Fog and health effects in the film industry

This study aimed to assess fog exposure levels and associated health impacts on workers using light scattering instruments to measure fog concentrations. A cross-sectional epidemiological approach was used, involving a questionnaire administered to a subset of workers in Metro Vancouver. The study compared a glycerin-exposed group with a control group with no fog exposure. The results showed that workers exposed to glycerin-based fog had significantly higher odds of reporting respiratory and eye irritation symptoms, although all exposure levels were within occupational limits. While limitations included a small sample size and selection bias, the findings nonetheless suggest that glycerin-based fogs may contribute to irritation symptoms, and further research with medical diagnostics and studies on various fog fluids is recommended to assess long-term health risks.

Principal Applicant: Mona Shum (Aura Health and Safety Corporation)
Co-Applicants: Jesse Cooper (Aura Health and Safety Corporation); Hugh Davies (University of British Columbia)
Funding Awarded: $50,000 (Innovation at Work)

Competition Year: 2018 File type: PDF (178 KB) Asset type: Research Research: RS2018-IG15