninformed workers of importing enterprises that unload the products. Bystanders as well as vulnerable consumers may also be at risk. Ongoing studies focus on the release of these toxic volatile substances from various goods. It was shown that the half-lives of the off-gassing process range between minutes and months, depending on the toxic substance, its chemical reactivity, concentration, the temperature, the contaminated matrix (goods and packing materials), and the packing density in the transport units. Regulations on declaration and handling dangerous goods are mostly not followed. It is obvious that this hazardous situation in freight transport urgently requires preventive steps. In order to improve awareness and relevant knowledge there is a need for more comprehensive information on chemical hazards and a broader implementation of the already existing regulations and guidelines, such as those from ILO, IMO, and national authorities. It is also necessary to have regular controls by the authorities on a worldwide scale, which should be followed by sanctions in case of disregarding regulations. Further, fumigated containers must have a warning sign corresponding to international recommendations and national regulations, and freight documents have to indicate any potential hazard during stripping the goods.
为确保货物的保存和质量，需要进行物理（如辐射）或化学虫害防治。此类防治措施的负面影响可能会在国际运输和生产共享中带来健康风险。事实上，抵达欧洲港口的所有集装箱中有10%至20%被证明含有超过暴露限值的挥发性有毒物质。不仅施药者，而且接收者都可能因产品、包装材料或集装箱等运输单元释放气体而接触到这些有毒化学物质。一些中毒事件，有些甚至导致致命后果，不仅发生在熏蒸过程中，也发生在货运过程中（散货船和其他运输船只上），以及装卸过程中的物流环节。风险职业包括码头工人、海员、检查员以及通常不知情的进口企业卸货工人。旁观者以及易受影响的消费者也可能面临风险。正在进行的研究聚焦于这些有毒挥发性物质从各类货物中的释放情况。结果表明，脱气过程的半衰期在几分钟到几个月之间，这取决于有毒物质、其化学反应性、浓度、温度、受污染的基质（货物和包装材料）以及运输单元中的包装密度。关于危险货物申报和处理的规定大多未得到遵守。显然，货运中的这种危险状况迫切需要采取预防措施。为提高认识和相关知识，有必要提供更全面的化学危害信息，并更广泛地执行现有法规和指南，如国际劳工组织、国际海事组织及各国当局发布的法规和指南。还需要各国当局在全球范围内进行定期检查，对违反规定的情况应予以制裁。此外，熏蒸过的集装箱必须有符合国际建议和国家法规的警示标志，货运文件必须注明卸货时的任何潜在危害。
