Exposure axis of the OAsJEM

Agents, n=30

HMW sensitizer

Mites

Microbial exposure

LMW sensitizer

Irritants

Highly reactive chemicals

Biocides

Animals

1

Fish/Shellfish

1

Flour

1

Foods

1

Plants-related dusts

1

House dust Mites

1

1

Storage Mites

1

1

Plant Mites

1

1

Enzymes

1

Latex

1

Textile

1

1 

1

Moulds

1

1

Endotoxin

1

1

Drugs

1

1 

High level chemical disinfectants

1

1

1

1

Aliphatic Amines

1

1

1

Isocyanates

1

1

1

Acrylates

1

1

1

Epoxy resins

1

1

1

Persulphates/Henna

1

1

1

Wood

1 

1

1

Metal

1

1

Metal Working Fluids

1 

1

1

Herbicides

1

1

Insecticides

1

1

Fungicides

1

1

Indoor cleaning

1

Bleach

1

1

1

Organic Solvents

1

1 

Exhaust fumes

1

The 12 new agents (out of 30), identified in bold, were chosen based on the knowledge from recent literature. Animals: exposure to animals in agriculture industry, research labs – land mammals and birds ; Foods: work with milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, … mostly powders (process used to obtain powder may affect allergenic properties), Fish/Shellfish and Flour are not included ; Other plants-related dusts : Flour is not included; Enzyme: alpha-amylase used as improver in bread dough, or amylases, cellulases and lipases used in washing detergents manufacturing … ; Textile: work with cotton or synthetic fibers, which explain its classification in 3 groups (HMW, microbes, irritants) ; Drugs : mostly HMW agents (Kennedy, personal communication) but potentially also LMW; Wood : mostly LMW agents but potentially also HMW; High level chemical disinfectants: High level disinfectant or chemical sterilizing agents (eg, glutaraldehyde, chlorhexidine, ethylene oxide, hydrogen peroxide); Indoor cleaning: Cleaning products/ detergents or low/intermediate level disinfectants
7 large groups: High Molecular Weight sensitizers (n=13), of which Mites is a sub-category (3 sensitizers); Microbial exposure (n=4); Low Molecular Weight sensitizers (LMW, n=10); Chronic exposure to irritants (n=19 agents including 9 agents also classified as LMW sensitizers because for these 9 agents both mechanisms are possible), of which Highly reactive chemicals (8 agents) and Biocides (5 agents) are 2 sub-categories.